Ontario Archives | Carol Patterson

A Hawk’s Eye for Wine

October 9, 2018 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

At Cooper Hawk’s Vineyard (CHV) in the Windsor-Essex tourism region the winery is named for one of the unofficial staff members.

Cooper hawks nest near the vineyards and patrol the fields around the winery. These crow-sized raptors are fearsome predators with a taste for birds like starlings and mourning doves. They rely on stealth to sneak up on prey and have been known to drown its catch before ripping it into bite size pieces. Knowing a Cooper’s hawk is in the neighborhood is enough to scare away birds that like to feast on the grapes.

Because the habitat surrounding the vineyard supports a healthy hawk population, Tom O’Brien, Founder and President of Cooper Hawk’s Vineyards, and his team does not need to place nets over the vineyard, something few wineries in the region can boast.

Wildlife doesn’t punch a time clock so to make sure birds think twice about visiting the grapes CHV staff have made recordings of the Cooper hawk calls and play them in the vineyard when the hawks aren’t around. They also have fake hawk kites that flutter above rows of grapes.

O’Brien and his staff like sharing their 70-acre property with birds. “I love wildlife!” O’Brien enthused. “We have planted over 7,000 trees. When we do (wine) tours people ask about the name. We encourage them to walk out (around the vineyards) and look at birds.”

Assistant wine maker, Anthony Miller, was an environmental scientist for more than ten years before he became a vintner. Now he shares his bird sightings with his boss. “He tells me we have some unusual birds,” explained O’Brien.

Judging by environmental ethic that includes installing solar panels and constructing a wetland, this is a winery that makes going to the birds part of the wine tasting experience. O’Brien observed, “When people leave the winery they are happy!”

To learn more about this bird-friendly winery click here.

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Seeing Without Sharing at Petroglyphs Provincial Park

September 8, 2015 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Philosopher George Berkeley asked, “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” What if you went to a tourist attraction that allowed no photos? Could you still enjoy it without a selfie or photographic proof for your Facebook feed? I faced that dilemma at Petroglyphs Provincial Park, 55 kilometers northeast of Peterborough.
Six to 11 centuries ago – an era when the Vikings were first arriving in North America – aboriginal people were carving images for ceremonial or spiritual reasons into white marble rock of the Canadian Shield. These 900 rock carvings are now known as Kinomaage waapkong or ‘the rocks that teach’ and the largest known single concentration of Aboriginal rock art in Canada.

They lay undiscovered until 1954 when three prospectors stumbled onto the carvings of people, snakes, turtles & other creatures, and told a newspaper. By 1967 there were the same number of annual visitors as today – approximately 12,000 – but no protection. Some tourists wanted to share the glory and carved their initials into the stones; experts feared even the best behaved visitors would wear away carvings with their footsteps.

In 1976 a provincial park was created and in 1984 a glass-sided building erected over the petroglyphs. Now a visitor enters via the Learning Place (Visitor Center) before walking three hundred meters to the ‘glyphs’ while putting their cameras away.

First Nations “believe drawings are a spiritual being and taking a picture diminishes its spirituality,” explained Park Superintendent, Andy Nicholson. Park Warden, P.J. Fife is Mississauga Ojibway and has worked at the park for eight summers.

Curve Lake First Nations is closest to Petroglyphs Provincial Park and shares management of the site. “These carvings aren’t just a place to see, it’s a spiritual place, sort of like a church,” said Fife, in a rapid-fire explanation, pointing to an interpretive sign in English, French and Ojibway. “Ojibway is not traditionally a written language but that’s changed in the last fifty years.”

So could I change? My first instinct at seeing a special place was to whip out my smartphone for an Instagram photo. The Algonquin speakers who carved here had an oral tradition, sharing knowledge through storytelling. I belong to a somewhat narcissistic culture, sharing fleeting impressions through selfies and Facebook posts. Without a picture how could I convey this special place? Would anyone know I’d been here?

“You should take your pictures in here,” suggested Ojibway Russell Dokis as he greeted me at the Learning Centre, pointing to his head. “If we see people enter the building with a large camera,” Nicolson explains,” we can ask them not to take pictures. There can be some tension there.” Added Fife, “We stress the spiritual aspect and get people to reflect on that. There are some First Nation’s people who don’t think we should have the site as a tourist attraction, so people are lucky to see them.”

I had to agree. Pointing to a carving with a small person linked to a bigger person by a snake, Fife suggested it could depict a young man becoming an old man. “The large triangle over the larger man’s head could be a hat or it could depict the knowledge gained.”

Perhaps I too was gaining knowledge. Stripped of my social media lifeline, I was relying on my senses to capture this experience, but I was pretty sure that even without a camera, I would not forget my time here.

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Reinventing Bird Populations

June 10, 2014 by CarolPatterson Leave a Comment

Even if they are not birdwatchers, most North Americans can recognize Greater Canada Geese. These honking emblems of the wilderness are commonly seen strolling parkways or golf courses. On a recent trip to Point Pelee National Park, I learned these geese once faced extinction from overhunting and a local, Jack Miner, had been instrumental in saving them.
In 1935, concerned over the significant decline in geese, governments made it illegal to hunt using live decoys – wild geese that had been trapped and made flightless. By then it was almost too late – there was few Canada Geese left in the wild. The live decoys – no longer of use to hunters – were released into marshes. Most died, defenseless against predators, but some lived long enough to breed or grow back their wing feathers. Canada Geese populations grew so slowly that in many areas of North America they were classified as extirpated or nearing extinction. In the 1960s, conservation efforts were stepped up and captive-raised birds were reintroduced to the wild. The program was a phenomenal success with populations doubling every three to seven years.

Now, many communities struggle with an abundance of geese, but Jack Miner, who died in 1944, would be happy to know his efforts were not in vain. Nor only did he help establish Point Pelee National Park, he helped prevent the extermination of Canada Geese. A new generation will decide what to do with an abundance of Canada Geese, but I’m encouraged to know that when people care enough about the future of a species, great change is possible!

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