Visit & Tour 2008 - (Page 27) Tourism Services & St. Thomas Times-Journal, February 2008 • www.elgintourist.com Elgin County 27 Many Conservation areas offer year round enjoyment • Birding • Boating • Camping • Environmental Education • Fishing• Hiking • Picnic Area• Sightseeing• Swimming Elgin County A bird watchers paradise Bird lovers don’t need to go far in Elgin County to find a wide variety of birds to watch. The warm, southern climate of the area attracts many birds to the county’s creeks, reservoirs and dense forests. Lake Whittaker and Springwater are a couple of the great places to find wildlife. Information compiled by both the Kettle Creek and Catfish Creek conservation authorities also suggests there are many ideal bird watching sites as close as a 10-minute drive from St.Thomas. Good locations include the Calton swamp, accessed by driving east on John Wise Line (Elgin 45), then south on Springfield Road and east back to John Wise Line.Watch for the blue sign for directions to Calton Camp. In Belmont, the sewage lagoon on Yorke Line is home to many species. In Dutton-Dunwich another favourite spot is found immediately west of Dutton at the lagoon. In Fingal area, the woods and meadows of the Fingal Wildlife Management Area are popular for a number of varieties including ring-necked pheasants, sparrows and warblers. Redwing blackbirds, robins, common grackles, bluebirds and killdeers are among other birds that can be spotted in Elgin County. Many of the ports in Elgin County will also have duck and swans. Elgin County Museum Elgin County’s oldest museum is also its newest. The former Elgin County Pioneer Museum renamed itself in 2006 and moved from the historic Duncombe House on Talbot Street to the 4th floor of the Elgin County Administration Building where expanded and greatly improved facilities have allowed for the development of a vibrant exhibition schedule combining traveling shows with exhibits based on the museum’s 10,000 plus collection of artifacts. From February to May, the museum looks forward to exhibiting a settler’s trunk from the National Museum of Scotland along with an exhibition that looks at the earliest of the Scottish emigrants to Elgin County. Also on exhibit from April to July, is an entertaining look at the invention and development of the toilet on loan from Guelph Museums. In the summer and fall the museum hosts an in-depth look at one of the area’s most popular attractions, the Pinecroft Studio, south of Aylmer. Pieces from throughout its history will be on exhibit from brooches to gargantuan vases. Note the schedule of events in the back of this book for details on all of the exhibitions. The Museum is open 10-4 Tuesday to Saturday and is located at 450 Sunset Drive, St.Thomas. Call 519-631-1460 ext. 159 for information or visit www.elgin-county.on.ca Jimmie & Selma Clennell. Pinecroft 1960 http://www.elgintourist.com http://www.elgin-county.on.ca
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