The combination of perfect spring weather and a comfortably sized turnout made the perfect start to the May 16th SONSI meeting.

Photo by Emily Damstra

At the duck blind.

We all met at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, which is situated in Woodbridge, and amongst many other attractions, boasts 325 hectares of untouched woodlands.  We began our leisurely walk by visiting the Raptor Centre where we were all captivated and entertained by a selection of birds, including a bald eagle, harris’ hawk, peregrine falcon and european eagle owl.  We continued through open meadow, marshland and woodland, and the walk was peppered with interesting conversation and some very interesting species and geographical knowledge from our very kind experts and enthusiasts.  Through this we were able to identify and learn a little about some of the many life and land forms that we encountered, a few of the most memorable being a leopard frog, click beetle, trumpeter swans and a bottomless pond.  We paused for a short but idyllic while by a reedy wetland area to get in a few sketches and enjoy exploring the area.

photo by E. Damstra

SONSI group at the spring peeper pond!

Thank you very much Emily for organizing a thoroughly enjoyable meeting.

– Elizabeth P.

See more photos of the event.