Nature Canada

Nature Canada and National Capital Region Naturalist Clubs Host First Tour of Lac Deschênes Important Bird Area

November 1, 2012 (Ottawa) – On Saturday, November 3, 2012, Nature Canada and its partners, the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club and the Outaouais Birding Club are hosting the Lac Deschênes Naturehood Tour. The tour acquaints visitors to six sites in the Lac Deschênes Important Bird Area that are significant to birds and other wildlife on both the Ottawa and Gatineau sides of the Ottawa River.

From 9am until 1pm, birding experts from Nature Canada and local-area naturalist clubs will be present at each site to help visitors identify birds and learn about the region’s superb natural heritage.

“We’re very excited to expose local residents to the natural riches of some of the region’s best sites for birding,” said Alex MacDonald, manager of protected areas for Nature Canada. “The Lac Deschênes Naturehood tour is a great opportunity to learn about our wild neighbours – the waterbirds, plants, amphibians, fishes and mammals that call our region home.”

Lac Deschênes is a fluvial lake – or a lake within a river – that occurs in a broad widening of the Ottawa River, just to the west of the cities of Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Québec. Bordered on the east by the Deschênes Rapids, and to the west by Innis Point (Ontario) and Baie Alexandria (Québec), Lac Deschênes is recognized as a globally significant Important Bird Area. One of the larger bodies of water in this region, Lac Deschênes is an important stop-over point for waterbirds during their spring and fall migrations.

The Lac Deschênes Naturehood Tour is self-guided – start and end points are up to the individual. Visitors can choose from one of six sites staffed by interpreters to start their tour. At each, a copy of the tour map and site descriptions will be made available. You can download a copy of the tour brochure here .

For more information about the tour, including tips on how to explore each site, visit naturecanada.ca

Follow us at @NatureCanadaPAs and like us on Facebook to get the latest updates on the event.

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Alex MacDonald
Manager, protected areas
amacdonald@naturecanada.ca
613-562-3447 ex. 300

Monica Tanaka
Coordinator, communications
mtanaka@naturecanada.ca
613-562-3447 ex. 241

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Nature Canada is a national charitable organization that works for a vision of Canada as a place where threatened species are protected, wildlife habitat is preserved, and people embrace a culture of conservation in their everyday lives. We are co-partners, with Bird Studies Canada, delivering BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas program in Canada. We aim to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world’s birds and other biodiversity.

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