Earlier this month the Stewardship Program held its' annual Master Steward Training in preparation for property visits this field season. The Master Stewards visit with landowners to tour their property and speak with them about good stewardship practices for their property. Everything from healthy forest management to shoreline re-naturalization to creating habitat for wildlife and trail building.

We had a fastastic weekend of learning! The following is a photo journal of our weekend spent talking, learning and experiencing stewardship in Muskoka.

This is most of the group at the end of the weekend. Thanks for a great weekend and for being super volunteers!

Master Steward Paula led us in a creative icebreaker that involved gathering from the forest to make a food or drink to share!

Matt and Chad explain their concoction.

The group listens to Master Steward Chris Near as he speaks about trail building.

The Master Steward volunteers listen intently.

The Master Stewards gaze up at the canopy as we listen to our guest speaker, Forester Scott Reid.

Scott speaks with the group about common tree diseases in Muskoka.

The Master Stewards identify trees and note their defect in a field exercise with Scott.

Master Stewards cross the stream on a bridge built by a landowner during a property visit at the Master Steward training.

Master Steward Chris Near speaks about trails in the field as a follow-up to his morning presentation.

The Master Stewards hike up a path using a railing along one of the trails at the property visit.

Master Steward Chris Gilmour gives a talk about wild edibles of Muskoka.

Some of the wild edibles Master Steward Chris Gilmour brought with him to share with the group- at our own risk!

Master Steward Chad give a talk on the importance of downed woody material in the forest and the art he creates from it.

Master Steward Ariel Zwicker speaks about her family maple syrup operation in Muskoka.

Thanks to the Master Stewards for their participation and passion for conservation through private stewardship in Muskoka!

Are you a landowner who would like a property visit from a Master Steward? Your property must be at least 5 acres. For more information click on the "About Us" tab or the "Contact Us" tab at the top of the page.

Look what we did this weekend!

This past weekend, the Master Stewards got together as a group for the first time to attend the training workshop for the program. We had a great weekend full of guest speakers, walks in the forest, through a wetland, and along the shoreline. There was a lot of information to digest, but it is all part of the learning process. I am really happy with the way the group created an atmosphere of collaboration and learning not only from the guest speakers, but also from the wealth of knowledge that exists within the group. It was a fantastic weekend- thanks to the Master Stewards for attending and to the guest speakers for sharing their expertise with us!

Check out the photos below for a glimpse into what we did this past weekend:

{the gatepost sign, rack cards & Ontario Trillium Foundation plaque}

{here I am introducing the workshop to the Master Stewards}

{here we are chatting with Paula about connection to place}

{the group examines the tree over the path}

{Tony Armstrong, our guest speaker about Forestry, helps us with our tree identification}

{the Master Stewards chat over lunch}

{Jan McDonnell speaks to the group about forest habitat}

{Jan presents to the group about forest habitat}

{Judi Brouse presents on Water Quality}

{Dirk Janas presents on Wetlands}

{Peter Seybold welcomes us to his property for the practice visit}

{Chris Gilmour shows Peter Seybold a sarsaparilla plant}

{The Master Stewards contemplate the shoreline}

{Allan Guthrie talks tree cavities with Peter Seybold}

{here I am presenting Katherine and Peter Seybold with the very first gatepost sign of the 2010 Muskoka Stewardship Program}

{All the Master Stewards gather with the Seybolds at the end of the practice visit}

The Master Stewards are now ready to conduct property visits. Contact me if you are a landowner interested in a visit this summer.