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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-06-24, Page 29Page 28 Times -Advocate, June 24, 1998 Sandhill cranes return to Operation Migration. The cranes that visited Exeter in May are alive and well near Port Perry after visiting school yards and golf courses By Kate Monk T -A memories PORT PERRY - The six sandhill cranes that visited Exeter in mid- May have continued their journey through southern Ontario. Heather Ray of Operation Migra- tion, the non-profit organization which is.part of the sandhill crane project, provided the T -A with fur- ther information on the six cranes. Operation Migration is dedicated to saving endangered waterfowl such as the whooping crane. Ac- cording to the last count taken in December 1997 at their winter site in Texas, there were only 181 whooping cranes and they are all part of one flock. This is up, from the 16 whooping cranes in the late 1940s. But according to Ray, dan- ger still exists because there is only one flock of "whoopers" making them susceptible to disease, pollu- tion or other environmental ca- tastrophes. - "We'd like to establish a second flock of migratory whooping cranes far enough away from the first flock so that if disease were to strike they'd still be okay," Ray ex- plained. Sandhill cranes are not en- dangered but are similar enough•to whooping cranes that they have been used 'for this migration re- search project. The goal of the pro- ject was to teach the birds to use a. new' migration route. The cranes would be led to their winter habitat by an ultralight aircraft in the same manner as Bill Lishman escorted a flock of Canada geese a few years prior. Lishman is also part of this pro- ject and is a director on Operation Migration's board. The six sandhills were raised from eggs taken from breeding pairs at the Patuxant Wildlife Re- search -Center in Maryland, not from the wild. Even before the eggs were hatched, they were exposed to the sound of the ultralight aircraft en- gine three times a day. Just as the mother sandhill crane would do, the eggs were turned three- times a day. While the eggs were being turned, the handler talked to them so they would learn the sound of his or her voice as well. Once they hatched, the continued to hear the sound of the ultralight three times per day. "By the time they're about five to eight days old, they're really corn- fortable in front of the actual ultra - light itself," Ray said, adding the birds are relaxed enough to eat while they are near the aircraft. The birds were transported to the Operation Migration site near Port Perry when they were about 40 days old and started their training. Once the sandhills fledge out (get their feathers) at around 60 days of age they begin to fly. Last fall. the cranes were led south to Virginia by the ultralight where they spent the winter under Your Views Letters to the editor Sandhill Crane the watchful eye of•a biologist. A release pen was built in mid. - February which allowed .the birds to leave if they wanted. They stayed until March 28 when they headed north. Two days.later they landed at a school yard in St. Catherines, 500 miles from Vir- ginia. _ While the Operation Migration personnel led the cranes around the eastern end of Lake Ontario last fall. they returned via the west side. crossing the Niagara.River. "We don't know what hapiened whether that has anything o do with the route that we showed them or whether there's some internal mechanism that .says 'Head north until you hit the right latitude."' Ray said. - The sandhill cranes travelled to precisely the correct latitude and - landed at the Holland Marsh hut Minister challenges residents of Ontario Lands for Life is a broad public conversation about the future of our public lands.... Dear Editor: - i am issuing a• challenge to all of the interest - groups and individuals who care about the use of Ontario's public lands. I am challenging them to demonstrate leadership. Ontario is blessed with an abundance of natural wealth - open spaces, lakes. rivers, forests. and wilderness. Much of these resources are found on the Crown land that covers 46 million hectares of Ontario. This land provides habitat for plants and animals, parks for recreation and protection, and an economic base for Ontario residents who rely on natural resources for their livelihood. Lands for Life is a broad public conversation about the future of our public lands. Lands for Life is led by people committed to Ontario's future and committed to having this process work. it is time now to resolve the old conflicts about public land use. Lands for Life is the right process to find the solution. •• The Lands for Life Round -Tables. the initial stage of public consultation, have exposed many caxitlict- ing and often predictable positions. Broad public discussion often begins this way .hut arguments and inflexibility will not build a consensus. • . To plan the future of our public -lands we must set aside narrow self-interest and listen to the needs Of others. I understand that it is not easy to set aside. even for a moment, a long held opinion. However. 1 believe it is essential that we make the extraordinary effort to be truly generous in our concern. not just for the future of the land. but also for the people who may not share our opinion. That is leadership. Leadership that will provide wisdom and generate consensus. Leadership that can provide for the sound ste- wardship of our land. Leadership that will map our future.. My challenge to the interest groups and individu- als engaged in the Lands for Life process is to dem-. onstrate this magnitude of leadership. We all need to help the Round Tables draft sound recommenda- tions. We all need to be part of the solution. Sincerely John C. Snobelen Minister of Natural Resources: Canadian Millennium Partnerships Program In addition to direct funding, cer- tain groups, and projects may wish to seek official millennium endorsement. Dear Editor: i am writing to you, at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister. the Honorable Herb Gray, to pro- vide you and your readers with information on the Canadian Millennium Partnerships Program. • . As we all know. the Millennium is less than two years away. In an effort to celebrate and commemo- rate the passing of this important milestone, the Prime Minister and Mr. Gray recently launched the Government of Canada's millennium initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to support and encourage community and nationally oriented activities that endeavour to provide lasting benefits for future gen- erations of Canadians, under the theme Sharing the Memory, Shaping the Dream. The Canadian Millennium Partnerships Program has been developed to, among other things, encour- age Canadians to create initiatives that explore our heritage, celebrate our achievements, build our fu- ture, and endeavor to leave a lasting legacy. To as- sist with this, the federal government will provide funding for national and community -oriented events and activities. Funding will be allocated according to the regional diversity of the requests and based upon five "phase dates" or deadlines that have now been established. The deadlines are as follows: Phase I: June 19, 1998, Phase 2: October 31, 1998. Phase 3: May 31, 1999, Phase 4: October 31, 1999, Phase 5: March I, 2000. To be eligible for funding under the Canadian Millennium Partnership Program, projects should: • encompass one or more of the program themes • take place or be well underway before Decem- ber 31, 2000 • be non-commercial • provides lasting benefits to the community into the new millennium • involve participation by Canadians nationally or on a community level • show tangible community involvement and sup- port, and • produce measurable results.. As I have indicated above. there are specific pro- gram themes that tpust be observed tb attain funding under this program. The themes are intended to be, reflective of Canada's history, natural beauty. ethnic and cultural diversity, technical and scientific excel- lence, and its pursuit of fairness and equal opportu- nity in all facets of society. Funding will potentially be available for projects that meet one or more of the following: - • Celebrate achievement so that Canadians are in- spired to remember our past and look forward to the future • Encourage Canadians to explore Canada niori: fully . • Exchange ideas and approaches that irnprove our international scope • Support a sustainable environment while pro- moting a strong economy • Stimulate community involvement and evolution by bringing our youth together • Advance Canadian innovation hence eontribut= ing to our collective well-being. and • Demonstrate our heritage through artistic and cultural expression. In addition to direct funding, certain events, groups and projects may wish to seek official mil- lennium endorsement. This would permit them .to utilize the official emblems. This program is a wonderful opportunity for us to demonstrate and celebrate Canadian accomplish- ments past, present .and future. l would en +urage all interested individuals and groups to consult the Millennium website at www. millennium.gc.c or to call toll free 1-888-774-9999. In addition. if you re- quire further information or clarification please feel free to contact my office at (519) 524-6938 or 1- 800-465-1726. As we move closer to the year 2000. I look for- ward to working with all of the residents of Huron - Bruce to mark the millennium in ways that will make a meaningful difference to future generations of Canadians. Sincerely, Paul Steckle, M.P. 1 4 were 30 miles west from. where they were raised' at Nelson Read- er's farm. - In 'the following days, a strong west wind blew also affected their travels and they ended up in Orangeville. Listowel and several other small towns west of their des- tination. The cranes have been spotted at various school yards and golf courses. Ray guesses they probably land in marshes.as well hut no one has been there to observe them. Unfortunately. be- cause the sandhills are so accustomed to hu- mans they will ap- proach people and ac- cept - food. Consequently, their diet has been less than ideal including pita hread and other human food rather than foraging for; ap- propriate sandhill crane food such as snails. hugs and worms. "They're quite able to forage -on their own.".Ray said. She encourages people to treat them like wild animals and to not feed them. - "They're really being harmful to the birds by getting them to as- ' sociate with humans," she con- tinued. The day after the. sandhill cranes lett Exeter, they. showed up in Kingston followed by Coburg. . .After that they split up as a flock prompting the Operation Migration people to retrieve them. • "Our fear is that ,one or two of them may not be able to defend themselves against a coyote or . something like that," she explained. "We'd rather see them stay togeth- er as. a flock where they have a Netter chance." Since then, they've been re- turned to Reader's farm.and were "placd - under house arrest" for a• few weeks. On a trial basis, the handlers kept the dominant cranes enclosed in a large pen (large enough for exercise) and allowed the others outside the pen but they still haven't stayed around- -home and are frequenting the .sur - "We'd like to establish a second flock of migratory whooping cranes far enough away from the first flock so that if disease were to strike they'd still be okay." Excuses, excuses, excuses Editor's note: With the school year coming.w an end we •thought it itould he interesting if our readers were made aware of some of the many excuses used for not attending class.•. are actual excuse notes from parents iincliiding original spellings collected by Nisheeth Parekh. University Texas Medical Branch L Galveston... . • My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him • Please excuse- Lisa for Nein, absent. She was sick and 1 had her shot. - • Dear School.- Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28. 29. 30. 31.3_2. and also 33. • Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating. • • Please excuse Roland from P E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and mt.rlaced his hip • John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face. • Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was'hurt in the growing part. • Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins. - . • Chris will not be- in school sus he has an acre in his'side. • Please excuse Ray Friday from school He has veru loose vowels. - • Please excuse Tommy. for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak. • Irving was absent- yesterday because he missed his bust. • Please excuse Jimmy for being. it was his father's fault. • I kept Billie home because she had_ to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear. • Please excuse Jennifer for miss- ing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch. and when we found it Monday. we thought it was Sunday, • Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her • funeral. • - • My daughter was absent yester- day because she was tired. She spent.a weekend with the Marines. •• Pleare excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well. • Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps. • Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover. • Please excuse Burma, she has been sick and under the doctor. • Maryann was absent December 1 1-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around. her father even got hot last night. rounding area. A new hatch of young sandhills were transported to Reader's . two weeks ago for this year's research. Ray said Alley have made some changes to the way they interact with the cranes this time around. Last year's pens were constructed of chainlink fence which may ex- plain the cranes' tendencies to land in schoolyards surrounded by sim- ilar fencing. This year's pens are made of camouflage canvas. The handlers will not speak. near the birds and will use sign language to communicate with each other. They also make crane -like • noises including purring -like a crane and doing the contact and alarm calls of the cranes. The puppet costumes which the handlers wear are made of tax- idermy sandhill crane heads with beaks and real eyeballs to more closely resemble the actual birds. The goal of this- year's research, according to. Ray, is to establish a ,et of criteria to test the wildness of the birds. "Well imprint them on the ultra - light and• either lead them or truck them south. We're not sure," Instead of Virginia, the cranes' will winter in South Carolina on "30,000 acres of nothing," Ray said. - The cranes will be left on their own without handlers but a biol- ogist will check on them once a :week to ensure they're healthy. "We'll let them forage for their own food and see if they return -in the spring." This experment must work before research can start on the whooping cranes. You can follow the progress of the six cranes that visited Exeter as well as the 16 new cranes at the pro1ect's - website at http:// lathergoose.durham.net/today.htm. PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE HIGHWAY 4 AT . - - CLANDEBOYE DRIVE - MIDD'::_ ;FY ._OUNTY ROAD 20 The Minister of Transportation will ;hold a Public Information Centre to discuss the intersection improvements at Highway 4 and Middlesex County Road 20 and the subsequent closure •of Clandeboye Drive at Highway 4. - KEY MAP HURON uSBORNE MA• tom,. i Exeter J ,STEPHEN! • ?1 i Gam' Hurt Park* McGILLIVRAY ex ':nip EAST ILLIAMS BIDOULPH Lucnn rows MI DLESEX CENTEtj ;. s,,a..ta • PRELIMINARY DETAIL These intersection improvements are proposed to improve the safety and operation of this section of Highway 4. This work will be part of an overall highway improvement prpject involving highway resurfacing from Elginfield to Exeter. ' • The Information Centre will be held to allow the public to examine plans for the proposed road closure at Clandeboye Drive. The Centre will be held as follows: Date: Thursday, June 25, 1998 Time: 3:00 p. m. to 8:00 p.m. Place: Township of Biddulph Office We are interested in hearing any comments or concerns you or your group may ,lave about this proposed road closure. If you are unable to attend the Information Centre you may wish to contact us at the address below. Comments and information regarding this study are being . collected to assist the Ministry of Transportation in meeting requirements under the Environmental Assessment Act. They will be maintained on file for use during the project study and may be included in study documentation. Any personal information (name, address, etc.) will be restricted to internal. Ministry use only, and will not form part of the public record. For further information, please contact: Roger Ward Project Manager,(Acting) Ministry of Transportation 659 Exeter Road London, Ontario N6E 1L3 Telephone: (519) 649-3037 Fax: (519) 649-3109 Ontario Toll Free: 1-8004656072, Ext. 3037 Email: wardrt mto.gov.on. ca