Alderville Black Oak Savanna

10/22/2026

Another year of Heart Garden planting with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is in the books 🧡

Being apart of this project is always one of the highlights of our year. These gardens are beautiful spaces, but more importantly, they carry a powerful message of remembrance, learning, and reconciliation.

The Heart Garden Project helps bring awareness to the Residential School system and the lasting impacts it continues to have on Indigenous families and communities across Canada today. It honours the children who were taken from their families and communities, and recognizes the lasting impact of a system that sought to disconnect them from their culture, language, and identity. The last Residential School in Canada closed in 1997, a reality that is far more recent than many people realize.

Working alongside students to create these spaces offers an opportunity to reflect, learn, and honour the resilience of Survivors, their families, and their communities🌻🧡🤍

Thank you Mitigomin Native Plant Nursery (MNPN) for the amazing plants!🌱

10/01/2026

How many Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) seeds fit in this tiny vial? 🤔

Visitors at this year’s Turkey Vulture Festival put their estimating skills to the test in our Hairy Beardtongue seed guessing contest, and the results are in!

🌾 Actual seed count: 72,324
🏆 Winning guess: 75,000

Congratulations to our winner, who came closest to the actual count!

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, made a guess, and chatted with us about native plants, restoration and burning. The Turkey Vulture Festival was an amazing event, and we loved sharing the work of the Alderville Black Oak Savanna with so many enthusiastic visitors.

Who knew so many seeds could fit into such a tiny vial!? Did your guess come close? Let us know in the comments!

09/30/2026

09/29/2026

We had a marvellous time at the Turkey Vulture festival on Sunday!! Although the event is over, the Vultures are still around the area in large numbers! Have you noticed them soaring on thermals above open land?? This one was patrolling the prairie this morning! Photos by Radek Odolczyk

09/26/2026

Find ABOS staff at the Turkey Vulture Festival at Rotary Park in Port Hope, TOMORROW from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This free, family-friendly event celebrates the annual gathering of Turkey Vultures in Port Hope, where the salmon run provides an important food source before the birds continue their migration south for the winter. Learn about one of nature’s most fascinating migratory birds and enjoy a full day of education, music, and conservation activities. Aiden Gorveatt, Cultural Program Advisor with Alderville First Nation, will provide a special opening at approximately 1:00 p.m. before the live music begins.

Festival highlights include:

-Live music featuring Greg Keelor (of Blue Rodeo) and special guests
-Wildlife encounters and birds of prey
-Family-friendly activities for all ages
-Downtown scavenger hunt at local businesses
-Educational exhibits and conservation displays

Free Shuttle Service for Alderville Members!! Departs the Alderville Community Centre (ACC) at 10:20 a.m. Returns from Rotary Park at 3:00 p.m.

09/25/2026

Turkey Vulture Festival

THERE IS A FREE SHUTTLE TO THE TURKEY VULTURE FESTIVAL THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27.

Join us for the Turkey Vulture Festival at Rotary Park in Port Hope on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This free, family-friendly event celebrates one of nature's most fascinating migratory birds and offers a full day of education, music, and conservation activities.

We're pleased to share that Aiden Gorveatt, Cultural Program Advisor with Alderville First Nation, will provide a special opening at approximately 1:00 p.m. before the live music begins.

Festival highlights include:

Live music featuring Greg Keelor (of Blue Rodeo) and special guests
Wildlife encounters and birds of prey
Family-friendly activities for all ages
Downtown scavenger hunt at local businesses
Educational exhibits and conservation displays

Free Shuttle Service for Alderville Members

• Departs the Alderville Community Centre (ACC) at 10:20 a.m.
• Returns from Rotary Park at 3:00 p.m.

The festival celebrates the annual gathering of Turkey Vultures in Port Hope, where the salmon run provides an important food source before the birds continue their migration south for the winter.

Come enjoy a day of learning, music, community, and nature!

For more information, visit: www.turkeyvulturefestival.com

09/17/2026

Yesterday a group of volunteers from KLT and NCC joined us for our first collaborative seed collection day at our Pamitaashkodeyong site. Big thanks to Sammy from KLT to organizing the day, and to Chels 🌱 at NCC for the photos!

09/09/2026

🚨Phragmites Control Notice🚨

Common reed (phragmites austrailis) is a perennial grass that is an aggressive invasive that spreads quickly and outcompetes native species, reduces biodiversity and damages ecosystems. Its roots produce a toxin that inhibits growth of other plants trying to establish around it.

Starting Thursday September 10 the ABOS staff will be treating phragmites at several locations throughout AFN. Please watch for signage to avoid treatment areas.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to protect and restore the lands and water that make Alderville so unique! 🌾🌊