January: Events Around the City

Tues, Jan 1, 2008, 10:00 am.
NEW YEAR'S DAY BIRD WALK at SPRINGBANK PARK Start out the New Year and your 2008 bird list on McIlwraith Field Naturalists annual New Year's Day Bird Walk. Meet at the parking lot by the Guy Lombardo Museum on the west side of Wonderland Rd. Sat Jan 5th 9:00 pmRe-Forest the Forest City Fundraiser, featuring the LMC All-Stars, Yuri Pool & Friends and Special Guests. It is the first time and let's help make it a big success. London Music Club 9:00 pm. 5$ admission. All proceeds to ReForest London. More info at http://www.reforestlondon.ca/ or http://www.londonmusicclub.com/

Sat Jan 5 2:00pm
Cinema Politica London presents CRUDE IMPACT. Landon Library. This film explores a range of problems associated with the use of fossil fuels. The objective of the film is to promote positive, hopeful change in the way we source and use energy. Sat Jan 12 2:00pmCinema Politica London presents THE END OF SUBURBIA Landon Library. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supplyMon

Jan 14th 7:00 pm
Elgin Middlesex London EDA AGM. At the St. Thomas Public Library, Carnegie Room. 153 Curtis St. St. Thomas ON. Call 519-266-4488 for more details.

Tues, Jan 15, 7:30-8:30 pm.
CHIMNEY SWIFTS: Mysterious Little Birds in Big Trouble Winifred Wake During migration, Chimney Swifts gather at dusk by the hundreds to make spectacular dives into large chimneys. Winifred Wake, volunteer coordinator of the McIlwraith Field Naturalists. SwiftWatch project, tells the captivating story of this species-at-risk. Wolf Performance Hall Central Library.

Fri Jan 18, 2008, 7:30 pm.
A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION: The plants of Ontario's Tallgrass Prairies and Savannas. Cathy Quinlan Civic Garden ComplexTallgrass prairies and savannas are natural grassland habitats that contain a great diversity of grasses, wildflowers and animals. Tallgrass is one of the most endangered plant communities on earth. Cathy, president of Tallgrass Ontario, will talk about the colourful plants that call this habitat home and discuss some of the work that has been done to protect, restore and expand this rare community in Ontario. Tallgrass Ontario is a not-for-profit environmental group whose aim is to understand, protect and restore Ontario's endangered tallgrass habitats. Cathy is also past president of the McIlwraith Field Naturalists. During the day, she works as a terrestrial biologist with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.

Sat Jan 19 2:00pm
Cinema Politica London presents ESCAPE FROM SUBURBIA Landon Library. A positive perspective on the problem of "peak oil." Through personal stories and interviews the film examines how declining world oil production has already begun to affect modern life in North America. Expert scientific opinion is balanced with "on the street" portraits

Tues, Jan 22, 7:30-8:30 pm.
URBAN INSECTS: An Array of Colourful and Vibrant Lifestyles Stan Caveney. From dragonflies to lady beetles, from fireflies to katydids, multitudes of fascinating insects make their homes in London's neighbourhoods. Stan Caveney, who has spent a lifetime probing their secrets, introduces a selection of his favourites. Wolf Performance Hall Central Library.

Fri Jan 25, 2008, 7:30 pm.
IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE: Predators And Cowbirds At Wood Thrush Nests In Southern Ontario Lyle Friesen Civic Garden ComplexLyle is an entertaining speaker as we learned last year during his talk on the impact of wind turbines on wildlife. He has just completed the tenth year of a long-term study in Waterloo region on Wood Thrushes and the impact of residential development on their population density, nesting success, and return rates. For the past two years, he has been using miniature digital video cameras to document visitations by predators and cowbirds to nests. The cameras, which film on a 24-hour basis using infra-red lights for night recording, have provided fascinating insights into thrush-predator/parasite relationships. The setting may be 'tranquil' southern Ontario, but for nesting Wood Thrushes, it really is a jungle out there. .

Tues, Jan 29, 7:30-8:30 pm.
FROGS AND THEIR KIN: Jump, Swim, Walk or Crawl. Amphibians Do It All Scott Gillingwater. Frogs, toads and salamanders face many challenges as wetlands shrink and roadways sub-divide their world. A fan since childhood, Scott Gillingwater of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority details some amazing strategies for survival. Wolf Performance Hall Central Library