Kortright Centre in Spring
Posted: June 1, 2013 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Water | Tags: black and white photography, Canada, ferns, green, hike, Kortright Centre for Conservation, natural world, nature, nature photography, Ontario, peacefulness, spring, Stream, trees, walk in the woods, wildflowers, woods Leave a comment
By a stream at Kortright Centre for Conservation, May 2013
Last weekend I went to Kortright Centre for Conservation for a walk in the woods. The day was cool and sunny—perfect weather for hiking in comfort. The woods were a vibrant green, a little deeper in hue than the first yellow green of spring.
Green Kortright, May 2013
Ferns by the stream at Kortright Centre, May 2013
I photographed the woods and stream in colour and when I wanted to emphasize patterns, I moved to black and white.
In the woods at Kortright Centre, May 2013
As always, when I am at Kortright, I felt a great sense of peacefulness to be in those welcoming woods, so close to Toronto and yet in a world so different.
At Kortright Centre, May 2013
While in Charlottesville
Posted: May 2, 2013 Filed under: Animal Life, Plant Life, Uncategorized | Tags: birds, Charlottesville, dogwood tree, dwarf iris, garden, nature, redbud tree, spring, Stream, trees, Virginia, woods Leave a comment
Woods and stream in Charlottesville, Virginia, April 2013
Last week when I was in Virginia, I stopped in Charlottesville. Off the main roads, we walked in a wooded area accompanied by the melodies of song birds. The trees and plants had put forth spring yellow-green foliage. This was wonderful to see after travelling south from Toronto where only the first buds had begun to show. Not that those hadn’t been welcome too, just that spring was at a more abundant stage in Virginia.
Dwarf irises in the woods, Charlottesville, Virginia, April 2013
In the woods, I came upon wild violets and pale lavender dwarf irises arising through last autumn’s leaves. A small stream flowed nearby and the temperature was in the upper 70s.
Redbud tree in Charlottesville, Virginia, April 2013
To and from the woods, we walked across landscaped ground. Redbud trees were in bloom with tulips and azaleas in a garden plus another pale green flower I have not identified. The dogwood in flower is from a nearby location.
Dogwood tree in Charlottesville, Virginia, April, 2013
In the Snow at Kortright Centre for Conservation, 2
Posted: February 28, 2013 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life | Tags: Kortright Centre for Conservation, nature, Ontario, snow, Stream, trees, winter, woods Leave a comment
Kortright Centre in the Snow, Feb. 10/13, Ontario
Here’s a few more photos from our day at Kortright Centre earlier this month. A beautiful, memorable time in the snow.
Kortright in the Snow, Feb. 10/13
Stream through the snow at Kortright Centre, Feb. 10/13
Snow at Kortright Centre on old roots, Feb. 10/13
At Kortright Centre, Feb. 10/13
Kortright Centre–Early Winter
Posted: December 30, 2012 Filed under: Animal Life, Ontario, Plant Life | Tags: blue jays, Canada, cardinals, chickadees, Kortright, Kortright Centre for Conservation, nature, Ontario, owl, painting, roots, Stream, Toronto, trees, woods Leave a comment
Boardwalk at Kortright Centre for Conservation, Dec. 2012
A few days before Christmas, I went northwest out of Toronto to the Kortright Centre for Conservation near Kleinburg, Ontario. We had had no snow in Toronto at that point. Our first was on the night of Dec. 26th. At Kortright we found a dusting of snow in the woods.
Another view of the Boardwalk at Kortright Centre, Ontario, Dec. 2012
Stream at Kortright Centre, Ontario, Dec. 2012
As ever, this humble, yet beautiful, 800 acres of land lifted my spirits. We hiked through the woods to the stream noting familiar, well-loved trees and hills and my favourite old roots from a fallen tree beside a trail. I’ve photographed these roots in all seasons over the years. And I’ve also painted them from several angles, bringing the peace of the near countryside into the city as I painted.
Old Roots at Kortright, Ontario, Dec. 2012
Painting of Old Roots at Kortright by Lily S. May, 2008
We continued on, and I believe we saw an owl in the woods. A bird with a large wingspan flew onto a tree too far away for me to clearly see his or her details. But the silhouette seemed to me one of an owl. I have heard of daytime owl sightings at Kortright in the past, but had never before seen the bird. Earlier we’d seen a cardinal and blue jay at feeders outside the café and, as we hiked, we heard the calls of chickadees.
of humans and nature 
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