Birding is the gateway drug to conservation – Rob Stavinga
March 16th Meeting
St Johnʼs Anglican Church, Parish Hall, 33 Pine Street North, Port Hope. Social time: 7pm; Please
note the Meeting start is now 7:15pm!
Lezlie Miller – Judgeʼs Tips: Flower & Photography Shows 101
Are flower shows a bit of a mystery to you? Does it seem a bit daunting to enter? Lezlie Miller is a
professional Flower & Photography Show judge. She will share what judges look for in the many
classes in our Flower & Photography Shows. Hopefully a bit of background will inspire more of us to
consider entering a show this year – or for those who do, to enter more often. If youʼre keen, hereʼs a
link from our governing body, OHA, that gives you some background on Flower Shows.
To become a flower judge, you typically have many years experience entering flower shows yourself.
You are then required to complete the OHA Judging School program (typically involves six, 3-day
sessions covering different seasons), then ʻshadowʼ certified judges for a period of time. Judges are
required to recertify every 3 years to be considered in good standing. It is a paid position, so if the
above interests you, the OHA is always looking to certify more judges. Judging Information
February in Review
Rob Stavinga, Alumnus of the Kawartha Conservation Authority – Bird Friendly Gardening.
What a fabulous talk on birds from someone so knowledgeable and
passionate about the topic! Rob started his talk with the shocking fact that
North America has lost over 2.9 BILLION birds since 1970! Aerial Insectivores,
Grassland and Shore birds have seen the biggest declines. Here in Port Hope,
we are situated on the Atlantic Flyway (bird migration route). So we have the
1
important job of providing a welcoming habitat for migrating birds before and after they cross the
large body of water that is Lake Ontario.
How can we help? Besides putting out bird feeders, we can create a bird-friendly garden. 12 Things to consider:
- Mimic a forest habitat with layers of canopy trees, understory, shrubs,
wildflowers, ground covers and vines. And in particular, use native plant species as evolution has
ensured they provide what native birds need (e.g. Prairie Smoke). - Choose plants that offer
persistent food sources. Eg. nectar from flowers in the spring and seeds &/or fruit in the fall. (eg.
nannyberry, pagoda dogwood) - Plant small trees and shrubs in clumps as they bear more fruit
(better pollination); are more visible to traveling birds and offer a safer feeding location (common
serviceberries are ideal). - Include conifer clumps as they provide winter shelter; nesting sites and
food (cones). - Leave dead-standing trees if possible as they are natural nesting cavities for many
bird species (woodpeckers); offer plenty of insects to eat and a great view of the surrounding area for
birds of prey. - Include vines as they offer excellent nesting sites and cover from predators; plenty of
insects to eat and often fruit. - Turn your lawn into more garden. A big beautiful lawn may be nice
to walk on, but it offers very little food for birds (except worms for the robins). - Avoid invasive and
non-native plants like garlic mustard, dog strangling vine, phragmites and common tansy. Be diligent
around giant hog weed and yellow parsnips as they are dangerous if handled without gloves and
protective clothing. - Provide water in your garden, in particular, moving water as the sound is
particularly attractive to birds. - Provide nesting boxes and platforms to attract many desirables
(blue birds & tree swallows). Be sure they are protected from predators. - Leave your fallen leaves
on the ground in the spring for the newly arriving birds to find insects for themselves and their
babies. One brood of chickadees requires 6000-9000 insects to survive! (A previous speaker, Charlie
Dobbin, suggested we devote an area of the garden to undisturbed leaves if we canʼt resist the urge to
rake/clean up.) - And finally, reduce use of pesticides and herbicides wherever possible.
Hot Tips: Head over to Cobourg harbour with your binoculars and catch the Long-tailed duck before
they head north for the summer. Clean your bird feeders by soaking them for 10 minutes in a solution
of 10% bleach and water then give them a good rinse.
And now a ʻplugʼ for the (free and highly entertaining & educational) Merlin app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Know that your activity with the app benefits bird science by providing real time bird
sightings to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. And because itʼs an app on your phone, you can identify birds
anywhere on your travels. It is very user friendly with several options to identify a bird. The easiest is
to simply click the ʻsoundʼ button and – voila! A partner app is the eBird app for those wanting to
track your bird lists. Learn more here: Merlin Bird ID app. Now youʼll be all set to participate in next
yearʼs Great Backyard Bird Count. I participated this year for the first time and it was quite fun and
super easy using these apps.
OHA Meeting – Only 1 month away (April 11, 2026)
We are now only one month away from hosting the Ontario Horticultural Association
(OHA) – District 4 Annual General Meeting. And Iʼm happy to report, we are in good
shape: the hall has been booked, a speaker arranged, lunch has been ordered and
decorations have been decided. And our president, Bill Kamula has secured a
sponsorship from Bird Construction to help cover some of the costs of the event.
Just a few last requests to make the day a success:
- Thank you to those who have already signed up to help at the meeting. We are still in need of
a few volunteers to help specifically for set up and take down:
7:30 – 9:30am: Setup (5 persons needed)
2:30 – 4:00pm: Take down (5 persons needed) - Donations of your homemade jams, jellies or preserves for our feature Silent Auction basket
“From the Pantries of Port Hope”. Please bring a donation to the March garden club meeting
if you can spare just 1 jar. Weʼll take care of the rest. And thank you to all who brought in a
donation already! - Any other items you feel would make a good silent auction item. All donations are greatly
appreciated! Reach out to Jeanne or bring to the March meeting.
Refreshment committee needs you!
A big thank you to Liz Forder who kindly answered the call to help Wendy Wotton and Marilyn
Curzon when the need arises to manage refreshments at our meetings. I know I speak for everyone
when I say refreshments are a highlight of every meeting.
A Note from your program committee
We have again put together what we think is an interesting and varied program of speakers and events
for 2026. As our club is made up of a marvellous group of volunteers, we do look to their skills and
talents to incorporate into our program, hence the January program often includes a presentation
from one of our members. This works in that it’s our AGM and it also helps with not having to provide
a speakersʼ fee.
We generally have spots in the program where we can accommodate something out of the ordinary or
something you are passionate about – so please don’t be shy to offer up your services. Contact Yvonne Lane or Jeanne Banka if you have ideas.
Did you know? The ʻsnowdropʼ is our clubʼs official flower.
To celebrate, pick up one of our new, super-cute snowdrop lapel pins at the
registration desk. The snowdrop symbolizes hope, purity, resilience and new
beginnings, representing lifeʼs triumph over winterʼs darkness. It is one of the first
flowers to emerge in spring, often through the snow. Wear your pin out & about in Port
Hope and encourage others to come check us out.
Reminders
Yearbooks are available for pick up. See Maggie at the reception desk for your copy.
Membership Renewals. Itʼs that time of year again to renew your annual memberships. See
Maggie at the desk when you check in. Individuals $20. Families $30.
Guests. A reminder that guests are always welcome at monthly meetings. If you have a friend or
family member who would be interested in any of our monthly topics, please bring them. Guest fees
are $5/meeting.
Refreshments. A big thank you to Liz Forder and Malcolm & Susanne Pacey for providing the spread of ʻgoodiesʼ at the February meeting.
Cards to Members
If you know of a member who is ill, has had surgery or has lost a loved one, contact Paulette Mouzer with the details so we can send a card and
message from the club.
Social Get Together over Coffee
The next coffee get-together is Wednesday, April 1st at Starbucks, Port Hope at 10:30am. No fooling!
Upcoming Events
- Seedy Saturdays Full list of Seedy Saturdays nation-wide
- Oakridge Dahlias – Dahlia Tuber Sale Now Open
- Dahlia May Flower Farm – Dahlia Tuber Sale Now Open
- Cold Springs Flower Farm – Dahlia Tuber Sale Now Open
- Wind and the Willow – Upcoming Workshops
- Toronto Botanical Gardens. Hellebore Sale in-person sale: March 28th
- Yonaʼs Greenhouse – PreOrder Custom Baskets begins April 1. Greenhouse opens May 1st
- Garden Ontario – Spring 50/50 Draw March 28,2026
Links of Interest
- Birds Canada – Why Garden for Birds
- CornellLabs – All About Birds: Your online guide to birds and birdwatching
- Cornell Labs – Great Backyard Bird Count
- David Suzuki Foundation – The Butterflyway Project
- Richard M. DeGraaf – Trees, Shrubs & Vines for Attracting Birds (free book download)
- Penn State. The Centre for Pollinator Research – Landscaping for Pollinators. What to Plant
- Peterborough Master Gardeners: Brandi McNeely – Plant Myth Busters: Houseplant Watering Edition
- IG. The Untamed Garden – Rethinking Annuals – drought tolerant edition
- North American Native Plant Society – Check out the latest on Native Plants here
- Garden Ontario – Prevention of Jumping Worms in Ontario
- Mark Cullen – March newsletter