Anika, our summer Farmland Ecology Assistant, has created a blog post detailing her adventures so far in the field! Read all about them below.
This summer I have had the pleasure of being OFT’s field ecology assistant and it has been a blast. From beautiful country roads to stunning views on the protected properties and exhilarating sightings of species at risk, it will certainly be difficult to top a summer as great as this one!
One of my favourite parts of my role has been learning to identify many of Ontario’s species at risk. From distinguishing the difference between an at-risk Monarch butterfly and the lookalike Viceroy, to listening for the distinctly high-pitched tune of the Eastern Wood-Pewee in a dense forest, developing my species identification skills this summer has been so rewarding.
A top memory of mine so far happened during our ecological assessment at the Kerr property. Joel, OFT’s Farmland Conservation Specialist, and I were wading through an uncut hay field when, seemingly out of nowhere, we found ourselves amid a group of what must have been at least 10 Bobolinks, a species threatened in Ontario. It felt surreal and, fortunately, we were able to creep close enough for me to take some nice photos. These quirky grassland birds with their yellow “hats” have definitely captured my heart and may just be one of my new favourite species!
Something I will take away from my time at OFT is the understanding that local agriculture and healthy soils are not only essential for supporting Canadian food sovereignty and economic well-being but also that our agricultural fields and grasslands contribute valuable ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, in addition to fostering biodiversity. Intact grassland ecosystems, threatened by urban sprawl and aggregate mining, are increasingly a rarity in Ontario, yet widespread knowledge about their importance seems to be lacking. Knowing this, I will continue to advocate for the protection of grassland ecosystems (and the species which rely on them) as I progress in my career.
OFT’s ongoing partnerships with the many enthusiastic and dedicated landowners across the province are undoubtedly playing a key role in safeguarding the health of our prime agricultural land for generations to come; I am honoured to have been a part of the team this summer!
To learn more about the work Anika has been taking part in, check out our Exploring Conservation Through Monitoring blog post!