Wildflowers make an appearance.

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The ground has finally warmed and some spring wildflowers are making an appearance. A few years ago, some kind person planted a variety of wild flowers in the park and they have flourished.

Trout lily is a beautiful and fascinating plant because it relies on ants to pollinate its flowers as well as spread its seeds.

Trout Lily

Trout Lily

These bluebells aren’t native but they add a vivid splash of colour.

Bluebells at the edge of the park.

Bluebells at the edge of the park.

Northern Blue Violets aren’t spectacular but are a welcome addition to the forest floor.

Northern Blue Violet

Northern Blue Violet

Not a trace of trilliums unfortunately. I suspect they were dug out long ago.

 

 

 

Ghosts of the past

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Every so often when weather conditions are just right, strange apparitions begin to form by the entrance to Raymore Park. These are the shapes of homes that lined Raymore and Gilhaven Drives until Hurricane Hazel brought devastation to the area in 1954. The houses at this location were untouched by the flooding but were purchased and demolished as a precaution. The basements were filled in and levelled. Part of an original concrete pathway still survives. The shape of the basements can be seen because the fill was different to the surrounding soil causing a variation in the plant cover. Based on the same principle, archaeologists often use aerial photographs when looking for ancient settlements.

The entranceway path and beyond, the faint basement outline.

An entranceway path and beyond, a faint basement outline.

Coming to Raymore – Urban Park Rangers

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After much study and consultation, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation has produced a five-year parks plan to be implemented, beginning this year (subject to City Council approval).

Extensive consultation of citizens, staff and industry experts determined four basic functions of parks management:

1. Communicate and connect with users
2. Preserve and promote nature
3. Maintain quality parks
4. Improve system planning

One of the more interesting proposals under Item 1 is the introduction of an Urban Park Ranger who would be a more visible presence in parks and would be a

‘primary point of contact for individuals and groups wanting to engage with the parks system and build relationships with community stakeholders’

Combing through the corporate jargon of relationships and stakeholders (are community stakeholders the people using the park barbecues? Ed.), it appears that park rangers will be the human face of the park system and will be tasked with ensuring that City and park by-laws are more more rigorously enforced. A commitment to providing or improving park amenities such as washrooms, signage, shade areas and benches is also proposed. Another interesting idea is the establishment of a centralized parks volunteer and donations system. Businesses and people might like to donate money, land or time to the parks system but at the moment there is no formal system in place.

This will be a timely intervention for our local parks that can sometimes look a bit neglected when compared to the elaborate facilities and displays found in more upscale areas of Toronto.

The plan is a long read but well worth the effort. Comments on the proposal can be directed here.

Community clean-up day.

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Today is Community Clean-up Day and in honour of the day, I brought a plastic shopping bag with me and went through the wild area with Mugsey. It’s bitterly cold today and with the temperature just above zero the park was almost empty.

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A typical collection of garbage found in the wild area.

Amongst other bits of human detritus there was a glove, many plastic bags and wrappers, 4 plastic bottles, 1 bag of dog poo (left by my friend ‘Dave)’, a couple of other bags of dog poo, a grade 9 math text, chunks of styrofoam, cigarette packs etc.

Not a bad haul and I could have filled another bag in the wild area alone but since every day is clean-up day for me, it can wait until tomorrow. Another bag or two and the wild area should be clear of trash. The theory goes that people are more reluctant to drop litter if the place is clean.

There was one other person in the park, a lady with a very active small dog that seemed bent on chasing wildlife. When our paths crossed I gave her the greeting reserved for such occasions, ‘Hey, did you see the coyote when you went through there?’. The dog was put on leash in an instant and the two of them beat a hasty retreat. I hate lying but wildlife has a tough enough time in the park without being harassed by off-leash dogs and their inconsiderate owners.

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Finally, signs of spring.

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Finally, spring has arrived – only a few weeks late. The grass has turned green. People are out in force and the weather is quite pleasant.

Lilac is starting to bud.

Lilac is starting to bud.

It will be a while before trees come into leaf but non-native trees such as Norway Maple and this lilac get a head start on their native cousins. We’ll probably have to wait another month before sumac and black walnut have leaves.

A recumbent cyclist makes his way through newly greened grass.

A recumbent cyclist makes his way through newly greened grass.

The cyclists are back – some more aggressive than others. I hate the weekend Spandex warriors who sneak up on you and ring their bell when quite close. My language often becomes quite blasphemous on those occasions.

Ducks like their temporary pond.

Ducks like their temporary pond.

These mallards are still occupying the small pond that forms in the spring. I just hope the water level stays high for them.

Winter storm

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Day lilies are shocked I tell you.

Day lilies are shocked I tell you.

The park was cold and snowy today and a fresh covering made it look like January except for bright green new growth sticking out through the snow. These day lilies are probably remnants of gardens that belonged to homes destroyed during Hurricane Hazel.

A pair of Mallards swimming around a temporary pond were taking refuge from high water in the river. I was careful to stay well clear so that they weren’t disturbed.

Ice is forming in April!!

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A couple of mysteries solved.

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A couple of updates while we’re waiting for spring.

I discovered the identity of the ‘Douche’ who has been leaving packages of dog poo around the park. Yesterday, I brought a plastic shopping bag with me so that I could grab the odd bits of litter as I walked through the park. I passed by the lower entrance to the woods and the pile of bags that were left there all winter. There were four of them and another three along the way including a fresh one hanging on a tree. Into the plastic bag with all of them.

Before...

Before… notice the very old one at 11 o’clock from the newer pile of 3.

After!

After!

After doing my civic duty (and seething about the fresh bag of dog crap left hanging on a tree), I was talking about the ‘Poo Bomber‘ (also mentioned here) to a fellow dog owner; let’s call him Dave, and he said, ‘That’s me. Rather than carry them all the way through the park, I leave them and pick them up later’. Needless to say I was gobsmacked and mentioned that many had not been picked up. ‘That’s not me’, Dave insisted. This was just after picking up seven identical bags scattered through the woods – including the one on the tree. I didn’t press the point but at least I’m not watching out for who it is any more. Hopefully Dave will get the hint from now on. I mentioned that I keep a blog and he keeps telling me he’ll get around to reading it. I guess I’ll know when he does.

As for what I thought was a BMX track in the woods, I saw it in use the other day. A couple of adults and a small child came down the hill following a remote controlled toy truck of some kind. The track is for the toy and everyone stands and watches this thing trundle its way over the course. Go figure.

Couple of shots

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Spring has yet to impose itself on this part of the world although the ice left along the banks of the Humber has almost all melted. A sad testament to the nursery trees torn up by the ice is the spiral plastic protectors which somehow have remained.

Native trees were planted here two years ago - some didn't make it through the winter.

Native trees were planted here two years ago – some didn’t make it through the winter.

This weather-beaten piece of driftwood was left behind by melting ice and has a nice texture.

Tons of material gets left behind when the ice melts.

Shadows on driftwood.

A good variety of birds was making the most of today’s strong sunshine. This robin posed nicely for me.

This one seems well fed!

This one seems well fed!

Hidden worlds

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You’ve got to admire the resourcefulness of some people. This mini BMX circuit is well hidden and is the illegal labour of love of some parent. I remember seeing a man during the March Break who appeared to be clearing up litter in a wooded area. I should have known that few people actually pick up litter in Raymore Park. Instead of tidying up, he was labouring with at least one of his kids to produce this.

The hidden track.

The hidden track.

Every one of the branches forming this raised track is nailed to the wood below so this has taken a lot of time (and nails).

It's a thing of beauty, bringing to mind a dinosaur skeleton.

It’s a thing of beauty in a primitive way, bringing to mind a dinosaur skeleton.

 

I’ve no idea how usable it is but it’s definitely an interesting structure to stumble across. You almost expect to see Robinson Crusoe coming through the woods.

There's an earth track between the yellow tapes.

There are dirt tracks between the yellow tapes.

The dirt tracks between the tapes will certainly form a channel during rain and will eventually erode the hillside. I suspect the course is a little too challenging as I’ve never seen anyone using it.

There’s no faulting the motivation of this parent. Unfortunately, he has scarred the ground and littered the park with a structure that could present a danger to humans and wildlife. While I assume that shrubs and trees weren’t chopped down for this, branches taken from the forest floor could well have been home to overwintering insects and small vertebrates. When this thing is abandoned and falls apart, the nails will be around for years.

It’s another example of someone feeling comfortable in creating a clearly illegal structure in Raymore Park and shows an astonishing lack of respect for public parkland.

 

It’s the canine cops…

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Tag, you're it!

Dog tag please. Animal Services van by the Raymore Drive entrance to the park.

Today a lady from Animal Services was checking tags for a while. She walked from Raymore Park all the way along the path to Lions Park, checking tags along the way and extracting addresses from those unable to produce said tag.

According to the City Auditor, only about 30% of Toronto’s dogs are licensed. Actually, from what I have seen, the auditor’s estimate is quite high. Others put it closer to 10%. This is the first evidence I have seen of Animal Services in a long time. A few years ago they used to have quite a strong presence and an A.S. employee used to watch dog owners through binoculars, checking for by-law infringements. This was around the time that A.S. hired students to go knocking on doors and peering in windows, looking for evidence of dogs and cats. There was a bit of a public outcry against such draconian measures and Mayor Rob Ford mused that license fees should perhaps be abolished since they bring in very little money.

Apparently abolition must have been taken off the table – in addition to the ‘stick’ of fines for unlicensed dogs, A.S. is looking at the ‘carrot’ of discounts for doggy products and services if dog owners can prove their pet is licensed.

If they really want to enforce the tags, A.S. should enlist the help of vets throughout the city and allow them to issue tags – the vets would get a piece of the action and could offer a discount on some services. They could perhaps pay for or subsidize a pup’s tag on its first check-up. Once a dog is in the system, it’s likely to stay and the renewal fees would roll in for years.

Meanwhile, in the park, birds are frantically mating and nesting and taking advantage of the mild temperatures before the mini cold-snap that is expected this week.

Lots of activity by the river.

Lots of activity by the river.