Ottawa Valley Archives - Holarctic bridge

Exploring ZEC Dumoine and area around

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Ottawa Valley Chapter (CPAWS-OV) will organize an event in the area of ZEC Dumoine and Grand Chute in southwestern Quebec. This wilderness area, which is managed by local communities, is attractive in any season of the year due to the beauty of natural landscapes and the richness of pristine biodiversity typical for Canadian boreal forests. If you are interested to explore Dumoine, please, contact us for details. The events will take place on Saturday – August 26 and Sunday – August 27.

On Saturday, August 26, we’ll organize a hike from Grand Chute at ZEC Dumoine to Robinson Lake around 1:00 pm. Executive Director of CPAWS-OV – John McDonnell – will talk about forests and conservation. We will talk also about the biodiversity of this wilderness area, including mushrooms. On Sunday, we will organize excursions to various places for nature enthusiasts, including canoe trips on Dumoine from Robertson Lake to Red Pine Rapids and walking along the stream in the Rapids area for nature exploration as well as mushroom identification. This place is very rich in both the variety of mushroom species and their abundance. If you are interested in the trip and would like to join, please communicate with us in advance.

CPAWS-OV will provide dinner in the evening in the area of our camp for all participants of our excursions.

Place and Subject of the Excursions:

The ZEC Dumoine is a controlled harvesting zone (Zone d’exploitation controlee – ZEC). It is located in the administrative region of the Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. You have the opportunity to come for a day on Saturday or for one or two nights as preferred. We’ll have a number of various excursions including trips to Grand Chute – a picturesque waterfall with exciting rapids, we’ll visit also a place near Robertson Lake, Stevens Pond, and other interesting areas that to see the scenic landscapes and pristine nature.

After arrival to Swisha, you need to register at ZEC Dumoine Visitor Center for ZEC Rapides-des-Joachims Registration fees are 12$ per car. If you want to do the hike at Grande Chute, you will have to pay a second $12.00 car fee for that ZEC. It is better to have a four-wheel drive car to reach the area at Grand Chute and around, so if you plan to visit Robinson Lake, please, register at both ZECs.

There is an opportunity for carpooling from Ottawa on Friday afternoon – August 25 for 2 people.

Dress:

Watch for the weather forecast and be prepared accordingly. For the trip you will need a sleeping bag and a tent, as well as warm clothes, and a pair of changeable shoes – shoes should be good for hiking on the trails. In addition, you need to bring sunscreen and insect repellent. If you are planning to join the canoe trip, it is advisable to bring your own life jacket. We have a few vests there, but not enough. We also need to know the number of people who will join in order to organize food, hiking, and leisure activities. It will be good to have swimming suites. You need also to have headlamps for the evening.

Mushroom Identification Tour in Ottawa Valley

On Sunday, August 20, we are going to explore some places around Ottawa with our traditional mushroom identification tour. We learn how to identify mushrooms and know some basic rules related to their search and picking up. Please, confirm your participation. We’ll meet at Hazeldean Mall at 9:00 am near the big board with the address “300 Eagleson Rd.” From the mall, we’ll drive together to the place of our excursion. The exact place of the excursion will be identified to the end of this week.

Place and Subject of the Excursion:

We will stop in several places to explore the area and search for mushrooms. We’ll learn how to identify mushrooms, places where we can pick up mushrooms, and just enjoy the trip to the forest in a beautiful area. We’ll talk also about the diversity of mushrooms in Ottawa Valley and about other forest creatures we’ll be able to spot.

We recommend carpooling from Ottawa. I will be able to take 3 passengers to my car.

Dress:

Watch for the weather forecast and be prepared accordingly. For the trip, you will need a pair of good shoes for hiking along the trails. Do not forget sunscreen and insect repellent. You also need to take water and a light snack.

Guided mushroom identification tour to Gatineau area

This is a guided tour for mushroom enthusiasts on Sunday, August 13. We’ll explore several places in the Gatineau area (crown land) that to see a diversity of mushrooms at this time of the year. We learn how to identify mushrooms and know some basic rules related to their search and picking up. Please, confirm your participation. We’ll meet at Parking 17 in Gatineau Park at 9:30 am (this is the exit to Wakefield from Highway 5). From there, we’ll drive together to the places of our excursion.

Place and Subject of the Excursion:

We recommend carpooling from Ottawa because the area is at a distance of more than 100 km. I will be able to take 3 passengers to my car.

Dress:

Guided Mushroom Identification Tour to Madawaska Area

On Saturday, August 19, we are going to explore several places in Madawaska Highlands with our traditional mushroom identification tour. We learn how to identify mushrooms and know some basic rules related to their search and picking up. Please, confirm your participation. We’ll meet at Hazeldean Mall at 9:00 am near the big board with the address “300 Eagleson Rd.” From the mall, we’ll drive together to the place of our excursion.

The area of Madawaska Highlands in Central Ontario can be characterized by rolling hills and forests with streams, lakes, and small waterfalls, typical for Canadian Shield. This area was explored by Samuel de Champlain, the first European explorer. He visited the area in 1615 with the assistance of local indigenous communities – Huron Indigenous People.

Place and Subject of the Excursion:

We recommend carpooling from Ottawa because the area is at a distance of more than 100 km. I will be able to take 3 passengers to my car.

Dress:

Guided Hike in the area around Almonte, Ottawa Valley

We invite nature enthusiasts to join us to explore several natural areas around Almonte. We hope to visit several types of habitats, including forest, agricultural and open ecosystems. We’ll be able to observe the unique alvar that to see a diversity of plant and animal species, many of which are provincially or regionally rare. Spring is one of the most interesting seasons for observation of natural life in the diversity of habitats. If you are interested to explore the new area, join us for a guided nature tour on Saturday, May 13. We’ll meet at the parking near Hazeldene Mall (at the entrance from Eagleson Rd.) at 9:00 am, where we’ll be able to carpool and leave our cars and continue our trip to several exciting places near Almonte.

How to dress?

Please, watch the weather forecast to be prepared for a trip. It is expected that it will be warm weather on Saturday, good for hiking. Perhaps, first mosquitoes will be already active. You will need comfortable clothes and good shoes for the trip.

What else might be needed?

It will be great to have your cameras and binoculars for nature observation. It is good also to take water and light snacks.

Night creatures in Gatineau Park

Our last evening trips to see salamanders at night in Gatineau Park were successful. Therefore, we plan to have one more hike at the end of this week. This is a guided hike to explore Gatineau Park in the evening time for those who are interested to know more about dwellers of the forests and wetlands, tiny creatures, that just woke up after winter hibernation, and nocturnal bird species. We’ll meet at 7:30 pm on May 05 (Friday evening) at Parking 8 in Gatineau Park, which is located not too far from the Gatineau Park Visitor Center.

During our last excursion, we counted many spotted salamanders, one northern dusky salamander, and five species decided to move into other ponds after the evening chorus singing. In spring, salamanders rush to forest streams, ponds, and lakes to mate and lay their eggs there. At the larval stage, most salamanders from temperate regions are aquatic. Their tadpoles have three pairs of external gills and a long laterally flattened tail. Tadpoles breathe through their gills. At the end of the aquatic stage, they transform into adult salamanders through the metamorphosis process, becoming similar to small lizards. After the breeding season, adult salamanders will return back to the forest, where they will be almost invisible, as they lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. During the day they hide in secluded recesses under the forest floor, stones, and trunks of fallen trees. The diversity of salamanders is rich in the eastern part of North America. So, we hope to see at least several different salamander species at night.

But not only salamanders will be the goal of our excursion. We will also listen to the voices of spring, which can be heard on the distance in the leafless forest. First of all, we will determine whether tiny tree frogs have already woken up – spring peepers, whose melodic whistle resembles the singing of invisible little birds. Also, we will be able to see in the evening dawn how Wilson’s snipes and American woodcocks fly over the forest openings and over wetlands with the characteristic sound of a propeller. We will listen to see if the secretive American Bittern has already appeared near the reservoirs and hide in dry aquatic vegetation near the lakes. And also, we will be able to hear the night conversation of owls – the barred owls and eastern screech owls.

A year ago, during such an excursion, we also saw a bear mom with three cubs, who had just come out from their winter den and were looking for food under the oak trees. Having noticed our small group, the bears immediately tried to hide in the nearest ravine. We could spot three 3 species of salamanders that occur in Gatineau Park and heard the night call of the barred owls.

How to dress?

It is expected lots of rain in the next week. The rain will destroy the snow, but the forest will be damp. Please, watch the weather forecast to be prepared for a trip. It can be also chilly in the evening time. So, it is better to have warm jackets and good shoes that are most comfortable for a trip on wet forest paths.

What else might be needed?

Do not forget the flashlight. It is great if you have your binoculars for bird observations, and your cameras, or telephones for photos. It would be also good to have light snacks and water.

Snow Geese on the Way to Breeding sites

Spring migration this year already started! We observe the long goose wedges over land, stopping in various places on their way to breeding grounds. The two most common species of geese in the Ottawa River Valley are the Canada Goose and the Snow Goose. Canada geese not only migrate but also nest both in water bodies around cities and in the cities themselves, forming an urban population that reaches significant sizes in Ontario. Although most of the geese still fly north to the Arctic tundra, where they spend a fleeting summer. But the snow goose could be found in Ottawa River Valley during migration. These geese nest in water bodies along the Arctic coasts. Both species have increased markedly in recent decades, and even the migration patterns of snow geese have changed. The snow goose has become a regular stopover species during the autumn and spring migration in fields in Ontario along the St. Lawrence River valley. Each spring, huge swarms of white geese return from their wintering grounds in the United States to nesting places in the Arctic tundra stopping at wetlands near Ottawa for several weeks, from where they fly in the morning to feed through the agricultural fields just opened after the winter snow. The Canada goose flies in a scattered front: clusters and small flocks of these geese can be seen in a variety of places – along reservoirs, along the banks of rivers and lakes, in farmland fields and openings, and on lawns in cities. The snow goose, on the other hand, always migrates in large flocks and forms huge congregations at the stopover places. They follow a certain route, which is insistent from year to year. Our tour will focus on visiting such places! You will be able to learn about geese, ducks, cranes, and other fauna that nest in Ontario or are found here during periods of seasonal migration.

Place and Subject of the Excursion:

Snow geese nest far north, on lakes, rivers, and other water reservoirs in tundras. However, during migrations, large flocks of geese stay to rest and feed on agricultural fields in Ontario. This spring, the first migratory snow geese just appeared near Ottawa. We expect that the mass migration will start in early April. We plan to go to some such places in the Cobbs Lake Creek area, known as a stopover for snow geese during spring migration. We hope to see not only snow geese but other interesting bird species, including other geese species, birds of prey, ducks, gulls, and passerines. If we’ll be lucky, we’ll be able to see even sandhill cranes.

We’ll meet in the middle of Milton Rd. (exit #96 to Boundary Rd. from Highway 417) at 9:00 am on Monday, April 10. There is an opportunity for carpooling from west Ottawa (3 places). The duration of the guided hike is 4-5 hours until 1-2 pm.

Dress:

Spring just started. This is a time with fresh weather, contrasting temperatures, and often rains. Please, watch the weather forecast for the day and prepare to hike accordingly the forecast. It is good to have warm jackets and gloves. Waterproof boots will be appropriate to walk around wetlands after abundant rains in the last week. Take your binoculars and cameras. Do not forget about the water and light snack.

Honey Mushroom time (mushroom identification)

This is a guided hike to learn more about fall mushrooms. We’ll find out how to differentiate edible honey mushrooms from several other similar species, some of which can be poisonous. We’ll also know about mushrooms associated with mycorrhiza of honey mushrooms such as Aborted Entoloma or shrimps of the woods.

Honey Mushrooms (Armillaria sp.) were just recently categorized as one species, but now this species is divided into approximately ten different. We’ll look for Armillaria mellea known as Joney Fungus and widely distributed in forests around Ottawa. This mushroom usually appears in early or mid-September and can be found until late October. These mushrooms are parasites and often colonize the base of trees or stumps. Honey mushrooms can be bioluminescent and may cause a white glow of stumps at night. Honey mushrooms are regarded in many areas as one of the best wild mushrooms.

There are several mushrooms that are similar in appearance but need to be distinguished as they can be deadly poisonous. So, we’ll learn how to distinguish the Deadly Galerina (Galerina autumnalis) and Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare). Besides, we’ll look for Aborted Entoloma or Shrimps of the Woods (Entoloma abortivum), which are also observed in the habitats where honey mushrooms can be found. These are also edible delicious mushrooms, which we’ll learn how to identify.

This is a trip for mushroom lovers. We will meet in Ottawa at the parking lot near Fletcher Garden at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 24, and drive to the areas where we can find Honey Mushrooms and other listed species. We expect to find not only the listed above species but many others as well. This fall is relatively wet and we hope to find many fruiting species, which we’ll be able to identify in the field. We will learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from non-edible mushrooms, we will get acquainted with several fairly common poisonous mushrooms. We will find out how to distinguish between different groups of fungi: bracket fungi, coral fungi, boletes, agaric mushrooms, morels, hedgehogs, chanterelles, and their relatives. Carpooling is welcome. If you are thinking to share the driving with someone, please contact us in advance so that we can arrange a convenient meeting point for you. Please, leave a message below, if you plan to join us and we’ll share communication contact with more details.

Это экскурсия для любителей грибов. Мы встретимся в 9:00 в субботу, 24 сентября, утра на парковке около Fletcher Garden в Оттаве. А далее, мы поедем в места, где надеемся найти опята и другие осенние грибы. Мы будем учиться различать съедобные грибы от несъедобных, мы познакомиться с несколькими довольно распространенными ядовитыми видами грибов. Мы узнаем, какие виды считаются условно-съедобными. А также мы будем учиться различать разные группы грибов: трутовики, коралловые грибы, трубчатые и пластинчатые грибы, сморчи и строчки, ежовики, лисички и их родственники. Карпулинг приветствуется. Если Вы думаете присоединиться к кому-то в поездке, пожалуйста, свяжитесь с нами заранее, чтобы мы могли договориться об удобном для Вас месте встречи.

Как одеваться?

В лесу сейчас влажно и прохладно, поэтому позаботьтесь об одежде и обуви, которые наиболее комфортны для перемещения по оврагам и неудобьям.

Что еще может понадобиться?

Вам понадобится вода, легкий перекус, так как на свежем воздухе обычно появляется аппетит. Не забывайте небольшие корзиночки и ножички для сбора грибов. А также средства персональной защиты от насекомых и крем от солнца.

Nature Guided Tour to Explore Mushrooms

This is a trip for mushroom lovers. We will meet in Ottawa near Dow’s Lake at 9:00 am on Sunday, September 11, and drive through several places at the crown land in Quebec to explore suitable areas for mushroom harvesting. During our guided hike, we’ll learn about various kinds of mushrooms and fungi. And then, we will go to the Constance Bay area, where we will stop at several places where mushroom picking is allowed. Mid of September is a time when many kinds of edible mushrooms appear in the forests of Ottawa valley. At the same time, we can find many mushrooms, which are not edible or even poisonous. We hope that with relatively wet weather and relatively low temperatures, their abundance will increase significantly in the coming weeks. We will learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from non-edible mushrooms, we will get acquainted with several fairly common poisonous mushrooms. We will find out which species are considered conditionally edible. And also we will learn to distinguish between different groups of fungi: bracket fungi, coral fungi, boletes, agaric mushrooms, morels, hedgehogs, chanterelles, and their relatives. Carpooling is welcome. We have space for 8 people in two cars. If you are thinking of driving one of these vehicles, please contact us in advance so that we can arrange a convenient meeting point for you.

Это экскурсия для любителей грибов. Мы встретимся в 9:00 в воскресенье, 11 сентября, утра около озера Dow в Оттаве А далее, мы поедем на квебекскую сторону, где остановимся в нескольких местах, где сбор грибов разрешен. В эти недели уже появилось довольно много видов грибов. Мы надеемся, что при относительно влажной погоде и сравнительно невысокой температуре, их обилие значительно увеличится в следующие недели. Мы будем учиться различать съедобные грибы от несъедобных, мы познакомиться с несколькими довольно распространенными ядовитыми видами грибов. Мы узнаем, какие виды считаются условно-съедобными. А также мы будем учиться различать разные группы грибов: трутовики, коралловые грибы, трубчатые и пластинчатые грибы, сморчи и строчки, ежовики, лисички и их родственники. Карпулинг приветствуется. У нас есть места для 8 человек в двух машинах. Если Вы думаете, поехать на одном из этих автомобилей, пожалуйста, свяжитесь с нами заранее, чтобы мы могли договориться об удобном для Вас месте встречи.

Как одеваться?

Что еще может понадобиться?

Nature Guided Tour to Marlborough Forest

This is a trip for nature and mushroom lovers. During this time, we expect to find several species of “slippery jacks” or Suillus sp. mushrooms. In forests around Ottawa, there are more than 20 Suillus species. During our trip, we hope to find 5-7 species and learn how to identify different species of these edible mushrooms. We hope to find several other species from Boletes, most part of which are considered edible. Besides, we’ll learn about several other mushroom species, which we can find in this area this time. We also will talk about mushroom collections in different areas. We will meet near Hazeldean Mall at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 10, and drive together to the Marlborough forest area, where we’ll have the opportunity to explore the forest in several places. Mid of September is a time when many kinds of edible mushrooms appear in the forests of Ottawa valley. At the same time, we can find many mushrooms, which are not edible or even poisonous. We will learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from non-edible mushrooms, we will get acquainted with several fairly common poisonous mushrooms. We will find out which species are considered conditionally edible. And also we will learn to distinguish between different groups of fungi: bracket fungi, coral fungi, boletes, agaric mushrooms, morels, hedgehogs, chanterelles, and their relatives. Carpooling is welcome. If you are thinking about carpooling, please contact us in advance.

Это экскурсия для любителей грибов и походов в лес. Мы исследуем одну из интересных природных территорий, которая расположена неподалеку от Оттавы, где территория открыта для охоты в сезон, а также для сбора грибов. Мы встретимся в 9:00 утра в субботу, 10 сентября, на парковке у мола Хазельдин в Канате. А далее, мы поедем вместе в сторону леса Мальборо, где мы будем останавливаться в нескольких местах. Эта поездка будет тематической. Мы будем учиться искать и различать разные виды маслят. На территории вокруг Оттавы можно найти больше 20 видов маслят. На территории, куда мы поедем сейчас встречается 5-7 видов маслят. Мы поучимся их различать, а также узнаем об их вкусовых свойствах, способах сбора и приготовления. Кроме этого, мы познакомиться с несколькими довольно распространенными ядовитыми видами грибов. Мы узнаем, какие виды считаются условно-съедобными. А также мы будем учиться различать разные группы грибов: трутовики, коралловые грибы, трубчатые и пластинчатые грибы, сморчи и строчки, ежовики, лисички и их родственники. Карпулинг приветствуется. Если Вы думаете, поехать с кем-то на машине, то такая возможность представится, когда мы встретимся на парковке у мола Хазельдин.

Как одеваться?

В лесу сейчас влажно и прохладно, поэтому позаботьтесь об одежде и обуви, которые наиболее комфортны для перемещения по густому лесу. Лучше одеть яркие курточки или рубашки, чтобы Вас было хорошо видно в лесу. Эта территория открыта для охотников и хотя охотничий сезон у Оттавы открывается 17 сентября, лучше быть заметным уже сейчас.

Что еще может понадобиться?