I Am The Lorax, I Stand To Recognize This Tree, The McKenzie Marsh Truffula Tree

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:24:38 +0000

I strongly recommend reading The Lorax book by Dr. Seuss (guaranteed that it will take you about ten minutes to read) or even better seeing a movie recently released that I saw. It was that one day when I read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss that I decided to read ALL of Seuss’s books.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, July 2007

It was few months ago that I coincidentally found a copy of The Lorax book in our local Aurora Public Library. I was amazed and very supportive of Dr. Seuss’s environmental literary piece which he published in 1971. Now, I am also a proud owner of the book. Okay, okay, Matthew is..

McKenzie Marsh Tree, July 2007

I also read last week’s Weekly Notice Board and under the Public Notice I read the Have Your Say! Tree Protection Bylaw. They asked and here is my Say! And may be little out of context, but I want to speak for the trees, dead or alive.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, July 2007

Trees clean the air. Trees give us free cooling, that is shade. Trees enhance our neighborhood look. Trees provide food, yes apples grow on trees. Trees provide habitat for wildlife and attract nature’s best flying creatures, the birds. Okay, I am getting carried away; however, that must be enough reasons to stand by the trees.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, July 2007

So I read the TOWN OF AURORA GENERAL COMMITTEE Approval of Tree Protection By-law dated January 17, 2012 (watch out the link is for PDF file).

I itched and itched to comment on few paragraphs.

‘The online survey was completed by 100 respondents. This could be considered a relatively low participation rate and not indicative of community-wide public opinion, given Aurora’s gross population of over 52,000; however, staff was advised by our Communication Department, who assisted in the survey, that this survey was among the highest in participation of any previously conducted survey.‘

I did not participated in the survey. A one hundred people responded to surveys – a good enough number, I think. Other, over 51,100, did not participated because: many don’t have trees, many of them are children, and some just don’t bother.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, April 2011

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Great Blue Heron, August 2006

‘The current by-law provides for an exemption to golf courses. In reviewing the public survey results and other municipal trees by-laws, the By-law Review Committee sees a need to regulate the cutting of trees on golf course properties; however, the Committee also believes that golf course owners need a level of flexibility to be able to manage their business needs.‘

Oh that clause to exempt the golf courses bothers me. ‘… a level of flexibility to be able to manage their business needs‘ – why not be then in the forestry business.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Great Blue Heron, July 2007

‘Under the current by-law there are no applicable minimum/maximum fines for a first offence. The revised by-law now provides for a minimum fine of $500.00 on a first offence and a maximum fine for any offence of $100,000.00.‘

Yes, the town by-law enforcement officer (I don’t even know if we have one?) has difficulty to charge a dog owner for having a dog off the leash or for not picking up after the dog; do you really think that they will charge someone for cutting a tree. Or may be they will?

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Green Heron, July 2007

“Mister!” he said with a sawdusty sneeze, “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. – The Lorax, Dr. Seuss.

So what really I wanted to talk about is the McKenzie Marsh landmark tree. No doubt it is dead but it has been indirectly alive and a great perching place for many marsh birds as you can see on all the photographs here taken over many years. I took many pictures over the years and yet found that every year I got a new surprise perching on this tree.

Once heavily preoccupied by Cormorants, the Gray Blue Herons stepped back. Since 2006 the cormorant population slowly declined in the pond and the tree space is often equally shared with herons, osprey and all other smaller bird species.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Osprey, May 2011

And yet I think we know very little about the tree. What kind of tree? How old is the tree? When did it die? Well today I stand to recognize the McKenzie Marsh landmark tree of which I/we know a very little about.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Trumpeter Swan & Mallards, August 2007

I will not be surprised that there is someone who knows a lot more about the tree, that is today still standing, strong and on duty protected by the marsh water.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Northern Flicker, June 2007

Yes, and the real point? The point is that we just need more trees in addition to what we have. We need to protect the trees, by-law or no by-law. As mentioned above they are good in many ways. They are good when cut, but better when alive.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Red Wing Black Bird Females, August 2007

Trees are not only cut at the golf courses, they are cut when new subdivisions are being build. Mature and healthy trees can live for a long time, yet we shred them to nothing. Best example, South East corner of Bayview and St. John’s sideroad. I was so used to this treed corner that since their removal I keep missing the intersection.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Cormorants, August 2007

Having said all that, did you know that you can get great deal of experience and a tree deal for participating in Backyard Tree Planing Program?

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Cormorants, May 2011

‘The Backyard Tree Planting Program is a partnership involving Aurora, York Region and LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests).

Through a full-service Backyard Tree Planting Program, a LEAF arborist meets with the participant in their backyard to select the best species and location. They teach the homeowner proper tree care and the benefits of trees. LEAF staff will return to plant the trees in spring or fall. The cost of this program ranges from $150-200 per tree (and this amount includes the consultation, tree, and planting service).

The Do-It-Yourself Program, participants complete an online workshop (education portion) and receive email advice on species selection from a LEAF arborist, picks up their tree in the spring or fall from a community event, and then plants the tree themselves. The cost for this program ranges from $25-$35 for small trees (for pick up) to $100-$150 for large trees (for delivery)‘.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, Cormorants, October 2006

And regardless of the price you can participate in the Commemorative Tree Program in the Arboretum.

McKenzie Marsh Tree, July 2007

Even better, try not to cut the tree.

Wildlife Camouflaged, The Best Of First Observation Deck & Deceived

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 03:42:51 +0000

‘Fast, fast the flying Great Blue Heron! Over there, look over there!‘ – she directed me.

‘Here do you see Green Heron? Come here. Can you see him?‘ – she pointed out.

The Great Blue Heron landed on the tree behind the leaves and branches. No chance to take a single photo. For love of me I couldn’t see a single hopping Green Heron in the direction she showed me.

Green Heron

Now I had her back. ‘Matthew go, go fast tell the lady we found the Green Heron‘ – I told him. She came and we both started to take photos. She was very nice, moving away and letting me take photos from her spots.

She had much smaller camera. I felt bad, so I offer her my camera on which I had telescopic 100-400mm lens. The lens I have is like binoculars, you can zoom in on objects to see them closer. ‘I show you something‘ – she said as I was trying to hand over my camera. ‘Here look in my viewfinder‘, and I did.

A viewfinder? Who uses viewfinder to view photos these days. Obviously her. I looked inside. I couldn’t believe. Her Green Heron was closer than mine. ‘Ouch how did you do that?‘ – I asked surprised. Well, she had camera with lens extender and with her current lens she ended up with telescopic zoom, probably 500mm. And who said that the bigger is the better.

Killdeer

That was deceiving. Her too – she was a pro in everything, photography and wildlife. She was also right about looking through viewfinder. During bright day light it is hard to see pictures on the LCD view panel, which she obviously did not use.

Time passed, and I was still at the first observation deck. We drove today, so that was a short walk. But we had fun when we started to see all the camouflaged wildlife in the pond, the Green Heron, Killdeer and Sandpipers especially. The pond was abundant in Mallard and Wood ducks.

Sandpiper

Oh, no I just remembered -I have not seen Canada geese today.

So we were having a great conversation. We talked about wildlife and photography, and everything else. Looked like her main thing today was the Green Heron. I never had an opportunity to shoot Sandpiper, so this was my lucky day to get nice collection of close ups. He was hovering all over and looking for food. It was definitely a juvenile Sandpiper.

The Green Herons are much smaller than the Great Blue Herons. We saw them catching frogs and fishs for lunch. It is interesting to watch them fish, especially when they stretch their necks and do not move for periods of time. A very common characteristic. When the time comes, with a split of a second the herons dive their heads for whatever they were looking for.

Also, I don’t know why the would do that, but they like to perk up and all their feathers on the head stand up in the shape of Mohawk. They also have this amazing ability to sway their body side to side vertically from head to toe, just like a fish when swims. A very graceful movement.

Now speaking of ducks. They were everywhere. Speaking of turtles. They were everywhere. At some point I saw seven turtles (Red-Eared Sliders) surrounding one duck that was sitting near by.

Mallard

Matthew was hovering around the lady. Greeting everyone passing by. Talked to all the children that showed up at the deck. At some point Matthew was hovering around lady’s lunch box on her back, and I know why?

Mallard Again

We continued to talk. It was time for the introduction. ‘Matthew meet lady Patricia‘ – I said once we introduced ourselves to each other. ‘What do you have there?‘ – Matthew asked and pointed out to her bag. ‘It is a mint-chocolate candy‘ – she replied, and hand out one each. So this is why he was hovering around her bag. What happened to my shy boy? The small and shy boy he once was.

Yes, Mallard Again, But Why Not?

It was almost lunch time, and I was still at the first observation deck. More visitors arrived. At some point it must have been 10 of us standing, at least four groups. I can see that children do really enjoy this boardwalk, and they will for many years to come.

Pond's Architecture

By the time we left, the Great Blue Heron was gone and we didn’t even notice his departure. I never made beyond the first observation deck, but we had great time conversing with Patricia, observing wildlife together, photographing and socializing. It was one fun day today.

Living in Aurora, Town of Aurora, Ontario » Green Heron

I Am The Lorax, I Stand To Recognize This Tree, The McKenzie Marsh Truffula Tree

Wildlife Camouflaged, The Best Of First Observation Deck & Deceived