Nature Reflections

Back toHome

Nature Reflections - May 25, 2006

Nature's hidden bounty

by Jean Griffin

Spring - the time when nature seems to be most bountiful, arousing our senses by bringing fresh colours to the landscape, bursts of songs of birds to fields and forests, brief sightings of young animals as they emerge from dens, and new yet-old fragrances of rain-washed fields and forests - a time to be refreshed and renewed.

Every year when spring arrives we experience once again all that we had seen, heard, smelled or touched in other years. Yet each fresh new flower, each colourful returning migrant bird, each young animal, each early butterfly, each form of life that appears is new and an opportunity to learn again the wonders of nature.

Sometimes nature surprises us! We think we know the landscape and what it holds for us to see. But nature has a way of hiding some of its secrets, and unless we look and listen we may not really know what is there.

Early shrubs that appear are the Serviceberries or as some call them the Juneberries or Shadbushes. And for years I have readily recognized two species - the Downy and the Smooth Serviceberry - which are the first two to open. Then this spring I realized I have been overlooking another that opens just a few days later - because it looked similar I had been assuming it was the same. A lesson learned!

How many times have you looked at the White or Red Trilliums, and enjoyed their colours, and after the flower has faded assumed that all the remaining leaves are those of that two. A friend learned last year not to be thus deceived. While doing some work he happened to disturb the leaves and to his surprise, there was a flower hidden under the leaf canopy. What he had found was a Nodding Trillium, a trillium that blooms later than the other two, and whose flower remains hidden under the protection of the leaves. I went to see it this week, and it is a beautiful little flower - white, with pink anthers, with recurved petals. Another lesson!

Many insects are protected from predators by camouflage and it may mean we never see them - unless we stop and look.

Turn over rocks or rotting trees that have been lying on the ground, and there may be a salamander, or a snake there you have not noticed before. (If you do turn over rocks, etc., put them back afterwards so life can continue for what is there).

And so in spring we enjoy all that we have enjoyed the past years, but need to stop, look and listen and recognize what nature has to offer that we may have been missing!

Observations: Sandy Hallam, Crow Lake , says hummingbirds, a wren and a bluebird have proved spring has returned. Sandy also had a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers fly by, and reports a large owl with an impressive wing span - most probably a Great Horned. Share your sightings; call Jean at 268-2518 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Other Stories this Week View RSS feed

Feature Article - August 24, 2006

Back toHome

Feature Article - August 24, 2006

Always CryWolf

A close look at an animal both famous and infamous

Michael Runtz, eminent naturalist, will share his passion, knowledge and photos with us in the “Featured Speaker Series” of the Friends of the Salmon River on Monday, August 28 at 7 pm in the Tamworth Library. All are welcome at no cost.

Come and feast your eyes and ears ona slide presentation onthe much misunderstood Gray Wolf and theEastern Canadian Wolf. We will also explore the relationship between wolves and the Eastern Coyotes commonly found in the Salmon River area.

Michael Runtz is recognized throughout North America as a premier naturalist and natural history educator. His 13-part TV Series, Wild by Nature, was broadcast on Discovery Channel; his first book, Moose Country, was a Canadian bestseller; and his other six books have been equally powerful.

In addition to his extensive knowledge of his wild and beautiful subjects, Michael has the ability to instil his love of nature in his audiences. He shares his passion for nature at widespread public presentations with TV viewers, and with park visitors at wolf howls. Students at Carleton University count him one of the most popular instructors.

Join us for this unique and powerful presentation. Following the show is our Annual General Meeting. Friends of the Salmon River is a community group dedicated to protecting the watershed and informing all citizens and users of the river about good stewardship practices.

For more information, contact Susan Moore

at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 613-388-2315.

Other Stories this Week View RSS feed

Nature Reflections

Back toHome

Nature Reflections - November 2, 2006

Signs of Autumn

by Jean Griffin

It is not just cooler weather, or falling leaves, or earlier sunsets that are signs of autumn’s farewell and the coming of winter. It seems that almost everything in nature has its own way of showing us that seasons are changing.

Summer had brought us busy chipmunks who mated and had families, and as the summer waned it was common to see a half-grown chipmunk scampering across the road with its tail a banner pointing toward the sky. There are less of these now, though still one or two trying to find either food or an unoccupied territory where it will spend the winter underground. The squirrels have also been busy preparing for winter, building leaf nests in the trees, harvesting the nuts and seeds that will be the mainstay of their winter diet, and hiding them, sometimes in tree cavities, and sometimes burying them - where they may or may not find them again, and thus give that unfound nut or seed an opportunity to grow.

Each of the mammals has its own way of adapting to the coming winter. Some change the colour or thickness of their fur coats and meet winter head-on. The white coat of the Snowshoe Hare may help it evade its predators, while the white mantle of the Short-tailed Weasel may give it the advantage of disguise. The denser coat of the White-tailed Deer will help protect it from the chilly winds, though the shelter they seek in cedar swamps will help.

Other mammals hibernate, and now is the time for the Black Bears to seek out a place to den for the winter. It was obvious in the pile left on the road by one of these animals that it had been enjoying the supply of apples and other fruit and was probably now well-insulated with a layer of fat on which to survive.

It is easy to observe how the birds react to the coming of winter. Almost all the songbirds of the summer have headed for warmer climes where there are still insects to be found, and life is easier. Those that remain have put on their winter coats - an extra layer of down. Like the squirrels some of them have also hidden away seeds, while others have spied out the bird feeders that will be a place of plenty. From more northern areas we are starting to see our winter visitors. This week I saw a small flock of Snow Buntings (only about 6) busily feeding on the weed seeds on the side of the road. They and the redpolls, Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks and others leave the barren tundra for areas where winter food is more available.

Now not so readily visible are the insects who have had to adapt to season change possibly by cocooning, burrowing into the ground, or (for a few) heading south. Many insects have finished the entire span of their life, and it is the eggs they leave behind that will be overwintering and be the insects we see next year. The Woolly Bear caterpillar crossing the road the other day will have to find shelter - this one was almost totally black with only a hint of the coloured mid-stripe circling its body - what does that tell us about the coming winter?

By now most of the frogs are buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond, and the toads also buried but in the ground. The snakes have been gathering in their underground retreats - except for the young Eastern Garter, only about 8 inches long, that was slithering over my basement floor a couple of weeks ago. It must have found a small chink in the basement wall while looking for a place to shelter. I placed it out in my flower garden in the hope it could find some other safe hideaway.

So autumn wanes and winter looms ahead, and we humans also find various ways of coping - blazing fires in wood stoves, storm windows, mittens and hats, vacations in southern places, snow tires, and so forth. And like the animals, wait for the coming of spring!

Observations: Helm in Oconto had a Black Bear cross his yard on October 22, and savoured a meal of Hericium coralloides, a Coral Fungus, on October 24. Share your observations - call Jean at 613-268-2518 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nature Reflections

Back toHome

Nature Reflections - November 2, 2006

Signs of Autumn

by Jean Griffin

It is not just cooler weather, or falling leaves, or earlier sunsets that are signs of autumn’s farewell and the coming of winter. It seems that almost everything in nature has its own way of showing us that seasons are changing.

Summer had brought us busy chipmunks who mated and had families, and as the summer waned it was common to see a half-grown chipmunk scampering across the road with its tail a banner pointing toward the sky. There are less of these now, though still one or two trying to find either food or an unoccupied territory where it will spend the winter underground. The squirrels have also been busy preparing for winter, building leaf nests in the trees, harvesting the nuts and seeds that will be the mainstay of their winter diet, and hiding them, sometimes in tree cavities, and sometimes burying them - where they may or may not find them again, and thus give that unfound nut or seed an opportunity to grow.

Each of the mammals has its own way of adapting to the coming winter. Some change the colour or thickness of their fur coats and meet winter head-on. The white coat of the Snowshoe Hare may help it evade its predators, while the white mantle of the Short-tailed Weasel may give it the advantage of disguise. The denser coat of the White-tailed Deer will help protect it from the chilly winds, though the shelter they seek in cedar swamps will help.

Other mammals hibernate, and now is the time for the Black Bears to seek out a place to den for the winter. It was obvious in the pile left on the road by one of these animals that it had been enjoying the supply of apples and other fruit and was probably now well-insulated with a layer of fat on which to survive.

It is easy to observe how the birds react to the coming of winter. Almost all the songbirds of the summer have headed for warmer climes where there are still insects to be found, and life is easier. Those that remain have put on their winter coats - an extra layer of down. Like the squirrels some of them have also hidden away seeds, while others have spied out the bird feeders that will be a place of plenty. From more northern areas we are starting to see our winter visitors. This week I saw a small flock of Snow Buntings (only about 6) busily feeding on the weed seeds on the side of the road. They and the redpolls, Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks and others leave the barren tundra for areas where winter food is more available.

Now not so readily visible are the insects who have had to adapt to season change possibly by cocooning, burrowing into the ground, or (for a few) heading south. Many insects have finished the entire span of their life, and it is the eggs they leave behind that will be overwintering and be the insects we see next year. The Woolly Bear caterpillar crossing the road the other day will have to find shelter - this one was almost totally black with only a hint of the coloured mid-stripe circling its body - what does that tell us about the coming winter?

By now most of the frogs are buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond, and the toads also buried but in the ground. The snakes have been gathering in their underground retreats - except for the young Eastern Garter, only about 8 inches long, that was slithering over my basement floor a couple of weeks ago. It must have found a small chink in the basement wall while looking for a place to shelter. I placed it out in my flower garden in the hope it could find some other safe hideaway.

So autumn wanes and winter looms ahead, and we humans also find various ways of coping - blazing fires in wood stoves, storm windows, mittens and hats, vacations in southern places, snow tires, and so forth. And like the animals, wait for the coming of spring!

Observations: Helm in Oconto had a Black Bear cross his yard on October 22, and savoured a meal of Hericium coralloides, a Coral Fungus, on October 24. Share your observations - call Jean at 613-268-2518 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NatureReflections

Back toHome

NatureReflections - May 3, 2007

April's Bounty

Nature Reflections by Jean Griffin

The saying that "April showers bring May flowers" is borne out by the appearance of many spring flowers in the month of May, but April itself has flowers. Some of these are not noticed readily, because they are high on trees like the Trembling Aspen, tiny like the red, female flowers of theBeaked Hazelnut, and sometimes quickly shedding their petals like the Bloodroot - all of which I have seen in the last two weeks.

April weather is also conducive to the return of the migrant birds (there have been some arriving in March, but Aprilbrings many more). Most of the sparrows have arrived back - the White-throated with its "tom-tom-peabody" call, the Field sending its soft, sweet whistles out to attract a mate, the Chipping with its rather unmusical trill, and I heard a Lincoln's singing on the 21st. On the 27th the Brown Thrasher was perched high on a tree and repeating each of its rich and variedmusical calls twice. The first of the jewels of the forest - the warblers - have arrived. A Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Pine Warblerwere both singing on April 23. For the last few days a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, arriving a little later than its cousin the Golden-crowned, has been singing its lively chant. Also on the 27th a Hermit Thrush was giving an eveningconcert from the top of the hill. These are just a few of the birds that are back from their southern journeys and preparing to raise families. Rosemary Anderson on Green Lake, near Burridge,echoes many of these with her report of"a well-dressed Yellow-rumped Warbler singing today, as well as Chipping and Field Sparrows, and a pair of cowbirds keeping watch from a tall tree, the male (presumably) doing its strange water-gurgle sound regularly."

The warming temperatures of April are what rouse the frogs in the ponds, the snakes on the roads (getting warmed in the sun) and brings about the first few mosquitoes and blackflies - a promise of what lies ahead! Let's not forget those insects, either rousing from hibernation or hatching from eggs laid last year. Without them many of the birds would not survive because of a lack of food. OnApril 27 I discovered a tiny tent - a home for dozens of tiny caterpillars about 2 to 3 mm in length- the firstof the Tent Caterpillars. Is this going to be a year when this less-than-desirable species shows up in numbers?

April is a special month - a month to welcome flowers, birds, frogs, snakes, and whatever else nature produces. Then comes May with an even bigger bounty - many more colorful flowers, more of the warblers, migrating shorebirds, turtles sunning on logs and rocks, and sometimes hordes of insects, many of which we wish were not present, but all of which are a part of the cycle of life. So enjoy the Aprilshowers and the resulting burgeoning of life.

An opportunity to look forward to June and the Showy Lady's Slippers at Purdon is being presented by the Rideau Valley Field Naturalists club on May 6 when Dr. Ted Mosquin will be the guest speaker talking about the ecological management of the Purdon Conservation Area and those beautiful members of the Orchid family. The general public is invited to join the RVFN for their meeting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 6 in the all-purpose room at the Perth and District Indoor Swimming Pool on Wilson St. at Sunset Blvd. There is a small admission fee of $5 for non-members.

Share your observations. Call Jean at 613-268-2518 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Back to HomeFeature Article - August 20, 2009 Celebrating the fascinating logging heritage of the Mississippi River

Loggers at Big Beach.

On August 22 and 23, come to the Mississippi River Heritage Festival in McDonalds Corners to celebrate the forests and the river that to this day remain an important element of our economic, recreational and spiritual life. “While the catalyst for the festival was the 125th anniversary of the end of the Caldwell/McLaren loggers’ feud and the establishment of the rights of public access to all waterways”, says Mary Vandenhoff, owner of the Nature Lover’s Bookshop in Lanark and co-chair of the festival, “we quickly recognized that the celebration was really about the loggers and their families, the forests and rivers, the important contributions they made and still make towards the excellent quality of life enjoyed here in the watershed.

Logging was the backbone of the early Lanark economy, employing huge numbers of people, directly and indirectly. For many it represented the only means of earning money. The work was hard and life in the shanties offered no luxuries, but provided excitement, adventure and a livelihood for young men. The Mississippi River Heritage Festival will provide a glimpse into the lives and activities of those in the woods and on the rivers, as well as those left at home.

On Saturday morning at Shanty Beach (today called Centennial Beach on Lavant Mill Road) the focus will be on the log drivers, famous for their skill and daring in this dangerous activity. Tom Stephenson, who made the “Last River Run” down the Ottawa in 2008, will offer visitors the opportunity to paddle a classic pointer boat used to move the timber downstream. Learn about the traditional aboriginal birch bark canoe (also adopted for use in the log drives) and see Becky Mason perform her well-known “Canoe Ballet” showing how versatile a canoe can be. There will also be a guided Heritage and Nature hike (for those at the intermediate level) from the beach up to High Falls to see the ruins of the Geddes mills and the famous log chute, ending with a short tour of Ontario Power Generation’s High Falls operating plant.

Photo right: Pat & Laurie Brownlee and their daughter Robin work on the replica of a logger's shantyin preparation of the Mississippi River Heritage festival.

Saturday afternoon, August 22, the “McDonald Shanty” at the MERA Schoolhouse presents life in the shanties and on the home front. Displays of tools and a demonstration of hand hewing will fascinate all those with an interest in forestry, as will a presentation on “The Forests of the Mississippi, Then and Now”. A re-creation of the inside of a shanty, courtesy of the Middleville Museum, will provide a thought-provoking insight into the logger’s life.

As the logging industry depended on the supplies and services from the local communities, rope making, blacksmithing, soap-making, spinning, weaving, and pottery were all important activities that festival visitors will be able to observe and appreciate. The Algonquin, who had been living in the area for centuries before the pioneers arrived, were important players in the lives of the loggers in the bush where they generously shared their traditional knowledge of plants, the most lasting being use of maple sap for syrup. Displays and presentations on aboriginal heritage is an important component of this celebration of the Mississippi River heritage.

But it wasn’t all work and no play, especially for the children. The festival invites children to join in traditional games such as the Mississippi skipping game, M – eye – crooked letter – crooked letter – eye – humped back – humped back…..

Music and dance played an important role, providing entertainment both in the shanties and the local communities. After six days of heavy work, come Saturday night, fiddling, dancing, singing and telling stories took over. With no women with whom to dance in the shanties, some would wear aprons or kerchiefs to play the part of the women in these “buck dances”. At the Log Drivers Dinner and Dance at the McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall, enjoy an old-fashioned Saturday evening with lively shanty music. To round the evening off, circle round a bonfire, evoking memories of the romance at the dance and bonfire that ended the Caldwell-McLaren feud.

Sunday was always a day of rest and church when possible. Bring along your chair for a Sunrise Service on Sunday, 7:30AM on the shore of Dalhousie Lake across from Sylvania Lodge. Opening with a piper, from pontoon boats on the water, the minister and choir will lead this unusual interfaith service that will also include a traditional aboriginal Sacred Fire. The service is followed by River Eco-tours down the Mississippi River.

Visit www.mississippiriverheritagefestival.ca for the complete Festival program.

Back to HomeFeature Article - May 7, 2009 Local gardening group gathers & growsby Julie Druker

GGG members gather at the Crow Lake School house for a “wild walk”, a workshop in the making of a natural medical kit and a potluck supper

It began when a bunch of gardening enthusiasts gathered for a workshop at the home of Carol Pepper of Sharbot Lake. The workshop given by gardener and author Janette Haase, who wrote “From Seed to Table: A Practical Guide to Eating and Growing Green” ignited an energy and enthusiasm in the group that made them decide not to disband at the end of the workshop but rather to continue meeting. The result was the formation of Growers, Gardeners and Gatherers or GGG.

Carol Belanger, who helps co-ordinate the group, explained, “We came together to share our expertise and the fruits of our labours and to have a good time”.

At their first meeting in early April the group spoke about sharing produce and shared their ideas and love for gardening. They also proposed various topics of interest to cover.

The group's second meeting was held on April 3 at the Crow Lake school house and it was comprised of a "wild walk" - a workshop on how to make a natural medical kit, followed by a potluck supper.

Mothers brought their children, grandparents their grandkids and together the entire group walked along Hagan Road to Welch’s cottage, collecting wild plants to be used in various practical ways. They collected trout lily, yarrow, horsetail, burdock, nettle, yellow dock and plantain.

Back at the school house Kathy Martin of Dragonfly Herbs in Sharbot Lake instructed the group on how to make a natural medical kit, including various salves and infusions. She shared which plants and herbs should be used for different ailments.

Comfrey is good for bruises and sprains but should never be used internally. Arnica is good for sore muscles and joints but should not used on open cuts. St. John’s Wort or lavender is good for cuts and acts as an antiseptic. Mullein makes a good ear oil for earaches.

Martin also shared some key sayings that she lives by, such as, “If you can’t put in your mouth, you shouldn’t be putting it on your skin.”

She also shared information on how to prepare salves and oils and together the group concocted a salve of St. John’s Wort using that herb, oil and beeswax.

The group does not stick to any predetermined guidelines and all members have input as to what might constitute the topics of their meetings. Garden tours are on the agenda, as well as a canning workshop for later in the growing season. There is also talk of building a root cellar to be shared by the group.

Carol Belanger explained how the group itself follows its own natural course. “It's not just our gardening that is organic in nature, i.e. in harmony with what works with nature, we (the group) are organic too, in harmony with what works with us, like nature, of which everyone is a part”.

Anyone interested in joining the Gardeners, Growers and Gatherers can call Carol Belanger at 613-375-6448

Back to HomeFeature Article - May 28, 2009 Artists featured in gallery at Bon Echoby Derek Maggs

The Colin Edwards Memorial Art Gallery in the Greystones Gift and Book Shop in Bon Echo Provincial Park will feature noteworthy artists all summer. In addition to this the Friends will present the 14th annual Art Exhibition and Sale, showcasing the original work of up to 50 artists, on July 24, 25 & 26. www.mazinaw.on.ca/art.

Mazinaw Lake and the Rock at Bon Echo have captivated artists for hundreds of years. Aboriginal peoples left many pictographs on the Mazinaw Rock. They were followed by the oil and watercolour paintings of the Group of Seven. Today artists using a variety of media are creating interpretations of our uniquely beautiful Canadian landscapes.

The Art Gallery will showcase and sell the original work of four pairs of artists over the next six months. On weekends from May 23 to June 13 and daily from June 19 to July 2 the work of Cynthia Guthrie of Corbyville and Ursula Ossenberg of Cloyne will be featured.

Pomp & Circumstance: Ruffed Grouseby Cynthia Guthrie

Cynthia Guthrie - Cascading Brushstrokes - Cynthia Guthrie’s work is an expression of her personality. Her work utilizes a contradiction in terms-bright colours and energetic images next to delicate shapes; vibrant subjects are painted into quiet scenes. Inevitably, nature is the subject of her artistic expression: as a wildlife enthusiast and obsessive gardener she is drawn to it. The majority of her work focuses on the Canadian landscape where there is more to discover than what you see at first glance. But in every piece she endeavours to create an intimacy between the viewer and the subject.

She is a member of Artists in Canada and volunteers as the Art Coordinator for “Art in Literacy” at the Tyendinaga Township Public Library and Deseronto Public Library. Her work can be viewed on the internet at www.CascadingBrushstrokes.ca and www.ArtistsInCanada.com/.

Morning at Bon Echo Rock by Ursula Ossenburg

Ursula Ossenberg - Original Oil Paintings - Ursula’s innate love for our natural surroundings is expressed beautifully in bold palette knife strokes or in soft misty renderings. Wildflower meadows, rocky shorelines, snowy trails, beaver ponds and autumn landscapes are some of her favourite subjects.

Ursula’s paintings are exhibited in art galleries and juried exhibitions as well as at her home studio in Cloyne. Her work can be found in corporate and private collections throughout the world. Her work may be viewed at www.ursulaoilpaintings.com.

The Greystones Gift and Book Shop is operated by the Friends of Bon Echo Park, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Bon Echo Provincial Park www.mazinaw.on.ca/fobecho. The newly renovated shop is housed in a century-old cottage in view of Mazinaw Rock. It is currently open on weekends and open daily commencing June 20. The gift shop features nature books, original art, clothing, jewelry, CDs and souvenirs. Bon Echo, located 10 km north of Cloyne on Hwy 41, is a great place to spend a day or a week. 

Back to HomeFeature Article - April 23, 2009 There’s a new potter in townby Julie Druker

Local potter Johanna Jansen at her studio in Sharbot Lake

Like many artists in the area, potter Johanna Jansen gets her inspiration from objects and the nature that surround her. And she is lucky in that she does not have to travel very far; her studio is located in her home on the shore of Sharbot Lake.

Originally from Alberta, Jansen graduated from the University of Calgary with a BFA and then later from Carleton University with a Masters in Canadian Studies in Art and Culture. She got into clay seriously in 1998 at the Gloucester Pottery School in Ottawa where she began taking classes in hand building and throwing.

Later, she participated in an intensive workshop at the home of well-known potter Jim Thomson and it was there that she was exposed to and fell in love with the mysterious wonders of raku firing. She was also encouraged to explore her sculptural ideas.

One of Johanna’s recent sculptural pieces includes a decaying fence that lies amongst the remains of decaying tree trunks, a work that was a direct result of studying the objects and nature that surround her.

In these sculptural pieces, Johanna textures the clay surfaces to resemble both natural and manmade forms and relies on the raku firing process to emphasize these qualities. Other work by Jansen includes a line of thrown functional pottery, plates, bowls, lidded jars and vases. These pieces are glazed and electric fired and can be used every day in the home.

Her functional pieces are simple, elegant and the temoku glaze she applies to them highlights their wheel-thrown qualities. On some pieces she adds brushwork decoration by applying washes of rutile and iron oxide on top of the glaze.

It was when Jansen and her husband Andre purchased their home in Sharbot Lake four years ago that Jansen decided to incorporate a pottery studio into the plans. She designed the space, a neat and tidy studio with everything that she needs to create her work and with ample windows offering a gorgeous view of the lake.

After her pieces are formed, she glazes and fires them in an electric kiln which is set up in the garage. Last year she built a raku kiln on her property down by the lake. She incorporates paper, pine needles and saw dust into the firing process which gives her finished pieces the smoky, iridescent and crackle qualities that only raku glazes and firing can give.

Jansen recently joined the Land O’ Lakes Artists Guild and the Inroads Studio Tour, and she also sells her work directly from her home. She is hoping to do more local shows this year and will be participating in the LOLAG show in Westport later next month. Johanna can be contacted at 613-279-2671.

Naturalist, author and professor Michael Runtz

Bursts of colour seem hard to come by in mid-January but naturalist and author Michael Runtz put an end to that on Jan.17 at his presentation on the role of colour in nature titled Sex, Survival, and Success.

Presented as a partnership between the Nature Lover’s Bookshop in Lanark and the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust Conservancy (MMLTC), Runtz’s talk was the first in the bookshop’s winter workshop series.

Runtz has been a naturalist all of his life and has published nine books on natural history. He currently teaches natural history and ornithology at Carleton University.

A lively and entertaining speaker, Runtz captivated the large audience that gathered at the Lanark Legion and began his talk/slideshow by stating that “Just about every single colour under the sun can be found in nature.”

Next he challenged the audience’s preconceptions on the topic, stressing the fact that plants use colour to exploit insects and other animals. Focusing on flowers in particular, he stressed that the gorgeous colours found on a wide variety of flowers exists “for the eyes of the insects that the flower wants to exploit for its own purposes” (reproduction and proliferation).

For example, the colorful patterns found on the Canada violet and wood sorrel flower are known as nectar guides. These guides act like runway lights at an airport directing the insect to nectar and pollen, thereby guaranteeing the plants’ future chance at survival.

In the same way blueberry plants exploit bears, attracting them to their ripe, swollen fruit which they consume and later excrete, spreading the plants’ seeds.

In the animal world Runtz pointed out how colour functions for a variety of reasons. Male creatures are often brightly coloured to attract a mate. Female mallard ducks, for example, are known to choose their mates by the brightness of the green on their heads.

Coloration can also function as camouflage. The female spruce grouse, whose vivid feathered patterns match the sunlit patterns of the surrounding forest, demonstrated this function perfectly.

A slide of the sphinx moth showed how colour can act as a weapon. When the moth opens its wings, a striking pattern of two wide, brightly coloured glaring eyes functions to startle a potential predator.

Certain animals like the tree frog and the snowshoe hare will change colours at varying rates to blend in with their environments, protecting them from predators.

Insects and animals use two different kinds of mimicry to fend off predators. The first is called Batesian mimicry, named after Henry Bates, an English entomologist. In this case a harmless animal will mimic the coloration of a harmful one the way a viceroy butterfly mimics the colouration and patterning of a monarch butterfly. The latter is poisonous in its caterpillar form. A second example is the harmless hover fly that in coloration and pattern closely resembles its bee stinging cousin.

Mullerian mimicry, named after German zoologist Hans Muller, occurs when multiple species resemble each other and are all harmful. The yellow and black coloration of many stinging species of bees and wasps are an example of this type of mimicry.

Runtz’s talk was entertaining and educational which is something that he aims for. “I’m hoping to educate people and turn them onto nature by creating an interest in it. If people want to preserve something like they do with MMLTC, there first has to be an interest. For me, understanding inspires interest and interest inspires the need to preserve and conserve.”

Store owner Mary Vandenhoff was thrilled to have Runtz as a presenter for their winter series of talks and said, “We are delighted to have him. He really loves and values nature and is committed to it for the long term which reflects the feelings and aims of our store and the land trust.”

Michael Runtz’s books are available at the Nature Lover’s Bookshop.

Next in the series is a talk by artist Blair Paul titled “On the Edge of Discovery” at the bookshop on Saturday January 23 from 2-4pm. This event is free