bbaurora

In Support Of IWT Victims

Posted on November 13, 2012 by bbaurora

I believe that provincial Liberal government leaders overstepped their role in supporting the wind turbine industry through the Green Energy Act. When the health impacts of industrial wind turbines started to become evident, they went on the offensive against the victims. Despite increasing indications of the medical ramifications of the barometric pulses generated by industrial wind turbines, Liberal government leaders continued their subsidy and support of the industry.

Now that the medical impacts are being examined in detail, it becomes evident that operating industrial wind turbines’ barometric pulses produce a disruption of normal adrenaline and cortisol hormones levels in the brains of victims. As a result, their normal psychological state becomes initially imbalanced, progressively distressed and eventually “terrorized“.

Regardless of these medical revelations, Liberal government leaders and their supporters continue to deny the impacts and to ridicule the victims. Ironically, if a foreign power were funding and directing the contamination of our water supply with mind-altering chemicals, we would doubtlessly be endeavouring to neutralize such terrorism. I believe that if continued, the government’s support of its current industrial wind turbine policies will effectively bring it into a similar role of supporting and directing “terrorism“.

Now that the medical impacts have become clear, the only responsible action that the provincial government can pursue is to neutralize and reverse the “terrorism”. To do anything less is to become knowingly and openly complicit in it.

Arboretum Needs Volunteers For Vine Control Program

Posted on October 7, 2011 by bbaurora

The issue of damage to town park trees by run-away vine growth continues. The Aurora Community Arboretum (www.auroraarboretum.ca) is a valuable nature and environmental resource. It is encouraging like-minded folk to volunteer by contacting membersandvolunteers@auroraarboretum.ca.

They are hoping that a group of volunteers will help give extra resources so they can form a small team next year to hunt out and remove the vines as well as other invasive plants.

Besides the Wild Cucumber vines, Wild Grape vines (such as this example below) are also choking and killing many trees in town parks …

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Wild Cucumber Vines

Posted on September 16, 2011 by bbaurora

Last year I was concerned over the impact that Wild Cucumber vines were having on shrubs and trees in the creek valley of the Aurora Arboretum. I took photos, compiled a 3-page ‘report’ and sent it to Jim Tree of the town staff and to John Clement of the Arboretum. Here’s one of the shots I included in that report. Its location is along the east side of the creek, due east of the Recreation Complex …

A copy of that report can be downloaded at the following link .. http://www.algonquinadventures.com/bbauroraPhotoGalleryAnnex/WildCucumberVines.pdf

Here’s another shot from that report ..

While I received emails back, saying they would be discussing it with each other and would get back to me, I never did hear from them again. That was last year.

This year, the weed appears to have spread further down stream and is impacting even more trees and shrubs. Following are some more pictures I took yesterday …

I sure hope the Parks Department and Arboretum don’t let this vine destroy too many trees and shrubs!

Posted in Hikes, Wildlife | 3 Comments

Nokiidaa Trail Link

Posted on September 14, 2011 by bbaurora

I finally checked out the stretch of the Nokiidaa Trail that links up Aurora’s section with that of Newmarket. I only had a short while to spare, so I had to drive part way and parked in the subdivision south of St John’s Sideroad. With Mini (beagle) on leash and my camera over my shoulder, I picked-up the trail at the north side of St John’s Sideroad. The trail starts as packed gravel, as it slopes down to the level of the ponds …The pond to the west of the boardwalk backs on the Hadley Grange Seniors Apartments. Low water conditions and shortening days have impacted the ponds. I expect that next spring and summer the ponds will be back to their normal lush appearance …

After the ponds, the boardwalk enters a mix of marsh and trees. Up ahead to the north, is one of the boardwalk’s benched ‘observation areas’ …

From that observation area, I caught site of a Great Blue Heron in the brush besides a small wet section off to the east …

Where a “duck weed” covered swath of water passed under the boardwalk, I chuckled at these little guys paddling through their name-sake …

This new bridge over the creek is also located on top of what I figure is the town-line, on account of south of it has a gravel path and north of it has an asphalt path …

Newmarket has equipped their section of the trail with imposing lamp-posts. It would seem they expect people to be frequenting the main trail after dark. Or, maybe they are more of a “security exhancement”? …

After a couple of hundred meters was a gravel side-trail off to the east. Always liking to get off the main trail, Mini and I headed down it …

Part way along the trail, a substantial concrete-steel-wood bridge crossed the creek. At about eight feet across, it sure seemed overbuilt for such a rough trail. Here’s the view from the bridge, looking north to where two creeks join together …

Alongside the trail, I noticed a number of old manhole covers with relatively new shiney metal fasteners. I’m guessing that the “foundation” of this side-trail actually contains a substantial municipal service pipe, which has become overgrown over time. The bridge was probably installed to provide access for maintenance vehicles. Somewhere along the way the pipe probably heads off into Aurora.

The trail itself ends at a railway embankment, underwhich is this stone culvert, through which a tributary flows from the golf course to the east of the tracks …

While returning the way we’d come, I took this last shot of a bikers’ shortcut across a redundant “bend” in the trail. Even though the trail hasn’t been open for long, it already bears testimony to “function over design”. I wonder why the trail designers chose to build such an excessive “bend” in the trail? …

Overall, the Nokiidaa Trail is a super accomplishment. And, this link is a special accomplishment in completing the trail’s impact on Aurora and Newmarket.

In the way of observations .. most of the people I met on the trail were bikers. If I and my dog were younger, I’d probably buy a bike specifically to enjoy the trail.

I’m thinking that the lack of parking immediately by the trail could put off casual walkers from across town. However, by parking legally in nearby subdivisions, anyone can “walk to” the trail.

The only issue that could inhibit potential “hikes of duration” is that of where can one “take-a-pee” when the urge hits. The trail isn’t exactly a remote regional forest tract and its landscape visibility is very “open” for the most part. While gentlemen may be able to answer “nature’s call” with some discretion, I’m thinking most ladies would find it a more inhibiting task.