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Congratulations to Get Outdoors Bingo winners
Congratulations to Sarah Sadler and family, of Exeter! They are the draw winners of the #GetOutdoorsBingo activity.
The prize winners will receive a prize pack of: one Outdoor Family Experience delivered by Ausable Bayfield Conservation ($70 value – the choice of Owl Prowl, Pond Study, Fantastic Fossils, Nature Awareness Hike, or Christmas Season in the Forest); a 17-ounce Chilly Moose Kearney Traveller; and a Dragonfly Field Guide or equivalent.
The photos above, from Sarah, were posted as part of the nature bingo activity. Thanks to all the people who enjoyed nature outdoors and explored new places as part of this activity. We loved seeing the photos and seeing people active in their watershed community, in their family circle, while practising safe social physical distancing.
Well done, everyone!
The draw may be over but that doesn't mean you can't do outdoor bingo activities on your own.
Get your bingo card here:
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New virtual ‘Open Well’ video of Seaforth water treatment facility and tower
Do you know where your drinking water comes from and how it’s treated? A new video provides a virtual tour inside the Seaforth water treatment facility and water tower in Huron East.
The video features Alyssa Keller who is a public-at-large representative on the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee (SPC). She is water treatment operator with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. which is contracted, by the Municipality of Huron East, to run the water system.
In the past, many municipalities have hosted Open Well tours of their treatment plants for local residents. During the current pandemic, we are providing this tour virtually through a video.
Watch the video now at this link:
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New conservation education programs
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is offering a number of new conservation education programs in the 2020-2021 school year.
For Conservation Education Programs for Remote Learners and Homeschoolers visit our remote learners web page here at this link:
if you are looking for Educational Experiences for Families and Community Groups visit this web page:
If you are an educator, visit our Conservation Education Programs for Schools web page:
If you have any questions about our conservation education programs please phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610, extension 255 or 262, or contact our education staff at link below:
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Time to winterize your rain barrel
Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water – capturing it when water is more plentiful and then having it available when water is scarce – and it's also a way to protect water quality. By capturing rain water there is less water running off of land and less runoff and sediment traveling to creeks, rivers, groundwater, and the lake.
We thank all the people who are using rain barrels.
If you want to care for your rain barrel this autumn and winner, rainbarrel.ca says regular maintenance includes clearing debris from the filter basket on occasion.
- Before winter, protect your product and your warranty.
- Empty and rinse the rain barrel with a garden hose.
- Remove the spigot and consider using olive oil to lubricate the ball valve.
- Disconnect all hoses and consider placing them and the spigot inside the barrel for safe storage.
- Do not permit water to enter the barrel during winter.
- Water expands when it freezes and even a small amount can cause a rain barrel to crack.
- Strong winter winds can send an empty rain barrel rolling away.
- Consider storing the barrel in a basement, garage or under a deck.
- If storing the barrel outside, to ensure water does not enter the rain barrel, consider turning it upside down or laying it on its side.
For more details, watch the rainbarrel.ca Rain Barrel Winterization video at this link:
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The View from Huronview
Read the latest edition of The View, a newsletter about the innovative Huron County Demonstration Farm.
Read the newsletter now:
To subscribe to the electronic version so you never miss a copy email info@huronview.net
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Owls in
My Backyard
Join Ausable Bayfield Conservation for this first-ever virtual owl presentation for young and young at heart.
Sign up now for the free virtual Owls in My Backyard online event on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This virtual event is limited to 100 attendees. Register now to reserve your spot.
Join Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff and Mountsberg Raptor Centre staff along with their owl ambassadors to learn more about owls in Ontario.
Find out more about Owls in My Backyard at abca.ca:
Register in advance for this meeting:
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Flood Messages
For flood messages visit our flood messages page on the abca.ca website here at this link:
Our e-newsletter is only issued from time to time so be sure to visit our website and follow our Facebook page and Twitter feed for flood messages.
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November is Raptor Month
Raptor webinars, Outdoor Family Experiences, and social media posts replace traditional Owl Prowl event in 2020
The traditional one-night Owl Prowl is cancelled for 2020, as part of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) response during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but the conservation authority is offering activities for the entire month of November to replace the popular event this year.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is making November Birds of Prey month. Raptors are meat-eating birds of prey and include owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons and they play a very important role in our local ecosystem, according to ABCA.
During the month of November, you may find out more about birds of prey including owls through Outdoor Family Experiences offered by Ausable Bayfield Conservation, social media posts, and webinars on Zoom and YouTube.
You may book a ‘COVID-friendly’ Owl Prowl for your family at Morrison Dam Conservation Area for dates starting in November until February 27, 2021.
Staff at ABCA ask you to please note that conservation areas trails are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise. The public can only use trails at night when a program is booked and they are accompanied by ABCA staff.
Weekend outdoor family experiences can be booked through Eventbrite.ca and include owl prowls; autumn hikes at Bannockburn Conservation Area; pond studies at Morrison Dam Conservation Area (MDCA); fossil hunts at Rock Glen Conservation Area; a nature awareness hike at any conservation area; or ‘Christmas in the Forest’ at MDCA.
The Eventbrite.ca website has the available dates and times to register for one of these experiences. For more information contact conservation education staff at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
The education programs adhere to the pandemic protocols (for gathering sizes and social physical distancing, etc.) from public health authorities.
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Students enjoy Outdoor School
Students in Ausable Bayfield Conservation's Outdoor School (in bottom photo) walked more than 15,000 steps on October 20. They had a few adventures that helped them learn about water quality, habitats, and invasive species. #healthyhikes
Rainy, wet weather makes it a perfect time to look for #redbackedsalamanders.
In week one of Outdoor School (top photo), Myles was keen to find and learn about salamanders but we ran out of time. So, during week two, we gave the students time to look for the perfect log where salamanders would be found. When we finished studying them, the students handled salamanders with care and each one was put safely back near their log homes.
Outdoor school students continued their adventures for Week Two on October 27. Although rainy and wet, students used measuring tools, made tarp shelters and looked for signs of wildlife.
Visit our #outdoorschool page to learn more:
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Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) properties and trails open to public
Properties and trails owned by and/or managed by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) are open for public use, at the time of this newsletter, contingent on following public health direction.
Visitors are asked to select the property closest to their home in order to limit unnecessary travel and avoid over-crowding.
Visitors should limit their stay to an hour or less to ensure everyone can enjoy an experience in nature.
Be prepared to turn back if a parking lot is full.
Illegal parking is subject to fines and towing.
Visitors should follow public health and safety guidelines:
- Do not visit the property if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms.
- Practise physical distancing by staying a minimum of two metres (six feet) apart
- Stay on trails, stepping off only to allow others to pass
- Keep pets on leash and clean up after them
- Do not trespass on private property next to ABCA trails
- Respect the instructions provided by our dedicated staff
The conservation authority will monitor trail and conservation area use and will make decisions affecting the areas based on updated information from the Province of Ontario, police and public health authorities, as well as local use patterns.
For Notices of Service Disruptions visit this page:
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Most staff are back working in the office but the office is currently closed to the public until further notice, in response to the current pandemic. Staff, however, are available to serve you by email and phone and Zoom video conference or, using COVID-19 public health protocols, on site. Programs and services, including essential services and flood forecasting and warning, are continuing. For updates and current notices of service disruptions and adaptations visit abca.ca
71108 Morrison Line,
RR 3 Exeter, ON
N0M 1S5
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Staff continue to serve you by email and phone, and most staff are working in the office, with regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), but the office is closed to the public until further notice at the time of this newsletter. Staff are delivering programs in the field using pandemic protocols to protect public health. For this and other notices of service disruptions and adaptations, and updates, visit abca.ca
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