Lend a hand

Nametag manager

The Club needs someone to hand out the nametags at the monthly meetings and pick them up again at the end of the meeting. It is not a demanding task, but you should like to greet people as you will often be the "first face" of the Club. This is also a great opportunity to learn who is who. If you would like to discuss what is involved, please email Ann MacKenzie at annmackenzie@rogers.com or call 613-736-7051.

OFNC needs someone who understands accounting

Asset or liability? Debit or credit?

Do you know the difference? Not all the expertise needed by the club comes under a natural history heading.

The OFNC is a business with significant financial transactions. Are you comfortable with accounting and accounting software (we use Simply Accounting)? If so, and you have a bit of time to volunteer, we could use a hand with our books.

Contact the Treasurer, Frank Pope at 613 829-1281 or f.pope@sympatico.ca.

Help needed with Fletcher Wildlife Garden butterfly meadow

We're ready for another season of work to improve the butterfly meadow at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. I will be starting work on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 5:30. Since it will be the first session of the season, we need to sign waivers and it would be nice to get acquainted with newcomers to the group. It would be great if all volunteers arrived at 5:30 so we can be ready to start at 6 pm. For the rest of the summer, we'll meet at 6 pm and work until the sun goes down. If it looks like rain, work will be cancelled.

Here are some of the plans for this coming season:

• Complete the area we rototilled last summer, i.e., finish removing swallowwort roots and plant flowers
• Create a path with either rocks or stepping logs
• Remove some plants that are taking over (e.g., goldenrod) throughout the butterfly meadow
• Put landscaping material under rocks and near the split rail fence
• Continue to remove invasive plants
• The great news is that we are going to install a water tank in or near the meadow. This is a great improvement

If you have visited the garden since spring, you'll have noticed that the bridge across the dam at the east end of our pond is closed, because of erosion and safety reasons. This will make it more complicated to bring tools and material to the butterfly meadow, but hopefully the area will be fixed in the near future.

I recommand that you always bring water and, if you wish, bring your own gloves and later on in the season insect repellent. Wear sturdy footwear. If you don't have gloves, we have extras at the centre and we always have water, but not in bottles.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you.

Diane Lepage
Butterfly meadow coordinator

List of plants needed for the butterfly meadow