HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-17Samuel Wilmot Nature Area Management
Advisory Committee Minutes
February 17, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Room 1c Municipal Administrative Center or Microsoft Teams
Present:
Y/N Person Y/N Person
Y Brian Reid (Chair) Y Leanne Fernandes
Y Carmen Aeillo N Tom Hossie (Vice Chair)
Y Councillor Margaret Zwart (Council Liaison) Y Rod McArthur
N Kate Potter Y Meg Vandenbrink
Y Ken Mercer (Staff) Y Kayla Stephens
N Leah Bourgeois
Also Present: N/A
1. Call to Order
Brian Reid called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2. Land Acknowledgement Statement
Brian Reid led the meeting with the Land Acknowledgement Statement.
3. Additions to the Agenda/Adoption of the Agenda
Moved by Meg Vandenbrink, seconded by Margaret Zwart that the agenda be
accepted.
Carried
4. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest
There were no disclosures of interest stated at this meeting.
5. Adoption of Minutes
Moved by Meg Vandenbrink, seconded by Carmen Aeillo that the minutes of the
meeting of November 18, 2025, be approved with the following changes:
• Under SWNA Workplan # 7 bird names to be corrected to Barred Owl &
Northern Shrike.
Carried
SWNAMAC - 2 - November 18, 2025
6. Committee Administration
7. SWNA Workplan
Q1 2026
a. Photo Contest
- Ken has all the photos and frames and will deliver them to Councillor Margaret’s
office in Orono and Kayla will pick them up and assemble the photos and frames
and will deliver to the Municipality for them to be displayed.
Q2 2026
a. Monarch Presentation – Tom Hossie
- No update currently. Ethan (student of Tom’s) will provide an update to the
committee closer to the April presentation date.
b. Earth Week Cleanup (April)
- Meg noted that Sharon Paton will be the coordinator and the date is set for April
18’26 start time 10am
- SWNA Committee will continue with a start time of 9am meeting location Toronto
Street parking lot.
- Meg will get printed copies of the poster and have them displayed at the trailhead
boards. Meg will also send an electronic copy to the committee and ask Leah to
post on the calendar.
- Meg will get the bags for the event
c. Spring Perennial Planting (May)
- Brian reached out to the Canadian Wildlife Federation but has not heard back
yet. Brian will follow up.
- Brian will connect with Leah to inquire about OPG’s involvement this year.
d. Bird Box Cleanup
- Rod, Carmen & Brian will continue as in previous years to clean up the bird
boxes.
Q3 2026
a. Moth Week (July) – Tom
b. Monarch Tagging (September) – Tom
Q4 2026
a. Fall Cleanup (November) – All
b. Bird Count (December) – Brian
SWNAMAC - 3 - November 18, 2025
- Brian looking into the possibility of expanding this into Orono area.
8. External Projects
a. Communication – Facebook Account
- Brian extended his thank you to Kate, who unfortunately was not at this meeting,
on all her support with looking into next steps on launching a new Facebook
account.
- Brian will distribute the email Kate sent to him, Meg and Tom on the steps to
create an account.
- Suggested Names for the group: 1. Friends of the Samuel Wilmot Nature Area;
2. Samuel Wilmot Nature Area Neighbors.
b. Missing Garbage Receptacle – Ken Mercer
- Due to challenging winter weather conditions, Ken will revisit the location of the
garbage receptacle in better weather and provide an update.
c. Additional Butterfly Nets – Ken Mercer
- Ken has the nets and are currently in storage, but he noted that the nets need to
be assembled.
d. Connection to Indigenous Group – Ken Mercer
- No update – this topic will need to go through Council first.
9. Other Business
a. Barriers for new Pollinator Planting Area (barrier options) – Ken Mercer
- This has been added to the 2026 Spring Work list.
b. Committee Membership Participation (resignation and new posting) – Ken
Mercer
- There was one applicant, voting will be held on Monday February 20th.
- Marg will follow up on the two remaining open positions to see about
readvertising.
c. Leo Blindenbach SWNA Memorial – All
- Ken will investigate having a plaque put up at the Gazebo area but has noted
that there are guidelines that he needs to follow.
- Marg will connect with Ken to see how to proceed.
- Ken mentioned there are a few memorial options: 1. Plaque only cost between
$300-$400; 2. Tree & Plaque cost between $900-$1,000; 3. Bench with plaque
needs to be a donation as the Municipality does not cover this cost.
- Brian will work with Meg and Kate on wording for the plaque
SWNAMAC - 4 - November 18, 2025
d. Develop 2026 Workplan (discuss 2026 events lineup) – All
o Tree Identification Walk:
– Ken will get dates
o Spring Ephemerals Identification:
– Brian connected with his 2 field naturalist contacts.
- Brian will confirm with Tom the timing (3rd week of May) then a date can
be picked.
o Presentations:
- there are a few groups to consider: 1. Soper Creek; 2. Birds of Prey; 3.
Turtle Conservation. Meg and Brian will look into costs and gather more
details.
o Fall Hike/Salmon Life Cycle/Monarch Tagging:
– Meg will be connecting with the contact this Friday and will gather more
information.
e. SWNA Committee communication strategy - All
- We are going to keep on the agenda as an information item.
10. Round Table – All
- Carmen mentioned that the backyard bird count was last weekend, and he say
another barred owl in his backyard.
- Meg was very excited that her and her family saw 2 barred owls by Grand Creek.
Meg also noted that they were at the beach area on Saturday morning and were
watching an individual who caught a rainbow fish but was a little concerned as
the individual dove into the lake to get the fish and the lake is currently covered
with ice so was worried but thankfully the person made it out of the lake safely.
- Brian mentioned that he heard about a great grey owl sighting by the lookout in
the old forest on a Facebook page.
11. Date Of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on March 17, 2026,
commencing at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1C at the Municipal Building or Microsoft
Teams.
8. Adjournment
Moved by Carmen Aeillo, seconded by Rod McArthur that the meeting adjourned
at 7:38 p.m.
Carried