July 2023
And just like that, we're into summer! The heat isn't stopping E-Notes, which once again delivers stories about all that's happening in our club.
- First iNaturalist badges awarded: Read about this mother/daughter team who have become the first to earn iNaturalist badges. It's a feat to be proud of - the requirements are not simple.
- New urban badge: Yet another Badge Hunter alert! You can earn this one by exploring Toronto's trails.
- Pollinator Week: Did you know that last week was National Pollinator Week? George Lennon tells us why pollinators are so important to our escarpment.
- Remembering Janet LeLievre: Our Club lost one of its cherished volunteers last month. Among her many roles, Janet headed up the Halton Hills Chapter.
- Saving our Turtles: Club member Mary Paolini volunteers with Halton Hills Turtle Guardians, an organization you may want to learn about.
- Humans of the Bruce Trail: This month, we catch up with David Martin.
- Saugeen Coach Trip: Register now for this coach trip from Sept 22 to 24
- Mark Your Calendars: Featuring bus and coach hikes and other club events coming up in the next weeks and months
Happy July, everyone.
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First iNaturalist badge goes to Mississauga mother-daughter team
 Monica Pasquali and Viola Petz of Mississauga are the first recipients of the Toronto Club’s new iNaturalist badge which was launched in late April.
Monica, a teacher, received her university degree in Zoology so her interest in wildlife biology has had an impact on her entire family, including her 12-year-old daughter Viola. Her husband and 9-year-old son are also Bruce Trail hikers and love the outdoors, but Viola shares her mother’s passion on a deeper level. As a Girl Guide since kindergarten, Viola has been collecting badges. With the Bruce Trail, she’s received the TBTC youth badge, the BTC’s Youth Council’s Scavenger Hunt Badge, the Caledon Club’s Nature Hunter badge, all of the Iroquoia Club’s junior hiker badges, as well as the Toronto’s End-to-End winter badge.
Monica, who is also a hike leader and a trail captain, learned about the iNaturalist badge when it was announced at the Toronto AGM on April 23. She and Viola soon went out on the trails, looking for the items to complete the badge.
The badge requirements include reporting on:
Wildflowers – 10 different types
Trees and shrubs – 5 different types
Ferns – 5 different types
Birds – 5 different kinds
Mushrooms and Fungi – 5 different types
Insects and Spiders – 5 different types
Mammals/Reptiles/Amphibians – 5 different kinds
The mother-daughter team first went to the Walking Fern Side Trail, and to their delight they found the Walking Fern, which can only be found on two trails in the Toronto Section. Each item had to be photographed, identified and noted for date and location (birds: by sight, sound, or call).
Viola was a fantastic spotter, catching the smaller items like salamanders, insects, and spiders. Using the iNaturalist app gave the duo additional confidence in identifying the items on their list. Hoping to find more animals, they hiked through the Terra Cotta Conservation Area where they identified an American Red Squirrel and an Eastern Chipmunk. Birds, such as the White-Throated Sparrow and Eastern Phoebe, were easier to document, especially by sound.
Suggestions for others wanting to attain this badge? The Pasquali-Petz team suggests going to the side trails where it is quieter than the main trail. Often the side of a road provides great opportunities to find organisms such as birds and insects. Additionally, it is often easier to hear the sound of some birds than it is to see them, making the Merlin app a very useful tool. Overall, it has been a great learning experience for mother and daughter. They are more appreciative of the trail and more aware of each of the number of species on the Niagara Escarpment.
Click here to find out more about the iNaturalist badge and all the Toronto club badges you can earn.
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Hey, Toronto has a badge for you!
by Alina Lin
 What motivates hikers to traverse the Bruce Trail from end to end, filling them with joy and a sense of accomplishment? An End-to-End badge! Similarly, what could inspire hikers to explore Toronto from east to west and north to south? An urban hike badge!
"Our urban hiking program has always been popular, and it has gained even more traction since the pandemic. We believe that an urban badge will encourage regular hikers to explore more of the city and attract newcomers," said Tom Swales, the Club's Hike Director and an enthusiastic urban hike leader.
 Taking into account ideas gathered from several Hike Leaders, Alina Lin, the Club’s Badge Committee member and also a Hike Leader herself, mapped out a circular route and collaborated with Wing, a volunteer designer, to create the badge. The entire route spans approximately 74km, connecting Toronto's four major trails: the Finch Corridor, the Humber River Trail, the Waterfront Trail, and the Don River Trail. The badge showcases Toronto's iconic landmark, the CN Tower, along with the skyline of the waterfront. To earn the badge, hikers must complete the entire route independently or as part of an organized Club hike.
As the Club's first-ever urban badge, the urban hike badge immediately caught the attention of "Badge Hunters" – hikers who are always on the lookout for new challenges to earn new badges. Since its announcement in mid-May, the badge has generated a wave of enthusiasm. Alina, determined to lead the first group to earn the urban badge, organized a series of five hikes on five consecutive Saturdays, starting from May 20 and concluding on June 17. Close to 100 people attended these hikes, with some participants joining each time to ensure they wouldn't miss the chance to earn the badge.
Alina expressed her admiration for the group's enthusiasm, sharing stories of hikers going the extra mile to earn the badge. For instance, two hikers who knew they couldn't participate in the next hike completed a 16km section with the group and continued walking to pre-hike the next 18km portion. Other hikers traveled from Hamilton or used public transit from Etobicoke to join the hikes. One hiker even postponed a family trip to the US to attend the badge presentation at the final hike. Additionally, an avid videographer among the group captured the memorable moments on the trails, creating a video for each of the five hikes. It’s truly inspiring to witness such eagerness among hikers to earn this badge.
 The exciting badge presentation took place at the Governor's Bridge Lookout in Evergreen Brick Works, where the spire of the CN Tower could be seen peeking through rows of distant buildings. Graham Allen, the Club's Past-President, awarded badges to ten qualified hikers. Everyone was thrilled with the badge and couldn't resist posing for photos – their beaming smiles speak volumes about their excitement and satisfaction.
The introduction of the urban hike badge has injected fresh enthusiasm into the hiking community, inspiring hikers to explore the diverse trails and neighborhoods that Toronto has to offer. As hikers proudly display their badges, it symbolizes their accomplishment and serves as a reminder of the unforgettable journeys they experienced while earning it. With the launch of this urban badge, it is hoped that more hikers will be inspired to venture off the beaten path, uncovering the hidden gems of our beloved city – Toronto!
Check the group’s urban hike album on our Facebook group.
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The Indispensable Contributions of Pollinators to our BTC Properties
By George Lennon
 Last week, in case you missed it, was National Pollinator Week.
Did you know that, in Canada alone, pollinators contribute to billions of dollars in agricultural output each year? Pollination isn't limited to crops like fruits and vegetables; it is an essential process for nearly 90% of all plant species on our planet, contributing to the health of ecosystems worldwide. Without pollinators, scientists predict we would lose 75-95% of all flowering plants on Earth.
Plants provide pollinators with a source of food, such as nectar, while the pollinators inadvertently transfer pollen between flowers, aiding in the plants' reproduction. This intricate ecological interaction is vital for maintaining biodiversity and sustaining ecosystems worldwide. A wide variety of animals act as pollinators, including insects, birds, bats, and even some small mammals.
Birds, such as hummingbirds and sunbirds, are known pollinators, especially in regions where flowering plants have evolved to attract them. These birds have long beaks and specialized tongues that allow them to reach deep into flowers for nectar. A bird’s feathers may get dusted with pollen as they move from flower to flower. Bats are also important pollinators, particularly in tropical and desert regions, where they visit night-blooming flowers and feed on their nectar. Bats have an excellent sense of smell and can locate flowers even in the dark.
Insects, however, are the animals that do the bulk of the pollination that affects our daily lives. Some of these insect pollinators, bees and butterflies, will be familiar to us. Butterflies, for example, have long tongues to reach nectar in tubular flowers. Other important insect pollinators, however, include moths, beetles, flies, and wasps. Beetles often rely on strong scents to locate flowers.
Among the most significant contributors to pollination are bees. Thinking of bees most often brings to our minds honey bees with their hives, colonies, and stingers. However, they are an imported species from Europe. Our native bees are equally proficient at pollinating, they do not swarm and generally, they do not sting. In fact, our native bees are believed to contribute significantly to the economic benefits commonly attributed to honey bees.
Native bees are often harder for us to notice or recognize than honey bees since they prefer solitary work and can be quite tiny. Nonetheless, Ontario has over 400 species of indigenous bees. Unfortunately, habitat loss, disease, pesticides and climate change have led to a decline in their populations. For that reason, our Toronto Bruce Trail Club’s Biodiversity Team has been hard at work planting pollinator-friendly flora, and spreading awareness about the crucial role bees and other pollinators play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
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Acton’s Janet LeLievre remembered for Leadership and Promotion of our Trail
 Sadly, we mourn the loss of a key promoter of the Club and of the Bruce Trail, and a leader of the Halton Hills Chapter. Janet LeLievre died on June 8 at the age of 63.
Maureen Smith originally created a chapter of the TBTC to organize local events and to organize hikes mostly in the Georgetown area. Janet took over the leadership of the Halton Hills Chapter from 2015-2020. She also served as a TBTC board member during some of these years.
Under Janet’s tutelage, the Chapter was very active, pre-COVID, in promoting the Bruce Trail (and membership in the BTC ) to those in Halton Hills. Each year the Chapter would host a booth at the local farmer’s market, create a Bruce Trail display window at a Georgetown main street pharmacy, and participate in a local Canada Day parade. She and the Chapter worked with the Halton Hills public library to create hiking backpack kits that can be loaned out. Members were active at sustainability fairs, Bruce Trail Day and special events such as an Eco Film Festival.
“Janet was a very organized person and kept our hikes on schedule, which is a tough task,” said Frances Walker, a member of the Chapter. She took on a lot of responsibility after Maureen stepped down. She had her own style of leadership and had a knack for being able to get the most out of people without being too demanding on them,” Frances said.
Janet applied twice for grants from the town of Halton Hills’ Sustainability Office to help fund its displays. In addition, she was a hike leader for the Chapter and a trail captain for the TBTC. The members of the Halton Hills Chapter have sent a $200 donation to the BTC in her memory. If others who knew Janet would also like to make a donation, please go to the Conservancy web site to their donation page. A local memorial hike is planned for a future date by the Chapter to honour her legacy and memory.
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Why did the turtle cross the road? TBTC Member Mary knows the answer
 If you are a young turtle, you may have TBTC member Mary Paolini to thank for saving your life.
She is a volunteer with the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians, a group formed about 3 years ago to protect and rescue turtles in the area. Mary joined the Guardians last year, but she and her daughter have long been interested in turtles and in protecting their environment.
May to June is turtle breeding season and turtle eggs can fall prey to skunks, raccoons, and even minks. The Guardians are trained to install nesting boxes which help guard against predators. Once a week the volunteers go back and check on the boxes. The nesting boxes are required for the 3-month hatching period.
The Guardians are also sometimes called to help a turtle that is crossing a road. Turtles return to mate where they were born, which can be as much as 8 kilometres away. For a turtle, crossing the road can be dangerous business, and seven turtles were killed at an intersection in Acton. Turtles can be found in storm catch basins near roads, in swamps and wetland areas. Protecting our Painted and Snapping Turtles is important for nature’s wetland ecosystem and they are a species at risk, she says. More turtle crossing signs are now being installed in the Halton Hills area, Mary adds.
 The Guardians also provide education services to the public, warning that it’s important to stay at least 50 feet away from turtles during mating season. If one is injured, turtles are transported to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough for medical assistance, she says. Losing a female turtle is particularly tragic, since it takes close to 30 years for them to be able to breed, explains Mary.
What can the public do to help? The Guardians respond to 311 calls that are transferred to them by the Town of Halton Hills. In Brampton there is a group called Heart Lake Turtle Troopers that also respond to calls. If you see a turtle trying to cross the road, best to call authorities and be safe. If you do pick up a turtle, make sure you take them in the direction they were heading, she says.
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Humans of the Bruce Trail, featuring David Martin
On a regular basis, we will introduce you to members of the Club. We are, after all, humans of the Bruce Trail, joined by our love of the outdoors, and hiking. This month we profile David Martin.
Where do you live?
We live within minutes of Dundas Valley trails and its wonderful waterfalls in the Iroquoia section of Bruce Trail. An earlier home was in Dundas; my grandmother’s hometown.
Why did you join the Toronto Bruce Trail Club?
I grew up with the BTA, walking and backpacking in the Caledon Hills in the late 1960’s. Our family were early Toronto BTC members – our 1967 guidebook (year 3) sits in my travel bookcase. Although I was active in Iroquoia hikes and board work from the late 1990’s, I have always stayed a Toronto member and am currently a Toronto club sawyer.
Most memorable outdoor experience?
I started international hiking about 15 years ago, for more rugged challenges than even the Bruce Peninsula offers, and have walked in many memorable places. The most memorable? I walked up Ben Nevis (4413 feet) in Scotland in late May 2017. Above the cold sleet and fog was a patch of snow – I sent snow angel pictures to my grandchildren!
Favourite words to live by?
To paraphrase Robert Frost, “take the road less travelled as that will make all the difference”.
Hobbies and interests?
Among my many hobbies and interests, travel and volunteering tie for top place. Travelling to visit family, hiking and car touring in North America and overseas, adding to my map collection, seeing new cities or wilderness: these are all great. Of the different volunteer work I have done for the Bruce Trail and elsewhere, I especially enjoy work maintaining trails. Over the past 20 years, I have also been an outdoors volunteer in England (National Trust) and the US (American Hiking Society). My latest find is archaeology. This summer I will be returning to Portugal as a student archeologist.
Most admired person and why?
I have met interesting people over the years (most admirable is probably Bishop Desmond Tutu, at a United Way event in Toronto). The most inspiring for my hiking life is the “Old man of Coniston.” I was walking up the “Old Man of Coniston” peak in England’s Lake District and passed a 90-years-plus gentleman in his Sunday best (and black Oxfords) coming down. Looking at him, I thought, I can keep doing this (and so can you!).
And a shout-out to all the volunteers who build, maintain, support and care for trails here and around the world!
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Sept 22 to 24 Coach Trip to Saugeen Peninsula
 Register now for three days of guided hiking on the beautiful Saugeen Peninsula.
Spend your days exploring the Peninsula Section of the Bruce Trail and your evenings enjoying beautiful sunsets overlooking Lake Huron at Evergreen Resort. All fit, experienced hikers are welcome. There will be two hikes each day: a moderate hike (about 12 km) led by Brenda Dalglish and Nijole Mockevicius, and a faster, longer hike (about 15 km) led by Martina Furrer and Kadhim Taki.
Travel direct from Toronto in a luxury highway coach (pick-ups at York Mills Station and the Major Mackenzie Dr. and Highway 400 Park and Ride). Coach fare is $140 for members, $150 for non-members. Accommodation is $352.04 per person in shared cottages and includes two breakfasts, two dinners, and two packed lunches.
Join us for this awesome weekend with fabulous views and great company. During the day enjoy the fall colours in amazing natural areas. In the evening relax in the hot tub, line dance with new and old friends, or indulge with Evergreen’s homemade sticky buns.
For full details check out the Saugeen Peninsula Coach Trip page. Register by July 10.
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Mark your calendars
 Upcoming Bus Hikes
July 8: Pathways to Port Dover
July 15: Nassagaweya Canyon
July 29: Palgrave Forest and Wildlife Area
Aug 5: Kempenfest Oro Medonte
Aug 12: Oro Medonte to Orillia
Sat July 22 – Silent Lake Provincial Park
Fri September 22 to Sun September 24 – Saugeen Peninsula Hiking Weekend
Other Club events
Oct 1: Bruce Trail Day in Limehouse
For the latest in all our hikes (bus hikes, car hikes, urban hikes and coach hikes), check the Hiking Calendar.
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