LOCATION: 2: 45 – 5:15 pm Nature Reserve, Arboretum – University of Guelph.
Foray will be led by Diane Borsato (Studio Arts/FYS) and Alan Gan (Senior member of the Mycogical Society of Toronto).
We will be meeting at 2:40 at the entrance to the Nature Reserve, which is just west of Victoria Rd. on the south side of Stone Rd. Look for my white Honda CRV parked at the side of the road. Avoid bringing a car if possible. Use bikes/walk – there is not a lot of space to park. Bring a basket!!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Never eat wild mushrooms unless you are certain of their identity as a safe species, and have a great deal of experience collecting and identifying mushrooms. There are no easy ways to determine the edibility of a specimen, except by knowing its identity. There are many toxic and deadly look-a-likes to edible species. Our foray will be for research purposes only, we will not be collecting “for the pot.”
Adapted from the Mycological Society of Toronto website:
PREPARATION FOR FORAYS
We recommend that you prepare for a foray with the following items.
Basket (plastic bags cause fungi to sweat and deteriorate)
Sharp Knife (by breaking the stem you may lose important identification features below ground)
Paper Bags or Wax Paper (this will keep your fungi separated and preserved until you are able to identify them later)
Whistle (in case you get separated from your group or need assistance, as a safeguard walk in groups of three and not alone)
Compass (another safeguard, learn to use one)
Hand Magnifying Glass (for better identification in the field)
Insect Repellent (There are unlikely to be insects during our foray in October)
Clothing (appropriate for the weather, with good coverage to avoid scratches and insect bites)
Hiking Boots (as opposed to running shoes, these will protect you from insects, poison ivy, sharp protuberances and other injuries; i.e., twisting your ankle)
Rubber Boots and Rain Wear (particularly if it is wet)
Field Guide (to help identify your fungi; if you do not have one, leaders can usually recommend one)
On October 3, students of Outdoor School went to the arboretum to meet Chris Earley, a staff member of the arboretum. Chris took us all out to a field of goldenrod supplied with a net, a jar, and an information sheet to catch some bugs and learn all about them!
We discussed the importance of biodiversity, and touched on the many species living within the university’s campus arboretum!
One of the most interesting was the dragonflies. I used to believe you should never touch the wings of bugs since they are so fragile. Turns out, in order to hold a dragonfly, you must hold it’s wings together. Chris explained the very interesting way some bugs reproduced and why it worked that way. Even though I am not very fond of bugs, it was fascinating to see how each tiny organism contributes to an ecosystem in it’s own way.
Each bug we caught had something we could learn from it. Even the ladybugs, which almost everyone can identify! From asking questions, we learned that the yellow ones are actually NOT poisonous, as many of us were led to believe. We found a ladybug larvae as well, and learned that only adult insects have wings. The class was taught that it is traditional to release a dragonfly by setting it to perch on one’s nose, and wait for it to fly away. A few people were able to do that! What a unique experience!
I found the documentary we watched on The Museum of Jurassic Technology fascinating, and decided to do some more research into Guelph’s own “Museum of Subliminal Objects”. Heres what I found:
The museum was part of a pop up art instalment called the “Hatch” which took place in August, 2015, with the purpose of altering viewer’s perceptions of four formerly vacant spaces in Guelph.
The Museum of Subliminal Objects was created by disciplinary artist Steph Yates, who drew inspiration from Michael Gondry, a surrealist film director, best known for his work on “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Yates dressed the store front with “familiar objects altered and transformed into the stuff of dreams”. A Global Tribute article on the exhibit states:
“There are tea cups that drink their own tea, a plastic-wrapped rubber chicken with doll hands, and a bowler hat with eyes in its crown. There are also a series of oversized wrist watches with tiny silver figures affixed to the second hand and going around in circles like prisoners of time.”
I found the concept here to be very similar to “The Museum of Jurassic Technology” in that viewers are not told they are entering an surrealistic art experience, which challenges their perceptions of reality and allows them to have an genuine experience of bemusement, confusion and wonder. The exhibit ran only for a weekend, but the sign remains up today confusing passerbys, including myself.
On our last Outdoor School trip, we visited the Bovey Greenhouse again, but we had a short guided tour from the greenhouse manager, Rodger. We took a look at the other greenhouses that were used for research and for growing plants that would be used for teaching. Then, we went back to the main area that housed extra plants that are just there for aesthetics and Rodger explained some of the plants to the class.
The highlight of the trip was getting to visit the University of Guelph’s very own insect collection, the oldest collection in Canada. We were shown many different species of insects that have been saved in the collection for generations and we all squeezed into this room that was basically a vault of dried insect corpses. Some of the displays showed insects that were terrifying and insanely large. I even heard someone say, “if I saw one of these in my house, I think I’d have to move,” which I would do as well. However, some of them were very beautiful like the butterfly collection and the bee collection. It was interesting to observe how the populations have changed over the years based on the collection as Morgan, our insect collection tour guide, showed us how the collection of rusty-patched bumble bees declined as years passed.
To end the trip, we got a chance to touch the hissing cockroaches that were promised in the course outline of our Outdoor School seminar. They were just the research students’ pets, so they were in a small box in the office and we were told that they fed off of leftover sandwiches from the professor. Most people got a chance to hold the cockroaches and they were actually kind of cute, even though they sparked some screams and squeals in the group.
On Tueday, November 29, our class will take a trip to the Organic Farmers’ Market, located by east residence on the University of Guelph campus. Brought to you by the Wellness Education Centre and the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, this market allows everyone the opportunity to buy fresh, local, and organic produce on campus, which is very convenient! The head of the organic farming market on campus is giving us a tour of the organic market to show people how they can volunteer, and take us for a walk nearby. We will tour the facility and learn about what the market has to offer. It is a great opportunity learn about what fruits are grown locally in season, and support produce grown by our very own Gryphons!
On Thursday October 6, Slow Food hosted a tour of the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming (GCUOF). Slow Food is an international organization whose goal is to encourage and educate students about the importance of good, clean, and fair food. When we arrived at the centre we were still a bit early for our tour so we took advantage of our spare time and used it to do some shopping at the organic market located right in front of the farm. I purchased some delicious produce including a head of butter lettuce, some cherry tomatoes, and a little pumpkin (which I turned into pie over the weekend).
Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming
After we had all made our purchases, we met Martin who gave us a tour of the facilities. At one hectare, the centre was bigger than I had anticipated for an on campus farm. Martin told us that the GCUOF is used to give students a hands on, in the field learning experience. It is primarily used as a lab experience for students studying plants and agriculture and as a place for research projects to be performed. As it is a centre for learning and research, the farm contains a wide range of edible plants. It ranges from typical produce like lettuce, tomatoes, and garlic, to more unique foods like bitter melons, litchi tomatoes (like cherry tomatoes but encased in a spiky leaf like shell), herbs, and even edible flowers! I got to taste one of the edible flowers called a nasturtium flower and surprisingly it tasted slightly spicy!
Getting a tour!
One of the things I learned on the tour is that organic farming involves a lot of trial and error (like so many things in life). Growing a good size crop organically can be difficult, and challenges such as the weather and pests can vary from day-to-day and year to year. Organic farmers have to find effective ways to deal with pests and fertilization, while still meeting organic standards. This means they are always coming up with new and innovative ways to improve the productivity of their farm. Martin told us that some of these innovations and ideas work well and inevitably, others do not. For example, Martin decided that he wanted to convert the back stretch of land into a lawn. He decided to just start cutting back the overgrowth and after a while only grass and clovers grew, forming a lovely green lawn. On the other hand, a student tried adding fertilizer to the water in the irrigation system. While it seemed like a great way to improve the farm’s efficiency, it turned out that animals such as raccoons were intrigued by the scent of fertilizer and they actually ended up eating through the irrigation lines!
Martin showing us around
Visiting the GCUOF was an eye-opening experience that made me appreciate my food more. Seeing how much Martin and the other people at the centre care for and love growing food was amazing. I hadn’t realized that someone could have such a passion for plants and the way they’re grown. In many ways these people reminded me of Laurie from Braiding Sweetgrass, and how she put so much care into her research, as well as how she found herself learning from the grass. The gardeners, students, and researchers are doing that right here on campus. They are taking the time to learn from and listen to nature, trying to understand how plants grow, what affects them most, and how they can help each other to thrive. As we have discussed throughout this class, these ideas of learning and listening are critical steps in the process of developing a positive relationship with nature.
The Green House
Touring the farm and engaging in conversations with Martin and other Slow Food members has made me realize that organic farming, like many other activities we talked about in class, is a way in which we interact with nature. Also, if farming is a way in which we interact with nature then I believe that eating is as well. Eating food is a way of enjoying, discovering, and sharing creation. I think it is important to take the time to learn about where your food is coming from and the impact that its production has on the environment. If we don’t take the time, it is easy to view food as something that just comes from a store or a fast food restaurant. This prevents us from understanding how food can offer us a better connection with nature. Alexander Wilson discusses this idea in The Culture of Nature when he mentions that we often let new technologies and innovations, such as televisions and camera lenses, prevent us from truly connecting with and understanding nature.
The flower garden
So to wrap up, if you haven’t been to see the farm or the organic market yet, I highly recommend that you check it out! Also of note, the path to the market is marked with painted carrots starting near the J.T. Powell building, so you can’t get lost 😉 The market takes place on Thursday’s from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm. If you interested in learning about, or volunteering at the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming, check out their website here!
For information about Slow Food and our events, feel free to come ask me or find us on Facebook. Slow Food has an annual meeting and runs 1 or more public events every month with the goal of encouraging students to take the time to slow down and think about their food and where it came from. I attended October’s event, the tour of the GCUOF, and November’s event, a vegan cooking class, and had a great time at both! The next event coming up is a restaurant tour downtown on November 26! The cost is $5 for non-members and you can check out the details here if you are interested!
On Tuesday, November 22nd we took a trip to the greenhouse and insect collection on campus. We began with a tour of the greenhouses in the E.C. Bovey building. Our guide described some of the many interesting research projects going on in the greenhouse. It is amazing how many uses there are for common plants such as medications and even rubber. After this we went into the tropical greenhouse and learned about some of the many beautiful, tropical plants growing there. This greenhouse is like being on a tropical island with plants such as banana trees, orchids, coffee trees and Spanish moss. After the greenhouses we went into the Guelph insect collection. This collection is the oldest insect collection in Canada. Here we saw many interesting bug species on display in boxes. We also saw the collection of Rusty Patched Bumblebees. This collection is the one that tells the story of the practical extinction of these bumblebees from Canada. After seeing many dead bugs it was time to see some live ones. We sat down for a visit with some Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and many brave students held these massive insects.
On November 19th, the Animal Science Club took a trip to Camar Farms, a local miniature donkey farm. The owner of the farm, Professor Andy Robinson(who also teaches at UoG) gave us a tour of the facilities. First, we got to see some of the other residents of the farm: two horses who used to jump but were now happily retired as well as Sirius the cat. Then it was time to meet the stars of the show, the miniature donkeys!
Since it had been raining (snowing even), we didn’t go into the paddocks with the donkeys, instead they were brought up to the barn to meet us. They were very laid back, friendly and everyone had the chance to pet them, take pictures with them and enjoy our time with those friendly little guys!
We learned lots about the breeding program held at the farm, and the history of the property. Camar Farms breeds strictly miniature donkeys, and their breeding program amounts to about 4 foals every year. The farm will take the donkeys sold back, even if it’s years later, if the buyer can no longer take care of it. It is imperative that the babies stay with their mothers until they are old enough (about 5 months old) before they are weaned from the mother and her milk so they can develop properly. This is a very important process prior to selling the foals. Professor Robinson told us that the most effective way is to take the donkey away from its mother, to its new home right when it is due to be weaned. He described this as “cold turkey”. The mother and the baby must not be at close proximity to each other otherwise they will keep calling to each other. Having more space also seems to put less emotional stress on the donkeys.
What a cutie!
The latter are considered as livestock but many people buy them as outdoor pets, “lawn ornaments” or as therapy animals. They also serve as herd animals to keep company to other livestock such as goats and horses. One of them has already been sold and is soon to be sent to Nova Scotia to keep the cows company!
Professor Robinson also taught us a great deal about donkeys. There are three types of donkeys namely the miniature, standard and mammoth donkey and they can live up to 30 years!
One fact that really surprised us was that donkeys could be better livestock guardians than some guard dogs to protect the livestock from predators like coyotes. Although miniature donkeys who are disadvantaged by their size will not hesitate to fight–first with a loud, intimidating “roar”. Not like a lion’s roar, but rather a really loud, surprising “HEE-HAW”. If the “roar” doesn’t deter the coyotes or predators, then the next move for the donkeys’ line of defense is to actually charge at them. They pack quite a punch and, as Professor Robinson put it, the donkeys could certainly keep up with the coyotes in terms of speed. They’re impressive animals and not afraid to protect their own.
This speckled jennet, Annie, was a wonderfully relaxed girl who liked rubbing up on our legs. Professor Robinson said she was very similar to a puppy!
Miniature donkeys are quite the fascinating bunch. With the two retired horses trotting around in the background, we would just marvel at how truly miniature the donkeys were in comparison to the horses! They’re tiny! It was an amazing experience as we don’t get to see and touch such beautiful beings in our everyday lives.
Annie!The retired show-horses! So beautiful.Jewel, the donkey eating the grass, is the mother of Clyde, the young donkey peering into the camera! Professor Robinson is in the back.
This opportunity to interact with these miniature donkeys and listening Professor Robinson explain, with passion, the habits of the donkeys, their diet (simple but balanced), how they are treated, and just the overall relationship he has with the donkeys strongly affirmed of the concepts and themes learned in the outdoor seminars. To co-exist with these wonderful creatures, we need to learn to give and take and learn to put the animal’s well-being before ours at times. Professor Robinson’s purpose was neither for personal gain nor money-driven–his goal was to keep the donkeys happy and healthy in an environment where they can thrive until they find new owners that he makes sure will treat them equally well.
The Animal Science Society gave us this opportunity to really branch out our knowledge and experiences with animals and their lives, as well as the lifestyles of those who co-live with them, such as the professor. Some of us have never really gotten a chance to see this, and being in an environment such as this really opened our eyes up to the opportunities and the extensiveness of the world. This humbled us a little bit as we might have thought that the city’s where everything revolves around–but, no, there are just so much more to this world than our limited views. The Animal Science Society has been widening up our horizons with trips such as these and meetings that reflected these perspectives. Although the miniature donkey sanctuary trip was the last event of the semester, previously the Society has visited an ostrich farm in October and had a volunteering opportunity at the Humane Society.
Beryl with Dora!Amy with Jasper, an orphaned donkey!Grace with Dora again!
This video was taken at the farm. This is what the miniature donkeys sound like in their “social” call. Female miniature donkeys are called “jennet”s and would call out to the “jack”, the male donkeys. In this video a jennet was “hee-haw”ing while a jack responded in the background.
From the Dutch pavilion at the venice art biennale, 2014.
“de vries has documented his residency in venice and the lagoon in a travelogue. the collection of framed curiosities is a visual and material report of what he has perceived in the venetian habitat, comprising both small groupings shown in an orderly or chaotic fashion and photographs that chart the natural world in snapshots. his eye is caught not only by nature, but also by the traces of human interaction – how people change the environment and how it, in turn, appropriates culture.” From http://www.designboom.com/art/herman-de-vries-dutch-pavilion-venice-art-biennale-05-13-2015/gallery/image/dutch-pavilion-venice-biennale-herman-de-vries-designboom-62/
The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles holds many splendid,
unique, and puzzling treasures. It’s a carnival of delights and ideas, weaving
art and science, fiction and data, all together into something enchanting and
joyful. In this first of two segments on the museum, curator David Wilson (and artist)
describes the origins of the project. He says, “I wanted to know, I was
compelled to know, what would happen if a person put everything they had, all of their emotional, financial, spiritual resources behind a single project.” From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC1nSF9v3RA
Together in class we’ll watch Inhaling the Spore: A Journey Through the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
Inhaling the breath of a duck, according to the exhibit, was once used to cure children of thrush and other disorders of the mouth and throat. (Ann Summa)
From a display in the museum, Mice on toast are presented as historic cure for bedwetting.
From a museum display of animal and “human horns.”
en), we didn’t go into the paddocks with the donkeys, instead they were brought up to the barn to meet us. They were very laid back, friendly and everyone had the chance to pet them, take pictures with them and enjoy our time with those friendly little guys!
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