How to Help
Donate to Friends of Pinery Park
Without financial support, projects including the Habitat Stewardship Program would not be possible. These projects require dedicated skilled field staff, equipment like our Songmeters, and the development of educational content all of which are expensive.
The Friends of Pinery Park appreciate donations from both corporations and individuals. Please support the Friends of Pinery Park’s habitat stewardship program by making a charitable donation through CanadaHelps.org or taking part in one of our annual fundraising events, such as the Raffle, the Pinery Fall Classic or the Spring, and Fall Native Plant Sales.
In the Park
For those interested in contributing to our projects while visiting Pinery, participation in community science projects such as eBird, and iNaturalist are a great place to start. These projects provide data that is ready for researchers to use and can reveal local trends in habitat use and population trajectory. For birders, the Nature Counts app allows for participation in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. The third iteration of the atlas has begun and will continue until the end of 2025. The data collected by this project is invaluable in assessing the health of our birds provincially and maintaining their success over time.
Buying your firewood locally or at the Park will help to prevent the spread of tree diseases that reduce available nesting habitat for Red-headed Woodpeckers. Oak wilt is particularly concerning in Pinery and threatens to decimate the oak savanna. The fungal pathogen responsible for oak wilt resides in the wood of infected trees. Therefore, limiting the spread of these infected logs and keeping them out of the park will ensure the safety of the oak savanna for years to come.
At Home
Landowners are especially critical to the success of this project. Those who have either Eastern Whip-poor-will or Red-headed Woodpeckers on their property may qualify for grants that create habitat and prioritize their conservation.
Habitat can be maintained on your property through the removal of invasive species that would otherwise close the forest. Retaining snags if safe and harvesting wood outside of the summer helps to maintain Red-headed Woodpecker nesting habitat. Consider harvesting wood outside of woodpecker breeding season (May 11–August 18) to limit the impact on the success of woodpeckers.
If you must use pesticides on your property, ensure you are doing so responsibly. Choosing targeted spray material can help to limit your impact on local insect abundance and maintain the food supply for these birds. This will benefit not only Red-headed Woodpeckers and Eastern Whip-poor-will but other aerial insectivores such as Barn and Bank Swallows that depend on the availability of insects.
Predation by feral cats is one of the leading causes of bird population declines worldwide. Keeping your cats inside prevents predation of ground nesting Whip-poor-wills and fledgling woodpeckers. Given the low reproductive rates of these species, ensuring that as many individuals reach maturity as possible is ideal for their recovery.
