Lichen: Art and Clean Air

Reindeer lichen (Cladonia rangiferina)
Photo: Savannah Bissegger-O’Connor

When you hike along the trails of the Gault Nature Reserve, you will find an abundance of colourful lichen decorating the trees, rocks and soil surrounding you.

While they may look like plants or mosses at first glance, lichens are in fact composite organisms that result from a mutualistic relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism (algae or cyanobacteria). Mutualism occurs when two organisms benefit from an interaction between them. In exchange for a secure, protected environment within the fungus, the alga or bacterium provides nourishment and energy to the fungus in the form of carbohydrates, through photosynthesis.

An Incorrigible Flirt

Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

Photo: Daniel Jauvin

A prolific vocalist, the male song sparrow is not content to woo his lady with his song and mark his territory only during the mating season, as other birds do. As the cool weather sets in, the steadfast fellow continues his chatter to our delight, making his sonorous song heard long after most birds have closed their beaks. One possible explanation for this behaviour is that the highly territorial birds continue to produce sex hormones into the fall season—but in their brains rather than in their gonads. Every male has an extensive repertoire of songs, which can include up to 24 variations! Song sparrow “dialects” also differ from one region to another.

By Johanne Ménard, of the "Société d’ornithologie de la Vallée du Richelieu" (SOVDR). To discover other activities of the SOVDR and become a member : sovdr.org. (Article previously published in "Nature sauvage", no 5)

Hands-on Conservation Experience

Hands-on learning: Left to right, Jared Gaudet and Matthew Yen, graduates of Carleton University (Ottawa) and Ryerson University (Toronto), respectively

Photo: Alex Tran

Once again this year, the Reserve is excited to welcome two interns from the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Canadian Conservation Corps (CCC) program.

The CCC is a program for young adults with a passion for nature and conservation. An important component of the program is the three-month internship, which gives participants an opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in the field and make a valuable contribution to a conservation organization.

We hope that our interns’ experience at the Gault Nature Reserve inspires them to continue working in conservation and helps them develop skills that will serve them throughout their careers.

Blast from the Past

A Local Orchard, circa 1910

Photo: Société d’histoire et de généalogie de Beloeil-Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Armand Cardinal collection

In 1751, clearing began on the lower flanks of Mont-Saint-Hilaire to make way for orchards on the south-facing slopes.

The field today traversed by the Gault Nature Reserve purple trail is itself an abandoned orchard. Grape vines and other produce were also grown there until the early 1960s. The orchard has since disappeared, but a few forgotten apple trees stand as a reminder of the region’s history.

About our Blasts from the Past
As owner and guardian of the Gault Nature Reserve, we plan to celebrate the university’s bicentennial by publishing a monthly photo in InfoGault. Each photo will capture a moment from the history of this beautiful site.