Current Citizen Science Initiatives – Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists

Local wild rice beds? Citizen scientists help requested

Plenty Canada, a non-profit Indigenous-based charity in Lanark County are starting a World Wildlife Federation funded field project to study wild rice in the surrounding area. The organizers have heard there could be beds of wild rice in Clayton Lake and contacted MVFN asking for local information on these, or possible locations.

Spring paddle, Clayton Lake, 2015. photo Howard Robinson

If you are aware of any wild rice beds in any Lanark County lakes please get in touch with Shannon Farmer directly at or (705)740-5874.

Help look for loons in the 2018 Mississippi Lake Loon Survey

Here’s a chance to get involved in citizen science while out on the water!

MVFN, in conjunction with the Mississippi Lakes Association, will once again conduct this year’s Canadian Lakes Loon Survey on Mississippi Lake, for Bird Studies Canada.

The task involves pairs of volunteers making one, two or three visits by boat to a section of Mississippi Lake, searching for loons and recording the findings.

The three visits are during the last week of June, July and August. You can volunteer for one, two or all three of the monthly visits. Each visit lasts up to two hours. Maps and forms will be provided.

A motor boat and driver will be made available for each team. Each team will coordinate, with the boat driver, the preferred day, time, and location of the launch.

You will need binoculars and sunscreen.

Orientation session: To prepare for the survey work, an orientation meeting will be held at the Mill of Kintail Gatehouse on Wednesday, May 16 at 1:30 PM. Please register with Cliff Bennett at or 613-798-6295 by May 15.

For further information please contact Cliff.

NOTE: to read about the results of the 2016 Mississippi Lake Loon Survey click this link

NOTE: link here to 2017 Loon Lake Survey results

Loons return to Mississippi River, 2018. photo Nat Capitanio

Mated pair and chick. photo P. Donaldson

Results Mississippi Lake Loon Survey 2017

Conducted by Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists members and Mississippi Lakes Association boat drivers.

Loon Count Numbers 2007 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017

Max number of adults 24 35 35 39 40 43 35 37

Max number mated prs. 10 12 11 12 13 12 17 18

Max.Number young 8 7 5 8 8 12 17 9

Actual chick survival 7 6

Summary Report

An orientation meeting was held at the MVCA Gatehouse in May, with 19 persons present.

Four teams of two, plus boat drivers, conducted surveys on four different sections of the lake, three times during the summer; end of June, end of July and end of August.

All sections of the lake recorded an average number of adults over the summer, but the maximum number of chicks counted was much lower than last year (17-9).

There were no chicks found in the Lower Lake.

Nine chicks in all were found in June; nine in July but only six were found surviving by the end of August (same as last year).

MVFN would like to do the count again next year.

Survey report submitted to Bird Studies Canada

Report submitted by Cliff Bennett Compiler

MVFN Invasive Aquatic Plants Survey

NOTE: the new date for this planned event did not reach the level of registration required, and has been cancelled.

Paddle the creeks and bays of Mississippi Lake and take part in year two of this project. Working in conjunction with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and the Mississippi Lakes Association (MLA), we will take part in a survey of invasive aquatic plants.

Our aim is to canoe all seven creeks which flow into the lake, collect samples of five known aquatic invasive species and report back to the MVCA headquarters.

Date: Saturday, July 30th (rain date August 13)

Time: 8:30 AM – approx. 2:30 PM

Meet at: Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority headquarters, 10970 Highway 7, Carleton Place, for donuts and coffee, orientation and reporting kits. Crews will be assigned to a specific creek area.

Bring: You will need the usual required canoe equipment, lunch, a pen or pencil, sunscreen etc

To register, or for more information please contact David Garcia at 613-256-6299 or via email If you have a canoe and need a partner, or if you would like to partner with someone who has a canoe, let us know at the same time.

photo B. Boyd

Schedule:

8:30 AM meet at MVCA for coffee and donuts (MLA has budget for this)
Presentation on Invasive Species by MVCA specialists, information about how to fill out forms, etc.
Handing out of kits, directions to paddling access points, etc.
Leave between 9:15 and 9:30 AM
Return to MVCA around 1:15- 1:30 PM, have a late lunch (bring your own)
Staff will sort through the results and do a quick summary presentation of results.
End around 2:30 PM
A comprehensive report will be written up and sent to all participants, and a copy will be published in Mississippi Belle Online

Manion Corners Butterfly Count

NOTE: This is an Ottawa Field Naturalists Club event, but MVFN members are invited to register and help out! This is an especially “Kid-Friendly” Event!

Date: Saturday July 8th 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (rain date Sunday 9 July)

Leaders: Jeff Skevington and Peter Hall

Meet: in the parking lot at the intersection of Dwyer Hill Road and March Road (NE of Almonte).

Please call Jeff Skevington Friday evening at 613-720-2862 if in doubt about the weather or for specific questions regarding this event. Similar to Christmas Bird Counts, this event is an all-day survey of in a 24 km diameter circle. The count area is centred on Manion Corners (SW of Ottawa) and includes several important butterfly areas such as the Long Swamp and the Burnt Lands alvar. No experience is necessary – we will put teams together on site and match up people so that everyone has a chance to learn from the experts. If you have binoculars and a butterfly net, please bring them along. Butterflies may be captured for identification and release. Rubber boots are recommended, as some of the sites have a lot of poison ivy. It is an all-day event so bring your lunch.

Pot-luck and Count-in: We plan to meet at 6:00 p.m. after the count for a compilation and potluck dinner at the Allisons’ home at 561 Wolf Grove Road, about 2.6 km west of Almonte. Please bring along some food to share plus your own drinks. We hope that everyone can make it to the compilation, as it will be a lot of fun; however, if you can’t, we will get your data in the afternoon before you leave. OFNC has generously offered to pay the count fees for participants to support publication of the data.

The butterfly count is an annual OFNC event. Working in groups or alone, participants patrol the same location – a 24-km diameter circle centred on Manion Corners. Data are submitted to the North American Butterfly Association.