WEEK 18, August 30

Volunteers: Geoff, Barry, Christine, Marg

Geoff and Barry continued working in the field north of the Ash Woods. Christine and Marg continued their work in the north section of the Old Field. Showers had been predicted for this morning and, sure enough, by 9:45 it was too wet to work. Photos will have to wait for another day! Christine and Marg are bagging up the vines they are cutting, as they find too many seeds are being dispersed. Many seeds and, worse, parachutes without seeds, can be found on the ground, particularly in sunny areas, so we'll all need to start bagging up cut DSV. This will also make disposal easier as well as prevent even more seeds being released when AAFC comes to remove the cut plants.

Friday, September 2: Barry continued working in the area north of the Ash Woods, adding to the piles of cut DSV abandoned to the rain on Tuesday. A large patch of bushes that Glenda had worked so hard to clear has now been scythed around completely, but some work remains to be done, especially along the eastern-most trail through the Woods. Photos were taken for the database.

An apparent family of toads was disturbed by this work. After clearing some cut vines and with scythe in hand, Barry noticed a small toad trying to escape. It was caught and released in a safe spot further in the Woods. A second toad emerged, with the same result, and then a third was found. All were quite small, less than 50 centimetres in length. Number four was larger - perhaps 80-90 centimetres - and lighter in colour, but similarly patterned. All four were captured and transferred to the same spot, so hopefully will be fine. One never knows, of course. They appear to be American Toads (Bufo americanus), common to FWG. The other natural history note was discovery of a quite strange fungus; unlike the toads, it was photographed but has not yet been identified.