People passionate about nature

Past Workshops

INTRODUCTION to BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING

Date: 

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Instructor: 

Sean Worden, Nature Manitoba Outdoor Trip Leader

Do you want to know if you are ready to attend a level 3-5 Nature Manitoba outing? This presentation is geared to those members that have a desire to begin backcountry trips and are unsure if they have the skills, knowledge and equipment to move beyond the campground. A two-hour information session will be followed by an actual hands-on backcountry outing on May 29-31 (either Spruce Woods or Riding Mountain National Park) where participants can apply and practise introductory skills.

TORNADO HUNTING for the FEARLESS

Date: 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Instructor: 

Jay Anderson, Retired Environment Canada Meteorologist

So you want to be a tornado chaser? You want to run with the thrill-seekers, outwit Mother Nature, feel the rush and capture the moment for a viral web page. You want bragging rights with the kids and to rekindle the admiration in your spouse’s eyes. Well, we have just what you need: tornado lessons! This presentation will show you what you are up against – the nature of the beast itself, the thunderstorm types that spawn the funnels, the meteorological conditions that grow the storms and, to make sure you really want to do this, a discussion of the hazards and outright dangers.

12. SKULL-DUGGERY

Date: 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Instructor: 

Bill Watkins, Biodiversity Conservation Zoologist, Manitoba Wildlife Branch AND... Sarah Watkins, Education Programming Consultant

Have you ever wondered how paleontologists seem to know everything about a long-extinct species from a few skull and jaw fragments? Or how investigators can identify a predator from bite marks on a dead animal? Perhaps you have found a skull with attached jaw and wondered what kind of animal it was from, what it ate, or how it lived. This workshop will teach you how to “read” skulls by observing the differences between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, and between predators and prey.

11. MORELS and OTHER FUNGI

Date: 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Instructor: 

Dr. David Punter, Retired Prof. of Botany

Morels are the mushrooms that appear in the spring while most other fungi can be found in late August and September. Participants will begin learning to identify mushrooms in time for the morel season. A field trip will be offered in the late summer.

10. FLYCATCHERS for BEGINNERS

Date: 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Instructor: 

Ward Christianson, Nature Manitoba Birder

This workshop will cover the basics of identification of Manitoba’s flycatcher species. Emphasis will be placed on the pitfalls of this difficult group. Become more confident in your ability to identify this group of birds; or not.

9. A PRIMER on MANITOBA BUTTERFLIES in SPRING

Date: 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Instructor: 

Simone Hébert Allard, Author of “Manitoba Butterflies: A Field Guide”

Nothing lifts my spirits more, after a long winter, than my first butterfly of the year – often a Mourning Cloak that shows up when snow is still on the ground. How come certain species appear so early? It all has to do with their life cycles, how they overwinter, what they eat and whether or not they are a migratory species.

8. GROWING a GARDEN from the GROUND UP

Date: 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Instructor: 

Kelley Leibzeit, Master Gardener in Training

Kelley will show you how her garden went from dirt and gravel to an oasis for people, plants, and wildlife. With 20 years of gardening experience, she’ll share tips and photos on how her garden grew. After attending a Naturescape program, she made a decision to change the direction of her garden.  She added more native plantings to draw in even more birds and butterflies. The Spring Migration of 2013 was a roaring success, bringing in many varieties of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers and hawks, as well as a few of her favourites like waxwings and orioles.

7. SHOREBIRDS

Date: 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Instructor: 

Rudolf Koes, Nature Manitoba Birder

(*This date has changed from April 1st to March 25th)
Manitoba harbours a fine array of shorebirds and they will soon start to return from warmer climes. Some are difficult to identify, but with the help of this workshop the task may be a bit easier. We will look at some slides and reference materials and we will also discuss some of the best places in Manitoba to see them.

6. BOTANY for BEGINNERS

Date: 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Instructor: 

Marilyn Latta, Nature Manitoba Weekend Botanist

Many people enjoy seeing wildflowers and would like to know more about them but are often intimidated by the identification process. This workshop will cover some of the basics of plant identification. Discussion will include plant naming (not as difficult as one might think once you know a bit about the system!), features of plants to watch for and the use of simple keys.

5. BIRDING for BEGINNERS

Date: 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Instructor: 

James Whitelaw, Nature Manitoba Birder

Spring is a great time to start birding, and Manitoba is a great place for birds. This workshop will cover the equipment you will need, the principles of bird identification, where to look for birds and the variety of birds to be found in Manitoba.

4. MANITOBA’S IMPORTANT BIRD AREA PROGRAM

Date: 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Instructor: 

Diana Teal, Manitoba IBA Co-ordinator AND Christian Artuso, Bird Studies Canada Manitoba Program Manager & Chair of IBA Committee

The Birdlife International partnership has identified 12,000 sites around the world that are known as “Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas” (IBAs). IBAs represent an enormous global network designed to protect the planet’s biodiversity by engaging grassroots support for key sites. These key sites are identified using rigorous, internationally standardized criteria. There are 38 IBAs in Manitoba, from the grasslands of the southwest to the Hudson Bay coast, each with its own special significance.

3. HONEYBEES, NATURALLY!

Date: 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Instructor: 

Doug Beckingham, Local Hobby Beekeeper

This workshop will include a short talk on where the honeybee fits in our everyday lives, pressures facing the bees and what you can do to help maintain a better balance in nature. Views will be presented on organic vs natural and help clear the air around some overused “buzz” words. Hopefully, our understanding of natural health will be broadened. People will be able to see, smell and feel some common beekeeping items and a Q & A will follow. Bring your questions and your sweet tooth as honey will be available to sample. 

2. ECLIPSES AROUND the WORLD

Date: 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Instructor: 

Jay Anderson, Retired Environment Canada Meteorologist

Jay travels the world with his wife, Judy, to watch solar eclipses – an alignment of the Earth, Sun and Moon that has the Earth passing through the Moon’s shadow. Solar (and lunar) eclipses have been a part of mankind’s fascination with the stars from the earliest Babylonian and Chinese records to the present. This talk will discuss the mechanism of eclipses, the visual and emotional impact of eclipses, the adventures that come from chasing eclipses and the expectation for the next North American eclipse in 2017.

1. BATS and CAVES in MANITOBA

Date: 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Instructor: 

Jack Dubois, Retired Director of Wildlife Branch, Manitoba Conservation

The Interlake region of Manitoba is a unique landscape in Canada and possibly the world. It is underlain by soft limestone and dolomite bedrock, often exposed and strongly modified by glaciation. It is in this region that most of Manitoba’s caves are found. There are three main cave types: crevice caves, wave-cut caves and solution or groundwater-caused caves. The latter are the longest and most complex, and are where the majority of bat hibernacula are found.

11. MORELS and OTHER FUNGI

Date: 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Instructor: 

Dr. David Punter, Retired Professor of Botany

Morels are the mushrooms that appear in the spring while most other fungi can be found in late August and September. Participants in this workshop will begin learning to identify mushrooms in time for the morel season. A field trip will be offered in the late summer.

Pages