The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

...u 2,' ■> .vr L1., v ) :■"> Wednesday, May 19,- 5 l' : ! : ! i •> : : > ' ' f < > . Orono Weekly Times From Around Home by Roy Forrester Along the Blue Bird Trail... Over the past two weeks, I have almost made daily trips to the ORTA Blue Bird Trail on the 10th Concession of former former Clarke Township to record the arrival of Blue Birds who now have a choice of some 24 different nesting boxes. • During this period, I have recorded not one single Blue Bird along the trail. There was one exception however that goes back some three weeks when, a pair were sighted but who, for whatever whatever reason, quickly left the Blue Bird Trail area. It's not that there haven't been Blue Birds sighted in Clarke Township coming from Doug Ferguson, Don Lycett and others. However these reports were all south of the Tenth Concession. The Blue Bird Trail on the Tenth is certainly located in an area that can get somewhat chilly when a chilling wind is out of the north-east as so often happens. You can enjoy that breeze in the summer heat however. We can't always have it our way when the issue of weather comes, forth. It would be a good two weeks ago that I visited the Bruce Hannams on the 5th Concession. They have two nesting boxes along their driveway. Low and behold, there were Blue Birds at both boxes! It is logical that, the birds do work their way north and I would hope that some time in the near future, the Blue Birds will show up to nest along the Blue Bird Trail north from the Tenth Concession v On Friday of last week, three nesting boxes were taken by Tree Swallows and all three had eggs. No Blue Birds as to that date. Inteerested in a slowpaced slowpaced walk along the. Blue Bird Trail? You are welcome to come along on Wednesday, May 19th and May 26th at 2:00 pm. Meet at the Tenth Concession, west 1/2 kilometer kilometer from Hwy. 35. The latest word is.., that the Blue Birds will be there! Neighbourhood Continued from front property of its best features and then unload the remainder remainder at a discount, Humber explained. Prior to the vote being taken by the Committee Monday morning, Councillor Councillor Jim Schell asked consultant, consultant, Bob Martindale, if all the issues around window styles and paint colours will be answered in Phase Two. "There seems to be a lot of misinformation surrounding this issue," stated Schell, "Can we get assurances that all those answers will be forthcoming? "Till there are guidelines, no one knows what kind of shape they will take," answered Martindale. NEWCASTLE FUNERAL HOME Family owned and operated by Carl Good, Funeral Director, and Joyce Kufta 386 Mill St. S., Newcastle 905-987-3964 www.ncwcastlcfuncralhomc.com "Caring for our Community " _ The Wilmot, Clarington's environmental gem One of the more heavily researched streams in Ontario, the pristine Wilmot Creek shown above as it flows between Taunton Road and Concession Road 5 east of Orono. "In the next phase we hope to be able to spell out what were going to do" said Richard Unterman, a Heritage Resources Management Consultant. Though he did not anticipate winning over 100 per cent of the residents, he did hope to reach a level of comfort with those individuals opposed to the plan. Victor Suppan, Chair of LAC AC urged committee of council to move on to Phase Two. "Heritage is a very important fabric of our community," community," stated Suppan, "You councillors are stewards stewards of this community as are all of us." The matter now goes before full council on May 31st. Wilmot Continued from front in the lower reaches of the main stem, south of the third concession. concession. Rainbow trout, brown trout and a bottom dwelling species called the mottled sculpins dominate the creek from the Third north to Taunton Road. North of Taunton, brown trout dominate and slimy sculpins replace the mottled sculpins. The boundaries between these communities are clearly linked to changes in geology and the presence of barriers. Both juvenile and adult rainbow trout populations increased from the 1970s to the mid 1980s. These populations peaked in the early 1990s and have since declined. Brown trout populations increased in the 1970s, peaking in the early 1990s and have remained high. Brook trout however have continued continued to decline in the basin from . the 1970s to present. | Stanfield's research has indicated indicated that declines in the rainbow trout numbers are clearly linked to changes in Lake Ontario. "We are trying to understand how much the watershed has changed and how much it has rehabilitated itself," stated Stanfield, and are taking a look at Atlantic salmon restoration in that context. Atlantic salmon have been stocked in the Wilmot since 1987 for research purposes, but their numbers remained low according to Stanfield. "If you lose a fish ' community you lose the genetics," genetics," he said. "It is much harder to bring them back than it is to preserve them. Even though that species of fish might be in another creek system, transfer doesn't mean success," he stated. stated. "That's why were having so much trouble bring back Atlantic salmon." The revising of the fisheries management plan could not be happening at a more critical period for Wilmot Creek as it will undoubtedly continue to be pressured by future development. development. The time to act is now if we hope to maintain Wilmot Creek as one of the more productive streams in the Lake Ontario Basin, according to Stanfield. "A healthy fishery means a healthy ecosystem and this translates into healthy communities." communities." The Fisheries Management Plan will become a component of the Wilmot Watershed Study which must be completed by 2007. The GRCA along with the Municipality of Clarington and the MNR began the Wilmot Creek Watershed Study in 1999, but halted it a year later, awaiting new Oak Ridges Morrain Protection legislation from the Province. The Province was coming up with new terms of referance and requirements for watershed studies in the morrain, said Mark Peacock of the GRCA. We felt it was inappropriate to continue with the study without knowing what the provincial expectations would be. Because of the lack of input from the Province, the Region of Durham has come up with a terms of referance for watershed studies that they feel will satisfy the Oak Ridges Morrain Protection Plan requirements. r ~ HAPPENINGS ~ Wednesday» Mav 19 Clarington East Food Bank Annual General Meeting - St. George's Church Hall, Edward St., Newcastle at 7:30 p.m. Orono^Horthniltur al Society Spring Show & Plant Sale - at Orono United Church; Plant Sale 5-7 p.m.; Guest Speaker 7:30 p.m. - Dr. Ernest Schroedcr Topic: "Good Body Mechanics for Gardeners. " Everyone welcome. Euchre Tournament at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 214 King Ave. E., Newcastle at 7 p.m. Cost $10. Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, May 29 Garden Party and 1st annual Plant Sale at Bowmaiwille Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for more info call 905-623-2734. Favourite Marches for Summertime by the Clarington Concert Band at 3 p.m., Orono v United Church. Free will offering. J! = =--========== z