Couchiching Conservancy WOR Workshop

We had a successful workshop at the Kris Starr Workshop hosted by the Couchiching Conservancy on September 25th. Keen eyes found several amphibians dead on road (dor). We split into two teams and one team went west and another went east on County Road 45 and we walked about 500 m each way. The west team found a Nashville Warbler of interest. The east team found several dead on red terrestrial juveniles (eft stage; see page 32 in handbook) and also several dor green frogs. Our wildlife technician, Cindy Presant, found a live Red Eft Newt in the Walshingham Forest the same day! Also some old bones of freshwater turtles were found. This 1 km transect is definitely a location of interest for more data collection and subsequent mitigation. There are creeks and wetlands. On the way home, workshop presenter, Kari Gunson, found a dor female Painted Turtle crossing near Carden Plains between two wetlands. All observations have been submitted to our Wildlife on Roads iNaturalist page. Thank-you to the keen and motivated citizen scientists that came out, and of course Aeisha and Dorthea with Couchinging were fantastic!