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Upcoming Webinars

Past Events

Past Webinars

Ecology & Geology

MAR. 9, 2023

Geotrails are an exciting new way to explore the fascinating geological and environmental history of the Niagara Escarpment. Created by the APGO Education Foundation, in collaboration with McMaster University and the Bruce Trail Conservancy, each Geotrail is a virtual field trip and StoryMap of a geologically significant area along the Bruce Trail. In this webinar you’ll explore a few Geotrails, see how they are made, and learn about the plans for creating Geotrails along the Bruce Trail over the next 3 years. Opportunities for BTC members to get involved are shared.

Guest Presenters: Dr. Carolyn Eyles and Dr. Deana Schwarz

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

Mammals leave tracks and other signs on the landscape that give clues about who shares Niagara Escarpment forests with us. Join tracking expert David Beamer in this webinar to learn some common tracks and signs and discover what they can teach us about the animals that left them.

About our guest presenter: David Beamer

David has been studying and working in the field of mammal biology and ecology for over 20 years. He has managed Provincial/Territorial Wildlife Areas, Conservation Areas, and Territorial Parks in Ontario and Nunavut. He also taught mammal ecology and tracking at Niagara College for ten years. David managed a 30,000 acre registered trapline in Northern Ontario between 2002 and 2010. During this time, he spent several winters living off the land and studying wild mammal populations. David is passionate about the Bruce Trail; he has walked the Niagara section (end to end) four times and has done many day trip hikes in many of the other Bruce Trail sections. David’s eventual ‘life goal’ is to live off-grid in his 100-acre sugar maple forest in Northern Ontario.

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

JAN 12, 2023

With more than 300 species of birds calling the Niagara Escarpment home, it can be a bit daunting to identify the birds you see during a hike.

Join Bruce Trail Conservancy ecologist Brian Popelier for an introduction to our fine feathered friends. We’ll look at tips and tricks to bird ID and get familiar with the identifying features of common species observed while hiking the Bruce Trail.

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

APR. 14, 2022

Explore the amazing world of woodland fungi and the important role they play in Escarpment ecosystems. Learn about what to look for in the wonderful diversity of mushrooms you may encounter on your next Bruce Trail hike. The webinar includes mushroom anatomy, how to photograph mushrooms, mushroom families, examples from select families, and poisonous mushrooms.

Presented by: Louise Langlais
Louise has been interested in wild mushrooms since she was a young child but has become quite obsessed with the hobby for the past 20 years or so. It’s fun to learn new species and to be on the lookout for mushroom sightings while out and about in the great outdoors. Mushrooms are not only incredibly photogenic but are also a fascinating and important part of our environment!  In addition to hunting for mushrooms, she also leads hikes for the Bruce Trail Conservancy and snowshoe outings for the Five Winds Backcountry Ski Club.

Download the slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

MAR. 10, 2022

Have you ever wondered what makes a species ‘invasive’? Curious about how the Bruce Trail Conservancy tackles this threat to Niagara Escarpment biodiversity? Join our resident ecologists to discuss the impact of invasive species on our local ecosystems, learn which species are considered the main offenders, and what strategies are being used to manage their spread.

Presented by: Mara McHaffie (BTC Ecologist) and Lyndsey Wilkerson (BTC Landowner Stewardship Coordinator)

Download the slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

MAR. 11, 2021

What is a spring ephemeral? Why do certain plants flower before tree leaves emerge? Join our ecologists for answers to these questions, and more, on a virtual interpretive spring hike along the Bruce Trail. This webinar will focus on some of the various spring wildflowers that can be observed while hiking the Bruce Trail when life reemerges from its winter slumber.

Presented by: Brian Popelier (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinator and Ecologist)

Download the slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

DEC. 10, 2020

Join our conservation team as they discuss the many ways the Bruce Trail Conservancy works towards protecting the ecology of the Niagara Escarpment. This presentation will examine how the BTC acquires, protects and restores sensitive land along the Bruce Trail.

Presenters: Adam Brylowski (BTC Manager Conservation and Trail), Brian Popelier (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinator & Ecologist) & Mara McHaffie (BTC Landowner Stewardship Coordinator).

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

NOV. 12, 2020

Learn how to identify some of Ontario’s native trees and shrubs throughout the seasons. This webinar will provide you with an overview of techniques that will help you to expand your knowledge of species along the Bruce Trail. Join BTC ecologists to unravel the mystery of tree ID!

Presenters: Brian Popelier (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinator & Ecologist) & Adam Brylowski (BTC Manager Conservation and Trail).

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

JUNE 11, 2020

Join us for a virtual walk to learn about some of the native flora found along the Bruce Trail and how to identify it. This webinar focuses on common growing season ID features such as leaves, flowers and fruit as well as some dormant characteristics such as buds, branching and bark. We also explore some common “look-alike” plants and how to tell them apart.

Presenters: Brian Popelier & Adam Brylowski (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinators & Ecologists).

Download the webinar slides [pdf] or watch the recording:

MAY 28, 2020

In this webinar we explore the fascinating geological history of the Niagara Escarpment. The rocks we see exposed along the Escarpment today were deposited in an ancient tropical sea that covered large parts of Ontario between 400 and 450 million years ago. The sea teemed with marine life and these ancient animals are now preserved as fossils within the limestones, dolostones and shales that accumulated on the sea floor. These ancient sedimentary rocks have been eroded over time as glaciers and rivers repeatedly scoured the landscape; the steep Escarpment face we see today continues to evolve as waterfalls cascade over its edge.

Presented by: Dr. Carolyn Eyles and Rebecca Lee, School of Geography & Earth Sciences, McMaster University.

Download the webinar slides [10 MB pdf] or watch the recording:

MAY 21, 2020

Join Amanda for a live demo of eBird and learn how our own bird observations can contribute to scientific understanding of Important Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). She’ll share insights from her work at Birds Canada and reveal how we can each start our own life list of birds.

For more great info, subscribe to Bird Canada’s Ontario IBA Newsletter.

Host: Amanda Bichel (Ontario Important Bird and Biodiversity Area Coordinator, Birds Canada)

Download webinar slides [4MB pdf] or watch the recording:

APRIL 23, 2020

Find out what rare and at-risk species make their home on the Niagara Escarpment. From bugs, to birds, to botanical oddities, learn about these unique creatures and why protecting them is so important.

Hosts: Brian Popelier & Adam Brylowski (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinators & Ecologists)

Download the webinar slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

APRIL 16, 2020

Learn how you can improve biodiversity and wildlife habitat in your own backyard, through the protection and planting of native plants and the identification and management of invasives.

Hosts: Lyndsey Wilkerson (BTC Landowner Stewardship Coordinator) & Brian Popelier (BTC Land Stewardship Coordinator & Ecologist)

Download the webinar slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

Planned Giving

FEB. 10, 2022

Your Will is a powerful expression of your legacy, and yet the majority of Canadians don’t have one in place. The new year may be the perfect time to review existing estate plans, or begin a new one.

Join us for this final presentation of our three-part planned giving series on creating your will.

Key topics covered:

  • Importance of having a Will and how to get started
  • Benefits of a holistic approach (gifts outside of the Will, coordinating advisors)
  • Supporting family, and the charities you love (how you can do both)
  • When an online Will makes sense

Presenters:

  • Arin Klug, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer at Epilogue Wills
  • Candice Jay, Vice President at CC&L Private Capital Ltd.
  • Vlad Solokhine, Certified Financial Planner at Lazar-Wealth Succession Strategies

Watch the recording:

NOV. 10, 2021

Land donations are of critical importance to the mission of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Whether through lifetime gifts or bequests, gifts of land are integral to securing a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment. As one of Ontario’s largest land trusts, the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s skilled team of staff and volunteers works as a conservation partner with landowners to help them achieve their philanthropic goals.

Key topics covered:

  • How the BTC team qualifies and secures land along the Niagara Escarpment
  • A discussion of how our team works with landowners to facilitate gifts of land, and the impact to our mission
  • Various options available when gifting land in lifetime or in estate
  • Charitable tax incentives which enable landowners to achieve their philanthropic and financial/estate planning goals

Presenters:

  • Antoin Diamond, Vice President of Land Acquisition, Bruce Trail Conservancy
  • Candice Jay, Vice President at CC&L Private Capital Ltd.
  • Vlad Solokhine, Certified Financial Planner at Lazar-Wealth Succession Strategies

Watch the recording:

OCT. 7, 2021

In this webinar, Candice Jay and Vlad Solokhine explore various ways that charitable giving can compliment your personal financial planning and philanthropic goals. You will learn about techniques to enhance your charitable gifts, get involved with your favourite charities on a new level, and save on taxes.

Key topics covered:

  • Benefits and ease of gifting appreciated securities
  • The power of life insurance as a philanthropic tool
  • Gifts through registered accounts (RRSP, RRIF etc.)

Presenters:
Candice Jay, Vice President at CC&L Private Capital Ltd.
Vlad Solokhine, Certified Financial Planner at Lazar-Wealth Succession Strategies

Candice and Vlad are well known among Ontario environmental charities for their donor education webinars and guidance on charitable gifts.

Read more about Candice and Vlad in their biographies here.  

Watch the recording:

FEB. 11, 2021

Your legacy is not just something you leave behind, but also something you live today. Your core beliefs, values, and life experiences are enduring assets to share with family and loved ones. This presentation will give you tips and tools to get started on creating the most important letter of your life, the Legacy Letter. This document can be shared in your lifetime or as an accompaniment to your will.

Presented by: Gloria Vidovich (BTC Planned Giving & Donor Relations Officer)

Download the slides [pdf], or watch the recording:

Hiking & Exploring

JAN. 13, 2022

Join us as we take a virtual tour of the new and improved Bruce Trail App. On this tour we will look at the functions and features of the app – like creating a route, exploring BTC protected lands, and tracking a hike – and give tips and tricks to help you use the app to its full potential.

Presenter: Brooke Henry (BTC Communications Assistant)

Watch the recording:

Select one of options below to jump to that section of the video:

JAN. 14, 2021

Enjoy a virtual travel experience by discovering three of the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s beautiful international friendship trails – Kythera Trails, Lebanon Mountain Trail, and Cotswold Way – with presenters from each of these trail organizations.

Kythera Trails (www.kytheratrails.gr)
Presenter: Rigas Zafeiriou, Local Project Manager, Kythera Trails
Download Kythera Trails presentation slides [pdf]. Presentation starts at 0:27 in recording.

Cotswold Way (www.nationaltrail.co.uk; www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk)
Rebecca Jones, Cotswold Trails, Access and Volunteers Lead
Download Cotswold Way presentation slides [pdf].  Presentation starts at 14:47 in recording

Lebanon Mountain Trail (www.lebanontrail.org)
Maya Karkour, President, Lebanon Mountain Trail Association
Download Lebanon Mountain Trail presentation slides [pdf]. Presentation starts at 29:45 in recording

Question & Answer Period for all 3 presentations starts at 50:27 in recording.

JUNE 4, 2020

Meet 3 artists who have been inspired by the Niagara Escarpment on their explorations along the Bruce Trail: Suzanne Dyke (suzanne-dyke.wixsite.com/portfolio), Kristina Maus (www.kristinamaus.com), and Victoria Pearce (www.victoriapearce.ca) Take a stroll through a virtual gallery of their paintings and learn a bit more about their work, their process, and how the Bruce Trail has become their muse.

Download the webinar slides or watch the recording:

MAY 14, 2020

Sonya and Sean are long-time BTC members and End-to-Enders who’ve begun a #hike4birds along The Great Trail, formerly the Trans Canada Trail, promoting diversity in outdoor activities and striving to inspire youth to reconnect with nature through birding and Citizen Science. In this webinar, they share stories of their time on The Great Trail, and highlight how Citizen Science can be a way to bridge the divide between our digital landscapes and our natural ones.

Hosts: Sonya Richard and Sean Morton

Download the webinar slides [33MB] or watch the recording

MAY 7, 2020

Get advice on planning an End-to-End hike of the Bruce Trail and tips on what to expect on your journey. If “hike the whole Bruce Trail” is on your bucket list, either as a thru-hike or in stages over time, this is the session to watch.

Host: Ruth Moffatt (Bruce Trail End-to-Ender, BTC Member, Volunteer, Donor & Avid Hiker)

Download the webinar slides [8MB pdf] or watch the recording:

Volunteer Resources

Gchi-Bimadinaa / The Great Cliff That Runs Along

Watch the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s latest volunteer education webinar led by Plenty Canada Senior Advisor Tim Johnson and Executive Director Larry McDermott, exploring Indigenous conservation philosophies and practices, the establishment of Indigenous legacy spaces along and near the Bruce Trail in Niagara, and the partnership between Plenty Canada and the BTC.

Watch the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s volunteer education webinar led by Ashoo Anand of Credit Valley Conservation, discussing diversity and inclusion within conservation and outdoor spaces and removing barriers to making outdoor spaces inclusive to all:

APRIL 30, 2020

Discover Costa Rica’s Sendero Pacifico – one of the BTC’s 9 international Friendship Trails – and learn how you can be part of a future volunteer vacation or customized tour to this beautiful trail.

Hosts: Nat Scrimshaw (Chair, World Trails Network-Americas) & Ros Rossetti (Beaver Valley Bruce Trail Club Past President)

Download the webinar slides [14MB pdf] or watch the recording:

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