Accessible Birding Walk

Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

Birding is for everybody and every body!  Join us to enjoy birds in beautiful Kilally Meadows during this inclusive and accessible walk.

Dan Pulham Field

Location: Kilally Meadows Environmentally Significant Area, trail starting at Windermere Road parking lot.Meeting Point: Parking lot on Windermere Road, north of the Dan Pulham Field. We will meet where the trail begins on the east side of the parking lot.Event and Parking Cost: FreePublic Transit: The 16 and 34 Bus routes stop at Adelaide and Windermere, Plan Your Trip: <a href="https://www.londontransit.ca/plan-a-trip/real-time-bus-info/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.londontransit.ca/plan-a-trip/real-time-bus-info/</a>Booking Specialized Transit Services: <a href="https://www.londontransit.ca/booking-specialized-transit-services/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.londontransit.ca/booking-specialized-transit-services/</a> * Note, you book on Thursday for Sunday service.Event Description:Birds are for every body and everyone is welcome at this birding walk! This event is open to beginner birders, expert birders and everyone in between, as well as families. We will enjoy a slow-paced and relaxed birding walk together, looking and quietly listening for birds, while also discovering bird habitat, food sources and enjoying the fresh fall air. Please feel free to bring binoculars if you have them! We will also have some small binoculars available to borrow during the event. There will be an effort made to appreciate birds in many different ways, using our senses, and we will learn about birds together. We have tried to make this event as inclusive and accessible as possible. Please contact us if there are access considerations we have not included and/or to let us know about accommodations needed for you and/or your family. This free event is being put on in partnership with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) and the Bird Friendly London team. You can read more about both organizations on these websites:<a href="https://thamesriver.on.ca/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://thamesriver.on.ca/</a><a href="https://www.birdfriendlylondon.ca/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.birdfriendlylondon.ca/</a>This event is part of Birdability Week 2021 (Oct. 18-24th)! Birdability Week is a celebration of birders with disabilities and other health concerns, and an opportunity to share resources and ideas to help the birding community be accessible, inclusive and welcoming to everybody and every body! An annual event held in October and supported by National Audubon, it was inspired by #BlackBirdersWeek, Latino Conservation Week and Let’s Go Birding Together. <a href="https://www.birdability.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.birdability.org/</a>Trail/Walk Description:This trail at Kilally Meadows (accessed by Windermere Road) is entirely paved (asphalt). The trail is approximately 0.8 km in length and is "out-and-back" rather than a loop, so it would be 1.6km total; however the group can turn back at any point depending on group consensus and timing. There is a slight slope up and down at some points, but the trail is relatively flat overall. The trail is at least 1.5m wide with occasional pull outs. There are 2 large cracks on the trail. Staff and volunteers will be available to assist with navigating these cracks and you can email Julie (readj@thamesriver.on.ca) if you would like to see photos. Depending on the weather, there may be a few muddy sections and some leaves on the trail. This path is shared with cyclists, who are mandated to go a maximum of 20km per hour or less, however staff and volunteers will alert cyclists to our presence and ask them to please dismount their bicycles while passing our group, if possible. There are no benches on the trail, but the walk will be slow-paced with time allotted for frequent breaks or as needed. Some sections of the trail are shaded and some are not. You may be able to hear some nearby traffic noise or noise from the nearby baseball diamond at this well used spot. Unfortunately, there are no bathrooms or water fountains on-site. We recommend bringing your water bottle with you.Parking lot Description:The Windermere parking lot is paved (asphalt) with 2 signed accessible parking spaces close to the trailhead and 2 more signed accessible parking spaces in the same parking lot but closer to Dan Puhlam field. 2 of these 4 accessible spots have a space which will accommodate vans. There is no curb or step from the parking lot to the path; there is a small, gradual paved incline.Walk Leader:This walk will be led by Julie Read, Community Education Supervisor (Fanshawe) for UTRCA. Julie is a lifelong birder and enthusiastic naturalist who has experience leading nature walks for everyone from babies to seniors, from a diversity of backgrounds, including folks with different abilities, new Canadians and members of BIPOC communities and LGBTQ+ communities. She is excited to share her love of birds with you as well as learn about birds together with everyone joining the event!Staff and Volunteers:This event will be led by an UTRCA Environmental Educator with First Aid training and a vulnerable persons check. Additional trained volunteers with will join us. Staff and volunteers will be available for all types of assistance, as required, and will be spread out throughout the group. We are excited to share our passion for birds and nature with you! COVID-19 Guidlines: - Registration through Eventbrite is required to attend this walk. All participants must receive their own ticket, including children, babies, caregivers and support persons. This is so we can have an accurate headcount for COVID-19 regulations.-Prior to attending the event, all participants must review the UTRCA COVID-19 Guidelines for Participants in Community Education &amp; Partnerships Programs &amp; Events: <a href="https://thamesriver.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/UTRCA-COVID-PublicGuidelines-CommEd-programsevents.pdf" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://thamesriver.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/UTRCA-COVID-PublicGuidelines-CommEd-programsevents.pdf</a>-If you are feeling sick, please stay home and cancel your Eventbrite registration as soon as possible to give someone on the waitlist a chance to participate.- Please arrive 10 minutes early so you can complete a self-screening and sign in.- We ask all participants over 4 years of age to have a mask on hand at all times for situations when 2m social distancing cannot be maintained unless you have a mask exemption. - Please note: If we are unable to run this program due to a change in COVID-19 restrictions, we will notify all participants as soon as possible.Inclement Weather and Rain Date:- This event will run rain or shine, however it will be canceled in the case of severe inclement weather. If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather, we will notify all participants through email by 8 am on the day of the event. The rain date for this event is: Sunday, October 31st at 9:30-11am.- Please wear clothing you feel comfortable to be outdoors in. You may want to consider bringing an extra layer of clothes, a sun hat and items such as sunscreen and bug spray, to be as comfortable as possible during the event.A Few More Notes:- Please avoid wearing strong scents to this event.- While we love all animals, we kindly ask you to leave your pets at home if they are not support or service animals.Questions and Accommodation Requests?Contact Julie Read, Community Education Specialist, Upper Thames River Conservation Authorityreadj@thamesriver.on.ca

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