Fall Colour Report

Fall foliage colour in Algonquin Park is now at peak!

Algonquin Park is in the northern part of Muskoka and is a bit higher in elevation. So, there leaves may be changing there a bit sooner than in more southern parts of the region. Nevertheless, the leaves are putting on a good show. With October only a couple days away, the entire region of Muskoka will be entering peak foliage colour.

One of the best ways to enjoy the colour is to go for a hike or paddle. The options for these types of activities are endless in Muskoka. A good place to start looking for options is the Muskoka Trails Council. They have maps of just about every hiking trail in Muskoka.

If you're out enjoying fall, let me know by leaving a comment, or visiting the Muskoka Heritage Foundation Facebook Page and leaving a comment. Better yet, post a photo of the fall colours where you are!

Golf Courses and Environmental Stewardship

Golf courses aren't always the most environmentally friendly of places. However, in Muskoka they are an important part of our economy. The Muskoka Highlands golf course takes steps to provide a scenic and challenging golf course while contributing to a healthier natural environment. Now that's environmental stewardship in action!

Muskoka Heritage Foundation held our Annual Golf Classic tournament at the Muskoka Highlands in an effort to showcase the possibilities for stewardship in Muskoka- both on and off the course! Below a sample of what we learned. Click on the images for a larger view.

Hole #1

Hole #4

Hole #10

Hole #13

Hole #17

We had a great day at Muskoka Highlands on Monday. All funds raised from the tournament, silent auction and putting contest go directly to support our Stewardship Programs. A HUGE "thank you" to our golfers and sponsors.

Above: Gord Durnan takes a practice swing before his chance to win the putting contest.

Above: Looking over Hole #2. The rain held off despite ominous skies.

Above: Golfers at Hole #17: a chance at a hole in one!

Above: Supporters from Muskoka Watershed Council pose for their team photo.

Winners take all! And will have their names put on the tournament trophy.

This team won "most honest". Looking good!!

Thanks again to all our sponsors and golfers. It was a great day!

See you again next year.

In the meantime, what are you doing to incorporate stewardship practices on your property?

Woodlot Management & Tree Selection

The final 2011 Nature Quest Workshop was held on July 26th at the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre. Stewardship Coordinator, Chris Near, from the Parry Sound Muskoka Stewardship Network (PSMSN) led the session about Silviculture.

What is Silviculture?

Simply put, silviculture is the science of growing trees. If you are a woodlot owner, chances are you will want to think about which silviculture method you would like to practice in your woodlot. You may even end up practicing more than one depending on the size and features of your property. Chris spoke to the group about three methods for growing, harvesting, and regenerating trees: clearcutting, selection, and shelterwood.

Plantations, such as the red pine plantation pictured above, require good forest management, including proper thinning, top reach their full potential. Red pine prefers dry locations and grows best on sandy, coarse loam soil which is well drained. Research has shown that as red pine plantations mature, they begin to transform old field sites into forest conditions. The increase in organic material in the soil from the needles helps prevent erosion from wind and water. As the stand is thinned, the increase of sunlight reaching the forest floor provides ideal conditions for native hardwood and conifer species to germinate and grow.

About 50 bird and mammal species depend on cavity trees, including primary users which make their own cavities. Cavities constructed by the pileated woodpecker (like the ones above) are especially important in providing habitat for other animals. Aim to keep six living cavity trees per hectare in our woodlot.

If you are planning a large cutting operation on a large woodlot, be sure to consider how the logging equipment will get in and out of your woodlot. There is the potential for damage if not thought out properly. Some landowners will use the trails made by the skidders and other logging equipment and convert them into trails for personal use after the logging is finished (like in the photo above)

Creating openings in the forest crown provides benefits to regeneration. You might consider planting seedlings in an opening to promote greater species variety. Make sure to consider species types and their shade tolerance and plan for maintenance of the area if necessary to maintain sunlight in the area.

The Bracebridge Resource Management Centre (BRMC) is a great place to visit to see the different aspects of forest management. It is indeed a managed forest where the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has managed different parts of the forest there in different ways and to regenerate the forest using different methods. If you get a chance to visit, make sure to stop at the signs like to one above to learn about various aspects of silviculture.

More Information

There is a lot to consider when managing a forest or woodlot. Be sure to seek out good information and reliable professionals. Some resources to get you started:

1. 
   
   A Landowner's Guide to Forest Management Basics call me or drop in at the office to receive this resource


2. 
   
   Managed Forest Tax Incentive information and resources


3. 
   
   Private Land Forestry resources


4. 
   
   What to ask when hiring a forest contractor


5. 
   
   A landowners guide to careful logging


6. 
   
   A landowners guide to selling standing timber
   

Batty About Bats

Bats are the primary predator of night-flying insects such as moths, beetles, and mosquitoes. Did you know that a single bat can catch hundreds of insects in just one hour? That can mean consuming from 30 to 50 percent of its body weight in insects each night!

Christy Macdonald, Fish and Wildlife Technical Specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources joined us for the third Nature Quest workshop of the summer to tell us about bats in Ontario and some of the challenges they face. Here are some of the highlights from the afternoon.

There are eight different species of bats in Ontario. Can you name them? Above is the big brown bat. Below, is the tri-coloured bat.

There is also the Hoary bat, the Eastern Red bat, the Silver-haired bat, the Northern Long-eared bat, the Eastern Small footed bat, and the Little Brown bat. Ontario's bats are a mix of cavity and foliage roosters. Cavity roosters roost in caves (or sometimes bat houses) in large numbers and hibernate over winter. Foliage roosters don't form colonies but instead live singularly in trees. The Eastern Red bat, the Hoary bat, and the Tri-coloured bat are all foliage roosters.

One serious issue Christy spoke with the group about is white-nosed syndrome. The Little brown bat above has the outward physical signs of this white fungus which first appears on the nose and face areas and has since spread the the wings. This fungus deteriorates the skin on these areas. There is not much known about this fungus that has only appeared in Ontario in the past year. It is only present in the colonies as they hibernate. Internally, the white fungus seems to cause strange behaviour in bats, such as waking up during hibernation. When they wake up they want to clean themselves of the fungus which uses their crucial energy stores. Sometimes infected bats will spend even more energy looking for food during the day-time or in winter. This is bad news, as these bats end up using their stored energy and dying of starvation.

What can you do to help? Don't go into caves or abandoned mines. And don't touch live or dead bats. You can also report sightings of bats with white-nosed syndrome by calling the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre at 1-866-673-4781.

Bat houses are another way we can help bats by creating habitat for them. There are many factors to consider when building a bat house:

1. Design & Construction



2. Habitat (in Muskoka, near water is a must)



3. Sun exposure (full sun, and paint the box black)



4. Mounting (predator guards, not on a tree)



5. Away from predators (like racoons)



6. Away from uninvited guests (like wasps)



7. Timing (fall is the best time to put up a bat house)



8. Experiment (if bats don't visit, try another location)

You will need to do some research about the specific design and construction. Some helpful links to resources are below. I would love to hear how you fare!

Above: Christy speaks to the group about the different styles and the location of the 4 bat houses at the MNR office in Bracebridge. Can you spot the three different styles in this photo?

Resources:

• Canadian Wildlife Federation



• Bat Conservation International. This is where the book on building bat houses came from that we gave away as prizes at the Nature Quest workshop.



• WWF Canada



• Bat Box Guy



• OMNR

Tree ID in Muskoka

It's that time of year again! The Nature Quest Stewardship Series is in full swing. Join us every Tuesday in July as we learn about tree identification, species at risk, bats, and forest management.

Participants look in their field guides and they identify a tree as part of the first Nature Quest workshop of the summer.

This week, the topic for the workshop was "Hike up your tree ID IQ". You might remember a workshop with the same title from last year. The new Stewardship Coordinator at the Parry Sound Muskoka Stewardship Council, Chris Near, refreshed the program this year and enthralled the audience in an afternoon hike at the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre.

Chris helped to give us the tools we need to become tree ID experts. Here he helps a young participant identify some needles from a coniferous tree.

Chris helps some of the participants note the differences between the leaves of hard and soft maples.

We started off with a list of ways that trees can be identified:

Coniferous or Deciduous

Coniferous are cone-bearing and have needles. Deciduous have leaves.

Bark

What colour is it? Is it rough or smooth? Does it peel? Is it hard or soft? Each tree has a distinctive bark. This is a good way to identify deciduous trees in the winter.

Leaf Pattern and Structure

Are the leaves compound or are they simple?

Do the leaves grow opposite on each side of the stem or do they alternate?
Along the edges, is each leaf lobed, single toothed, or double toothed?

What is the shape of the leaf?

When there are no leaves on the trees, it can also be helpful to look at the pattern of the buds on the branch.

Needle Pattern

Are the needles clustered together? if so, in groups of how many? Or, are the needles single shoots off the stem?

Silhouette

What is the silhouette of the tree when you stand back a little but and look at it? Round, pointy, bushy? This can offer a hint as to the species of the tree.

Fruit

Is the tree bearing any fruit? What does it look like? What shape is it?

My list above is very brief and uses only words. It's a good idea to find a field guide to help you with your tree ID. There are also some good websites to help you along. Some suggestions are at the end of the blog. It's also a good idea to go for hikes to practice your tree ID. After all, practice makes perfect! Good Luck!

Participants walk along the trail and the Bracebridge Resource Management Centre. It was a beautiful day for a hike as we identified trees.

Suggested Resources

What tree is it? : an interactive tree ID website

Flemming College website

Highly recommended book: Trees in Canada by John Laird Farrar

For a sneak peek at the same book try this link

Another highly recommended book: Forest Plants of Central Ontario

Join us next Tuesday at Torrence Barrens as we discover Species at Risk in Muskoka!

Muskoka's Native Plants

Spring is here - and so is the Muskoka Heritage Foundation Annual Native Tree & Shrub Sale!

Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis

This flowering plant is drought tolerant and likes sand or loam soil types with partial or full sun- and it's so pretty! It attracts birds, hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies which makes it useful in the oh-so-important pollination.

Staghorn sumach Rhus typhina

Spectacular red, edible, and showy seeds on this shrub. It likes clay, sand, and loam soils, partial or full sun, and normal to dry moisture.

Butterfly weed Asclespias tuberosa This red/orange flowering plant attracts pollinators and is also drought resistant.

Bear berry Artostaphylos uva-ursi This native ground cover is suitable for your shoreline restoration projects, in the riparian area. it is drought and salt resistant. It also attracts pollinators and adds a splash of colour to your garden!

I wrote last spring about why native plants are important for your gardening projects. Who can resist a garden that is colourful, disease and pest resistant, low maintenance, and provide habitat for wildlife? It just makes good sense!

WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING YOUR GARDEN THIS SPRING:

• Duplicate natural growing conditions


• Consider soil type, moisture, sunlight, wind


• Take clues from what is already growing

WANT TO KNOW MORE?:

• More tips on starting your own native plant garden


• Tips for choosing native species: wildflowers, trees, & shrubs


• Not sure if it's a native species? check the native plant database


• Problems with deer? Check out these deer resistant gardening techniques


• Need planting tips? Check out this information sheet

ORDER PLANTS:

• Orders must be placed by May 9th (email form or call in)


• Pick up your order in Huntsville, Bracebridge, or Bala on May 14, 2011


• Special workshops and information available at Bracebridge location

Happy Gardening!

Signs of Spring

Spring was definitely in the air this weekend!

What did you do to enjoy it?

Did you remember your camera?

Submit your photos to the Muskoka Heritage Foundation "Spring to Life" Photography Contest

I noticed some sure signs of spring when I was out during the past week:

The ice is melting and shifting on Lake Rosseau

New growth and buds on this Red Maple in Annie Williams Park, Bracebridge

The river is free of ice, most of the snow has melted, and buds are starting to appear on the trees in Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge.

All the details you need to enter the "Spring to Life" Photography contest can be found here or on the blog post from last week.

There are some great prizes! Deadline for entry is this Friday, April 8, 2011

Spring to Life! Photo Contest

Spring to Life! Amateur Photography Contest

A celebration of Muskoka’s environment and the global Earth Hour and Earth Day initiatives.

Frogs, toads, snakes, and turtles emerge! Photo Rebecca Francis

Scour your backyard, nearby lakes, swamps, woodlands, and neighbourhoods for the unique found-only-in Muskoka shot of the local environment as it comes to life after a long, sleepy winter.

What we're looking for are photographs that exemplify the signs of spring in Muskoka. What comes to mind when you think of spring? What feelings do you experience when "spring is in the air"?

Critters like chipmunks come out and robins and red-winged blackbirds return. Swollen buds take over the tips of branches and clothes can be hung on the line. For each person spring shows up in different, subtle ways. Photograph submissions should reflect your personal experience of the transition from winter to spring- and our enjoyment of that special time. The snow melts and we can once again see the forest floor. Ground covers sprout up and woodland pools foster lots of life. Photo: Rebecca Francis

1st Prize! An in-flight aerial photography lesson with professional photographer Paul Bennett. Visit http://www.paulbennettphotography.com/.

2nd Prize! A one-year subscription to the Wednesday edition of your choice, The Gravenhurst Banner, The Huntsville Forester or The Bracebridge Examiner.

3rd Prize! A one-year membership with the Muskoka Heritage Foundation and a copy of the MHF DVD entitled Life on the Edge: Stories of Muskoka’s Past.

Ducks and other birds return from their winter away. photo: Greg Francis

Criteria

• Open to amateur photographers


• Contest starts same day as Earth Hour— March 26


• Entries must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. April 8


• Email entry to events@muskokaheritage.org


• Photos must be at least 300 dpi and 8 inches wide


• To be eligible, submissions must include the name of the photographer and a brief description of the photo, including where it was shot in Muskoka


• 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize photos will be published in the April 20th, edition of Metroland’s local Wednesday papers (The Gravenhurst Banner, The Huntsville Forester, The Bracebridge Examiner) - 2 days before Earth Day!


• Winning photos will be published on the Muskoka Heritage Foundation website


• 
  
  Metroland Media Inc. and the Muskoka Heritage Foundation reserve the right to reproduce submissions

Get outside, take your shots, and enter soon!!

Sponsors

Happy Earth Hour!

On Saturday, March 26 at 8:30pm millions of people around the world will be flicking their lights off in support of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour was started in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and this year, its fifth year, it will be more popular than ever. Earth Hour grows in popularity every year. Last year, 128 countries and territories officially participated. Famous landmarks all over the world shut off their lights to show support. Currently, Earth Hour is the largest global initiative to fight climate change and it continues to grow.

Earth Hour provides an opportunity for the global community, no matter what background you are from, to join together to conquer one of our largest obstacles; climate change. Earth Hour gives the planet an hour of respect, where everyone can participate. This year, however, the WWF is campaigning for people to go beyond the hour, and make every hour Earth Hour. Some people only participate so they aren’t the only ones on the block with their lights on; but every year Earth Hour touches new people and makes them realize that our society must change so that we are living more sustainable life styles.

This year the Muskoka Heritage Foundation will try to get this message to Muskoka youth with the MHF Earth Hour Pledge. This will give students the opportunity to MAKE THE PLEDGE! on Facebook that commits them to participating in Earth Hour 2011.

Together our actions add up.
Happy Earth Hour!

Click on the logo to join the Facebook group and make the pledge!

Baysville Horticultural Society

Baysville Horticultural Society gets a sneak peek at the Species at Risk booklet!

I presented to the lovely folks at the Baysville Horticultural Society last week. I spoke with them about land trust properties near Baysville, native species in the area, the importance of shoreline re-naturalization, the Well Aware program, and of course, the stewardship program.

I also spoke with them about the upcoming publication of the MHF’s Stewards’ Guide series, which will include the topics of Species at Risk in Parry Sound-Muskoka, Forest Management Options, Shoreline, Wetlands, and Trail Building. I had just received the proof from the printer for the Species at Risk booklet so they got to have a peek at what's to come! The Species at Risk booklet will be available at the MHF office in March and on the website soon!

Tyler, MHF Communications Intern, came along to help me sell tea towels and promote MHF programs.

The folks at Baysville Horticultural Society were a very engaged, interested audience who asked great questions and were enthusiastic about stewardship. Thank you!

Tree Trivia & Stewardship Conference

Globally, forests are host to 80 percent of our biodiversity.

Ten percent of the world's forests can be found right here in Canada.

And remember, the United Nations has declared 2011 the International Year of Forests.

photo: Greg Francis

Registration opens today for the 2011 Muskoka Stewardship Conference!

View the full agenda and register here

There will be speakers about the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, wildlife topics, native species gardening, water quality, and more!

It is an excellent change to learn more about stewardship in Muskoka and network with like-minded folks.

Hope to see you there!