Lambton Wildlife has many members who are passionate about all areas of nature. Some of them have generously volunteered themselves to act as an expert on a particular subject. Please feel free to contact them with your questions

Birding

I started birding in 1982 took a class in Junior High and my dad and I got hooked. Have birded extensively in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Prince Edward Island and now in Ontario I have also been to Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Mexico birding. I have close to 1000 birds on my life list. Also have done Marsh bird Surveys in Massachusetts and Have done Wind Turbine bird Surveys in PEI. I also taught a course for Seniors College on Bird Identification of birds of PEI. I am a member of the Lambton Wildlife Inc., Natural History Society of PEI and American Birding Association (ABA)

Here are some websites Eric recommends:

USGS-Patuxent- Bird Songs
eBird
The Feather Atlas
Life Histories of North American Birds
HUMMINGBIRDS.NET
Bird Studies Canada
Bird Cinema

Eric Marcum
Contact Eric at: emwarbler@sympatico.ca
Native Plants of Lambton County

I would be happy to try to identify any wild plant that you might find growing in your yard or along the roadside. Bring me a photograph, send an e-mail picture, or, best, bring a pressed specimen. But please don't pick anything growing in a natural area unless it is very abundant.
I have made a collection of over 1,000 pressed plants growing wild in Lambton. Some are 40 years old. About two-thirds of these are native.

From all available records, John and I have compiled a list of all the plants that have ever been reported growing out of cultivation in Lambton. We also have a good library of reference books about plants.

My favorite manual:

Wildflowers

  • Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, by Lawrence Newcomb, Little, Brown & Co.

Grasses, sedges and rushes

  • The Michigan Flora, Part 1, by Edward G.Voss, Cranbrook Institute of Science and Universiity of Michigan herbarium
Dorothy Teidje

Contact Dorothy at:
519-542-4537
jtiedje@cogeco.ca

Invertebrates of the St Clair River Sediment

Ian Harris worked as a research scientist with Petrosar. When he retired, scientific curiosity pushed him to do some more research. He chose the invertibrates in the sediment of the St. Clair River for two reasons. Firstly, he loved "messing about in boats" and secondly because he had always loved and admired the St Clair River. He believes this River, which is technically a Strait, has been in existence for at least 10,000 years. This project took nine years and included a study of the North Sydenham River for comparison purposes.He found the creatures; worms, clams,beetles etc. very interesting. Ian is currently studying the invertibrates in a forest at Port Franks.

Recommended reading:

  • 1.The Key Nature Series on Insects
  • 2.The Earthworms of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum
  • 3.Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, R.W.Merrit and K.W.Cummins
Ian Harris

Contact Ian at:
519-542-9726

Trees, Shrubs and Native Plant Gardens

Larry Cornelis is a well known naturalist in Lambton County. Past President of Lambton Wildlife and current President of Sydenham Field Naturalists, Larry leads tours and outings, such as the popular Owl Prowls, for many organizations. These include Nature clubs, provincial environmental organizations and government agencies.

A keen, experienced birder and field botanist, Larry often works as a consultant in biological surveys, restoration projects and design and creation of naturalized gardens for habitat at home.

Larry Cornelis
Contact Larry at:
519-339-8785
Fungi

Peter Banks is a retired Computer Engineer from Imperial Oil. He has been interested in mushrooms and other fungi for over 35 years and has an extensive library on the subject. He lectures on fungi and leads the annual "Fungi Foray" in the fall for Lambton Wildlife. He is a longtime member of North American Mycological Association and Mycological Society of Toronto.

Peter Banks

Contact Peter at:

Nature Notes

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