*Next Gathering: April 5th, 6:00 pm. Dinner provided. First F.Y.I
Greetings. Well, simply said the first gathering was a success! We sat down for a nice meal and ideas flowed as the evening progressed. Was really great to see the excitement in the room mount while discussing future plans. There was a general consensus that members would like to build confidence to be self-sufficient and knowledgeable when it comes to venturing into the woods for camping excursions. I have provided a summary of meeting minutes and a few house keeping items below and pictures of course!
- Collectively we have decided to hold a monthly gathering first Tuesday of the month. As the spring/ summer approaches there will be plenty of opportunities for day hiking trips, bike riding, gardening, camping and attending various outings and workshops around the city.
- This community is here for you to shape it! If you are interested in an outdoor/wilderness activity please bring that idea to the gathering to share. Next meeting there will be a better opportunity to solidify dates and activities. I will work on an accessible calendar.
- A meal will be shared at the gatherings, potluck style.(Please let me know of any dietary restrictions)
- We have decided to take turns doing F.Y.I presentations at the beginning of each meeting (15 minutes on any subject that is wilderness/outdoor related) Get creative!
- There was a great interest to plant a garden plot this summer for canning and natural health care products. I will soon put in requests at both DMSCA and University of Manitoba student gardens.
- Wild berry picking around Grand Beach for canning was also a big hit. As the summer progresses and the weather shows its self we will better be able to plan an outing (weekend)
- Planning on traveling outside of the city in the fall to attend a few fall suppers.
- Women group cycling to different parks in the city was also a top priority. As summer approaches we will chose dates for these rides.
- There was a great interest in learning how to pack, prepare, cook, fire build for camping and back country. I am in the process of preparing a few workshops, as well as a dehydrator night where we can prepare our own delicious and light weight camping food.
- There was general consensus to build confidence in regards to camping skills, I think its important to take this and run with it. This confidence will grow as exposure, practical experience and opportunities arise.
- Currently accepting ideas for main summer excursion (hopefully over a long weekend). Please submit your ideas before next meeting (April 5). Camping, hiking preferably in Manitoba. Example:
- Pisew Falls to Kwasitchewan Falls
- http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/parks/pdf/park_maps/trail_rec_maps/pisew_falls_trails.pdf
- Environmental ActionSpring clean-up at Omen's Creek cleaning up the waterways
- I would like to use this BLOG as a collective place for us all to share our adventures – Please email me any adventures and pictures you would like to share and I will post them. ainsleynbh@yahoo.com
- Connecting with other Nature Organizations in Winnipeg Nature Manitoba Activities:
BIRD OUTINGS
The following walks are the beginning of a series being led by birder Brad Carey. The walks will be on Wednesdays and begin at 6:30pm. Contact Brad for details at 832-5758. Wednesday, April 27
Assiniboine Park
Wednesday, May 4
St. Vital Park
The walks will continue until June 7, with the locations posted in the next issue of Nature Manitoba News.
MORELS and OTHER FUNGI
Instructor: Dr. David Punter, retired Professor of Botany at the University of ManitobaDate: Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Kelvin High School, Room 31
Morels are the mushrooms that appear in the spring while most other fungi can be found in late August and September. Participants in this workshop will begin learning to identify mushrooms in time for the morel season. A field trip will be offered in the late summer.
BIRDING by EAR
Instructor: Brad Carey, Nature Manitoba BirderDate: Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Kelvin High School
Come and experience some of the more common sights and sounds of our returning "feathered friends". We will view pictures taken from birding software programs, listen to tapes and discuss ways to identify birds in the field.
*These workshops require pre-registration. Contact the Nature Manitoba office at 943-9029 or naturemanitoba@mts.net.
- National Wildlife Week April 10-16th.
