Greetings!
Welcome spring! My favourite time of year...to relearn all the bird songs I thought I mastered last spring.
I hope you have been enjoying the sunshine and the warm weather we have been getting. So far this spring, some species I have been hearing/seeing are:
- Midland Painted Turtles
- Spring Peepers
- Northern Flickers
- Eastern Phoebes (pictured right)
- Eastern Meadowlarks
- Song Sparrows
What species are you happy to see returning to the area?
I also want to mention that I know some volunteers on this list do not feel comfortable volunteering during the pandemic. This is totally understandable and something we respect. The health and safety of you and our community is most important, and I do not want this e-newsletter to feel as though we are pressuring you into volunteering. It is simply an update on the ambassador program and offering ways that you can get involved during this time, if you feel comfortable.
Please note that my email address has changed to engage@couchconservancy.ca.
- Joelle
Engagement Organizer
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Update in response to Stay-at-Home Order |
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As I am sure many of you are aware, the provincial government has issued a Stay-at-Home Order effective as of April 8th, 2021 . In alignment with the province and guidelines to keep our communities safe and healthy, there are some updates to ambassador jobs.
Talking to trail users is an important aspect of the trail ambassador job – at this time, we do not want to ask you to do that, and put yourself or anyone else at any risk. If you are a Citizen Scientist, we are going to ask you to keep an eye out and report any issues or concerns you see during your monitoring visits.
The Conservancy is also not attending any in person public events at this time.
We have recently posted a notice regarding updates to the organization in response to the Stay-at-Home Order. The Nature Reserves will remain open. All volunteers will receive an email with important information they should know if they are planning on volunteering during this time.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email or give me a call. My contact information is below.
Photo: Kathy Hunt volunteering at a farmers' market
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There are two ambassador training sessions coming up soon. In these sessions, I will go over plans for this year, jobs, helpful tips to engage the public when it is safe to do so.
Unlike the ambassador training sessions in the past, I will not be going over basic information about the Conservancy. For those who are new to the program and are still learning about the Conservancy, I have developed a separate video called "Conservancy 101" where you can gain an understanding of what we do. Once you sign up for a training session, I will send this video to you along with the ambassador training package and link to join the Zoom link. If you are new to the ambassador program, I strongly recommend attending a training session.
Thursday, April 15 from 1:30pm-3:30pm
Sunday, April 25 from 1:30pm-3:30pm
If you are interested in attending one of the above sessions, please email me by Tuesday, April 13th at 10:00am.
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Although we are not asking you to engage with the public in person as ambassadors during this time, we will still proceed with jobs that can be done online and from home. Plus, the work you do is so important in engaging the public in land conservation. We need you! |
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Passport to Nature Events & Webinars
Date: April 2021-February 2022
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The 2021-2022 Passport to Nature Program is launching soon, with our first webinar happening at the end of April.
Many of the individuals who are signing up to attend these events are new and will be hearing about the Conservancy for the first time. Similar to last year, we need your help to host the webinars: sharing who we are and our mission, introducing the guest speakers, and encouraging others to get involved. A script will be provided and we do a test run webinar in advance if needed.
Upcoming Online Webinars:
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Friday, April 23rd at 7:00pm- Invasive Plants + What is In Your Backyard webinar
- Wednesday, April 28th at 7:00pm-Reptile Identification
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May5th at 7:00pm- Birding by Ear
Once the Passport to Nature Program has launched, I will add the events to the ambassador event calendar.
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Sharing Events on Other Organizations' Calendars
Date: April 2021-May 2021
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One great way to encourage new people to attend our events is by sharing them on other event pages.
This job can be done on your own time and from home. I will provide you with a list of Event Calendars to get started, the event graphic, descriptions, and login information for the event calendars.
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Spread the Word!
Date: Ongoing
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Sharing the importance of land conservation with your friends, family, and loved ones is important and helps inspire others to take action to protect nature in the region! Here are some ways you can help spread the word:
- Have a conversation about why land conservation matters to you
- Share photos of you visiting a Nature Reserve
- Invite people to like The Couchiching Conservancy's Facebook Page
- Invite friends to our events on Facebook
- Share our posts on your social media
Be sure to always tag us when you share photos!
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Trail Ambassadors
We will be recruiting more trail ambassadors once safe to engage people.
Once you can get out in the field again and engage trail users, we will recruiting more ambassadors to monitor the trails! As the weather gets warmer, the trails are becoming busier. Hopefully by the summer or fall, we can add more trail ambassadors to the popular Nature Reserves and educate people on local land conservation.
If you are not currently a trail ambassador, but would like to join the team once things become safe, let me know and I can add you to the list.
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Jane Brasher monitoring Grant's Woods.
Photo by Kathy Hunt.
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Even though ambassadors are not doing any jobs "in the field" during the Stay-at-Home Order, this is a great time to check and make sure you have all the items you need for volunteering when that time comes. When you do go out in the field, you should have the following items:
- Ambassador badge or t-shirt
- "Volunteer at work" sign which goes on the dash of your car
If you do not have the above information, please let me know. I can leave these items in the mailbox at our office or drop them off to you.
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I am the Engagement Organizer at The Couchiching Conservancy. Ask me questions related to volunteer applications, event details, Ambassador calendar, merchandise, signing up to volunteer at an event, engagement tools, and if you have feedback from events.
Work hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (705) 330-9319
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You are receiving this email because you are an ambassador with The Couchiching Conservancy. Please let us know if things have changed and you can longer volunteer or do not wish to receive these emails.
Know someone who might like to help or become an ambassador? Let us know!
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Phone: 705-326-1620
Mail: Box 704, Orillia, ON L3V 6K7
Office: 1485 Division Rd W, Orillia, ON L3V 0X6
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Charitable #: 13972 5030 RR0001 |
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