Huron Fringe Field Naturalists learn about the plastic pollution solution

The Huron Fringe Field Naturalists enjoyed two presentations Tuesday evening, Oct. 24, one from an environmental scientist working on issues affecting Lake Huron, and another from a potential future environmental scientist.

Madison Field is a Grade 12 student at Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton. Last year, she completed the GENESIS environmental education program - a semester of high-intensity outdoor activities involving environmental science and co-operative education. On the commendation of her GENESIS teacher, Madison was offered sponsorship by the local field naturalists club for the 2023 Ontario Nature Youth Summit.

The summit took place Sept. 22-24 at Camp Wahanowin, near Orillia. As reported by Madison, 57 like-minded young people, aged 14-20, shared cabins and passions at the camp. Participants signed up for morning and afternoon workshops according to personal interests, and enjoyed team-building activities and competitions.

Madison thanked the naturalist club for the sponsorship, saying she was grateful for the unique opportunity to meet and talk with other young nature enthusiasts and the exposure to other perspectives.

The second speaker was Alyssa Bourassa, stewardship program co-ordinator for the Lake Huron Coastal Centre. She organizes the plastic pollution and Coast Watchers community science programs.

Her topic, “Plastic Pollution Solution,” provided an overview of research, data collection and volunteerism in relation to plastic pollution in Lake Huron.

Bourassa explained the different ways plastic products enter the waterway, the numerous types of plastics and their negative impacts on wildlife, tourism and even humans through bio-magnification, the concentration of toxins in organisms at successively higher levels of the food chain.

Acknowledging the gloom-and-doom nature of the data, she concluded her presentation by highlighting many active and passive ways people can have a positive influence on plastic pollution in the lake through avoidance, reduction and recycling.

She also encouraged people to get involved in community science programs, such as shoreline clean-ups which have been organized by the coastal centre for 25 years.

Club members were shocked by the statistics on amounts and types of plastic pollution and had many questions for Bourassa on ways to reduce plastics use.

In other club news, the field naturalists look forward to hosting the Ontario Nature Great Lakes West fall meeting, Nov. 4, at the Anglican Church of the Messiah in Kincardine. Representatives from other naturalist clubs, from Owen Sound to Guelph and Waterloo, will gather to discuss topics of common interest and hear the latest updates on Ontario Nature programs and campaigns. The meeting will conclude with an afternoon hike on the trails along the North Penetangore River.

The club’s Nov. 28 meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Point Clark Community Centre, featuring Jennifer Pate, a geographer and filmmaker from Bayfield, and creator of conservation awareness initiative, Love Your Greats. Her topic will be, “Navigating the Pathway from Environmental Connection to Protection.”

Visitors are always welcome and may contact Christine Roberts at christineroberts153@gmail.com with inquiries.



A presentation by Alyssa Bourassa of the Lake Huron Coastal Centre, “Plastic Pollution Solution,” at the Huron Fringe Field Naturalists meeting was thought-provoking; photo by Jeni Pepper



Sacred Heart High School student Madison Field (left) and Alyssa Bourassa of the Lake Huron Coastal Centre make presentations to the Huron Fringe Field Naturalists, Oct. 24, in Point Clark; photo by Christine Roberts