Laurier Woods is a hidden jewel in North Bay.
But the Friends of Laurier Woods, the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority, and the Nipissing Naturalists Club are hoping to change that.
They'll host the fifth annual Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Nature Festival at the conservation area this Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Delivered by community volunteers this festival celebrates healthy activities in the outdoors, says a news release from the group.
"Laurier Woods Conservation Area comes alive with professional and amateur naturalists who will introduce visitors of all ages to the hidden treasures and benefits of forests and wetlands," says spokeswoman Susan Christian.
Featured activities and exhibits include:
- Live Insects display with Entomica;
- Pollinators & Building Pollinator Homes with Melanie Atkins;
- Native Pollinators Walk with Riley Cormier;
- Community Art Project with Anne Clement & other artists;
- Rock & Driftwood Art with Kaye Edmonds;
- Trees with Ronnie Huang;
- Nature Photography with Photo Metro;
- Wood Crafts for Children with Home Depot;
- Pet Awareness with Lisa’s Doghouse,
- Introduction to Birds & Birding with Professor Rachel Sturge,
- Wetland Animals & Plants with the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.
The Festival is free for all to attend.
Louise de Kiriline Lawrence, an internationally renowned naturalist, author and nurse, lived west of Mattawa where she studied wildlife and ornithology. She wrote over 500 reviews, 17 scientific papers, and five books on birds and animals and contributed regularly to Audubon Magazine.
Lawrence died at the age of 98 in 1992. Her written work is stored in the National Archives in Ottawa.
The Nature Festival celebrates her interest in and enthusiasm for nature and the outdoors.
The Friends of Laurier Woods was established as a volunteer body to manage the area as a nature preserve; to develop an interpretive trail system, boardwalks, viewing platforms, and rest areas; and to promote the area for low-impact, day-use recreation. The Laurier Woods Conservation Area is owned and managed in partnership with the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.
The Nipissing Naturalists Club is the oldest environmental organization in the community.
