Grey Roots Lecture Series – The Bruce Trail: 856 kms of Discovery

Presenters: Audrey Armstrong and Willy Waterton

Join Audrey and Willy on their toast to retirement, hiking the Bruce Trail end to end, with references to the science, geology and history all along the Niagara Escarpment. (i.e. black bears, rattlesnakes, ferns, orchids and a plane crash!) Illustrated with Willy’s end to end hike photos and news photos related to the Bruce Trail.

About the presenters:

A creek still bears the family name where Willy Waterton’s ancestors settled in northern Grey County during the 1840’s. A self-taught photographer, Willy spent 35 years as a fulltime photojournalist at the Owen Sound Sun Times. During his tenure as chief photographer, he oversaw the transition from black and white to colour then finally to digital. His newspaper photographs won over 100 provincial and national awards. In 1990, Willy was named Ontario News Photographers’ Association Photographer of the Year. His photographs have appeared in national and international magazines, newspapers and books including the Globe and Mail, New York Times and National Geographic.  In the past, Willy was a contract photographer for both Ontario Parks and Parks Canada. His work is in public and private collections. Willy’s lifelong love for Bruce & Grey Counties along with recent expeditions to polar regions has led to a commitment through his photography to interpret these special parts of the world for you to enjoy and help to protect. He is active in many community volunteer organizations including the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Huron Fringe Birding Festival.  He is also the OSFN representative for the Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park advisory committee.

Audrey Armstrong graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in experimental art and textiles, for ten years she ran her own weaving business Watercress Weavery.  Graduating from the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto with an honours BA and B.Ed. Audrey taught elementary school with the Bluewater District School Board for 25 years, receiving the Teacher of Excellence award.  A presenter with the Monarch Teacher Network, Audrey has led in-depth workshops on monarch butterflies, habitat development and Voices from the Land workshops, developing visual and literary interpretations of nature in Canada and the USA. She continues her love of teaching by leading workshops for Ontario Parks and Parks Canada staff.  She is active in many community volunteer organizations including the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Huron Fringe Birding Festival. Audrey shares her passion and interest in habitat creation with the public. She is also the Ontario Nature representative for OSFN.

Audrey and Willy have each earned a Master Naturalist Certificate from Lakehead University and both are certified Ontario Recreation Canoe Association (ORCA) Canoe Tripping Leaders. The couple have spent the last five years volunteering with the OSFN to rephotograph the Orchids, Ferns, Asters, Goldenrods and Fleabanes of Bruce & Grey for the club’s very successful series of guidebooks.