Botany & Birding on the Beach
September 6th 2013 weekend – Botany & Birding on the Beach and Luncheon at Windmill Point Cottage, with the option of overnight accommodation! Imagine a getaway to a beautiful private cottage on Lake Erie designed by a famous architect, with breakfast cooked by a professional chef!
A fundraiser for the Niagara Land Trust (NLT), we have two packages to choose from, for this unique and one-time opportunity.
Package 1: Saturday September 7, 2013 10am – 3pm
- Gourmet Lunch and Botany & Birding on the Beach at Windmill Point Cove
- Winged Jewels of Niagara poster
Package 2: Friday September 6 – Sunday September 8, 2013-08-15
- Accommodation at Windmill Point Cottage Friday & Saturday
- Saturday Breakfast with free-range eggs and naturally fed Berkshire smoked bacon
- Gourmet Lunch on the wrap-around porch
- Botany & Birding tours on the Beach
- Gourmet candlelight catered BBQ dinner in the cottage, with an intimate number of local naturalists, our nature guides from the day, and other guests staying at the cottage.
- Sunday Breakfast cooked for you in the cottage, by Chef Jason Moss
- Winged Jewels of Niagara poster
Accommodation limited to 9-10 people so book early.
Descriptions:
The NLT has been invited for a rare opportunity to host our event at this privately family owned 1917 Arts and Crafts style house designed by the then famous William Sydney Wicks, partner of E.B. Green of Buffalo. He wrote a book called How to Build Adirondack Camps and Cottages, and did several of the great camps of the Adirondacks. It is a Colonial Bungalow with a wrap around porch covered by a heavy roof. There are three outbuildings on the site, a garage, a workhouse and an icehouse. The family believes the icehouse is the last remaining original lake icehouse in the Niagara Region. They are the second family to own the house, each owning it for about 50-years. Oriental rugs, nice historical prints, an interesting library, original White Pine wainscotting (walls and some ceilings), interesting furniture and stone hearth fireplace make it a once-in-a lifetime place to visit…and to stay.
We are looking forward to a beautiful lunch from By the Water Café & Catering, served on the Adirondack-style wrap-around porch. Lunch can be eaten on the porch, the lawn, front deck with a fire, the beach or wherever you’d like! Using the highest quality of ingredients, fresh and local, By the Water Café and the NLT is supporting our local farmers by purchasing as much as we can for this weekend, directly from their farms.
Everyone in attendance will receive a gift from the NLT of a beautifully designed 24″x18″ poster titled “Winged Jewels of Niagara”, displaying many of the Niagara Region’s fascinating flying insects.
Meet one of Niagara’s top botanists along the sandy coast of Lake Erie in Ridgeway to learn about native beach plants. An experienced birder will also be on hand to help identify birds sighted. Learn the geological, historical and biological secrets of this fascinating area and experience some of the best Niagara has to offer.
Albert Garofalo, recognized as one of the finest botanist in Niagara, has been leading outings for area naturalists and students for many years. Having recently completed a three-year study of the botany of the North coast of Lake Erie, he is considered an expert with this habitat. For further reading go to:http://www.bertmillernatureclub.org/what-we-do/projects
Marcie Jacklin, your experienced birding guide, is very familiar with the birds of Niagara having coordinated bird counts within the Niagara Peninsula over many years and having contributed to the 2010 publication, Niagara Birds. She is currently a member of the Ontario Field Ornithologists board of directors and is a former director with the Buffalo Ornithological Society.
Al Hillman Photography from Chippawa is donating his skills to the NLT and accompanying us on our beach outing. A well known Nature and Fine Art Photographer, he is known for his Portraiture and is willing to take professional photos of anyone interested in obtaining a photo of themselves, directly from his studio, (avoiding those that do not want to be photographed!).
Our Rooms at Windmill Point Cottage
- Lake View Room – two twin beds.
- Windward Side Room – queen bed.
- Master Suite Room – queen bed.
- Cozy Corner – single bed
- The Den – queen sofabed.
Wireless Internet, free long distance in Canada and the U.S., shared bathrooms, kitchen, library, stone fireplace, BBQ, beach.
If you are in the area and don’t need accommodation at the cottage, please consider attending the day portion of our event, with the Luncheon and Botany & Birding on the Beach.
For further questions or too book, please contact Niagara Nature Tours at 905-562-3746 or info@niagaranaturetours.ca