Local Earth Day Observations

Two Sandhill Cranes - the second is well camouflaged

The second week of April brought unseasonably warm temperatures which jump-started spring after a lingering winter. Temperatures have dropped significantly in the past week, slowing the development of flowers but that is a good thing as we do not want the fruit trees to bloom when the risk of frost remains. Climate anxiety is a recognized mental state that is affecting more people in younger generations. It is not surprising when the news cycle often focuses on climate disasters that are linked to global warming. Dire predictions for the future can be alarmist and exaggerated, but we do need to be aware of the effects of human behaviour on the earth. 

Male Eastern Bluebird

I have been observing nature more closely for the past decade and a half and have noticed changes in our home region as well as places like Manitoulin Island. While our city is expanding rapidly and farmland is being paved over, the bird population appears to be declining overall, even in natural areas. We used to find Bluebirds nesting a couple of kilometres from our home, but I have not seen them for the past four years. Some species, such as the Tufted Titmouse are moving northward just as the Northern Cardinal moved northward, the first Ontario nest being found at Point Pelee in 1901.

Skunk Cabbage, Trout Lily, Bloodroot

Early spring ephemerals are popping up through last year's leaf litter. Skunk Cabbage flowers are blooming in ditches and swamps, the odd Trout Lily is blooming in protected areas, and Bloodroot flowers, with their protective leaves, are almost done. I will be checking weekly between now and Mother's Day for more varieties of native spring flowers.

There are some lovely municipal gardens in the region. The pictures above were taken at a pollinator-friendly city plot along the Grand River. My tech-savvy daughters have taught me that if I click the information icon in my photos application, Google will tell me the identity of the flowers/birds/trees in the picture. So I quickly identified the bottom two flowers as the Turkestan tulip, and Siberian bugloss or great forget-me-not. 

Star Magnolia

Magnolia trees appeared to bud and open within hours when the temperatures were in the high 20s C. But they have stabilized in this week's cooler weather. The Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington ON have a Flowering Cherry (Sakura) collection and they bloomed early and are past peak this weekend. I have yet to see this popular flowering tree and the blooming time is very weather dependent. The RBG website states, "RBG also annually records the flowering times of its Cherries as part of a biological science known as phenology which is an important tool in helping to track climate change."

I try to be aware of my carbon footprint on the earth, not only for me but for my children and grandchildren. At times my efforts seem futile. I am dependent on my car with few viable options other than riding my bike to work. The quantity of plastic and styrofoam waste generated at the hospital is astounding and the pandemic caused proposed changes to be moved ahead in time. Our Blue Box overflows with "recyclables", most of which will end up in landfill sites. I order too much from Amazon when I should try to buy more locally sourced goods. Convenience often wins over choices that are better for our planet. But awareness is a first step, and even small changes will add up in time.