Orchidfest 2018
Friday June 10:45 - 11:30 am registration Park Visitors Centre
Friday flowerpot guests MUST pick up their tickets during this time and will be given priority registration
Friday 11:40 - be at the Blue Heron dock for a 12:00 noon sharp departure for Flowerpot island - take a ride to famous flowerpot island and tour with a local naturalist. With any luck you may spot a rare calypso orchid.
Look for special registration instructions. Pick up your tickets between 10:45 and 11:30 at the Festival headquarters; Parks Canada Visitors' Centre
Friday afternoon 5pm open registration Parks Canada Visitors Centre
Friday evening 7 pm Join the Friends at the Parks Canada Visitors Centre theatre to enjoy a presentation by Peter Rasberry, titled 'Gaia’s (of Greek mythology) Gifts' celebrating the beauty, complexity and diversity of the Earth’s inhabitants.
Peter is the retired Outdoor Education Specialist at the Blair Outdoor & Environmental Education Centre with the Waterloo Region District School Board.
Come relax, as Peter helps us appreciate and understand the various species that we share the planet with and their roles in sustaining the balance of life.
Saturday am 7:30 registration Parks Canada Visitors' Centre
8:30 car caravan 1:
See it all. We'll visit several sites where the best of the Bruce are in full bloom. limit 20
8:30 car caravan 2:
See it all. We'll visit several sites where the best of the Bruce are in full bloom. limit 20
8:30 Peacock's nest: Tour a private country property where coral roots love to grow and nature completely surrounds. limit 20
8:30 am Birds and Blooms.
See which birds are in the trees enjoying our orchid season. Maybe catch a few of the migratory species that use our long peninsula to travel over land before leaping off to the north. Spy some shy orchids while you are enjoying the feathered beauties. limit 20
8:30 Photography:
Working with Peter Rasberry, learn to create better images of natural subjects.
12:00 Lunch at Park Visitors Centre Available by pre-order only for $12.50
Saturday pm 1:00
car caravan 3 - see it all. We'll visit several sites where the best of the Bruce are in full bloom. limit 20
car caravan 4 - see it all. We'll visit several sites where the best of the Bruce are in full bloom. limit 20
1:00 mystery hike:
a long walk with orchids to be found Follow local expert into special places only locals know about and see what hides in untouched places. Sturdy boots recommended. limit 15
1:15 pm Watercolours with Julie Heinrichs:
Learn new skills and create your own orchid-themed masterpiece. limit 10
1:00 singing sands tour of new facilities:
See the new interpretive centre and boardwalks at Singing Sands. Designed to return more of the alvar and surrounding areas to their natural state, this park improvement puts cars in less sensitive places and people where the amazing flora and fauna of the Bruce Peninsula reside. limit 25
Saturday evening 6:30pm:
Speaker Melissa McCormick - Principal Investigator and Research Scientist at The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Melissa is a leading expert in the field of orchid ecology where she examines the effects of environment conditions and the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi (those amazing underground networks that help orchids thrive and survive) as drivers of orchid flowering and distribution. She is also currently studying specific bacteria that live within the fungi and how they affect their formation and growth. Melissa will be joining us in the field to see first-hand the wonderful species that flourish in our unique environment, and on Saturday evening she will share with us some insights into her research about orchids and the fungi that are critical to their very existence.
Sunday Flowerpot!
Arrive at Blue Heron Dock at 9:30 am for a 9:50 am sharp departure for Flowerpot Island - Take a historical tour at the flowerpot lightkeepers' station. Last chance to see the calypso if it is still blooming.
You must pre-register for this tour. Limit 40