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

Maple Syrup in Muskoka

Word from hard maple stands in Muskoka is that the sap is starting to run!

Buckets on trees

Maple syrup production has a long history in Canada, beginning with aboriginal people. Check out some neat photos of some of the first sap collection techniques used here.

Tools of the trade

Remember, it's the International Year of Forests, to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. Maple syrup and forest health are strongly linked.

Sugar bush management involves thinning the trees to improve the health of the woodlot and the sap producing potential of individual maple trees. The development of wide and deep crowns is encouraged to support the production of large volumes of sweet sap.

The types of trees removed in improvement operations include the following:

• Non-maple species including hemlock, beech and ash which interfere with the growth of maple crop trees.
• Over-mature trees
• Diseased, dying and defective trees
• Trees producing sap with a sugar content of less than 1%

But remember, it is good practice to maintain species diversity to accommodate other values including aesthetics, wildlife and bio-diversity.

Tapping the tree

Feeding the fire to boil the syrup

Did you know?...It takes about 40 litres of Sugar Maple sap to make 1 litre of maple syrup!

Filtering the syrup

Upcoming workshop: Savour Muskoka is running a workshop at Brooklands Farm this Sunday, March 20th about maple syrup production fundamentals. For more details and a full description visit the "Stewardship Workshops and Events" page.

Want to know more?

• This Extension Note about "Backyard Maple Syrup Production" tells you more about how to produce maple syrup in your own backyard.
• This Extension Note about "Sugar Maple" trees is also helpful in learning more about this species and how to identify it.
• Atkinson Maple Syrup Supplies has some helpful info sheets on various topics.
• The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association has some educational resources too-- especially for children!
• Managing Maple Trees for Sap Production: resources from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs.
• FAQs about maple syrup production from OMAFRA

Thanks to Ariel Zwicker for the great photos from her family maple syrup operation!

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!

Winter Visitor

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

This woodpecker was pecking away in our yard when we got home the other day! We can see he has been working on a couple of the coniferous trees in our yard by the fresh wood chips on the snow.

It really is neat to see a pileated woodpecker. They are large birds (up to 47cm tall!) and are quite striking with their red tufts atop their heads and white and black markings around their eyes and neck.

I've posted before about the importance of cavity trees in our woodlots. Pileated woodpeckers require snags (standing dead trees) for habitat, like the white spruce below. All the needles and much of the bark have fallen off. There are two in a row that are similar and the woodpecker seems to like them both!

There are also often wood-boring insects who are feasting on the dead tree, which in turn make a tasty feast for the pileated woodpecker. By eating large numbers of these insects, pileated woodpeckers also help to control insect populations that can damage valuable trees- commercially important or otherwise.

Pileated woodpeckers excavate cavities in snags that can be used for nesting and roosting. They are usually long oval or rectangle shaped holes in the tree. I went out the next day to see the work of this particular bird:

Pileated woodpeckers often abandon the cavities they create. These abandoned cavities make high quality nesting and refuge habitat for other species like wood ducks and squirrels.

Keep your ears open for the tapping of a pileated woodpecker this winter. If you can find where it is, you have a good chance of catching it at work- and helping to keep the forest healthy.

Inspiration: 3 Generations of Stewardship

Good land stewardship runs deep in the Dutton family- and that of his wife, Barbara Dutton (née Longhurst). Her family was among the first settlers in the Windermere area, circa 1865, where they established a farm. A drive through the Windermere area tells stories of long established farmed meadowlands mixed in with the typical Muskoka lakes, pines, and granite.

The Longhurst family continues to farm in the Windermere area, but the Duttons took a different approach to land stewardship. “Each generation has their own part to play in the stewardship of our land. But the underlying set of values stays the same and is transferred from one generation on to the next” says John Dutton.

Ready to retire, the Duttons moved to Barbara’s grandmothers’ house near Windermere that was built in 1932. They eventually ran a Bed & Breakfast for eleven years. For their part, they envisioned continuing with Barbara’s family’s vision to steward the land. While not farmers, the values that were passed on through her family gave them a keen interest in private land stewardship.

The Duttons first became involved in the Stewardship Program in 1994. “It was important to us to be participants in the Muskoka Stewardship Program so we could preserve our property for our children. Handing the property down through each generation establishes a sense of inherent value in our family” says John Dutton.

Running the Bed & Breakfast allowed guests to experience the diverse habitat types, flora and fauna found on the Dutton’s 31 acre parcel of land. It also motivated the Duttons to focus on the stewardship of their land to enhance and preserve the natural systems that exist there.

During the first visit from the Muskoka Stewardship Program in 1994, the Duttons identified several initiatives that were important to them in their stewardship plan. These included maintaining existing and creating new trails, trail interpretive signs, learning more about the natural features of their property, continuing to extract small amounts of timber, and haying a small field.

Chris Near, a volunteer Master Steward, visited the Dutton property this summer as part of the new Stewardship Program: “When I met with the Duttons and walked their property I quickly became aware of their past efforts and future potential as stewards of their land.” Since the 1990s, John Dutton has expanded the trail system in order to gain better accessibility of the property and to appreciate the birds, wildlife, and unique land formations of the property.

One of the trails leads to a 3-acre portion of the property that is harvested for grain every couple of years. The trail system and this field are recognitions of Barbara’s family farming roots in the area and a way for John’s son and grandson to become involved in the stewardship of the property. Passing the land down to his son and grandson “creates a Trust for the family. They help with maintaining the property and learn about it and it becomes important to them” says John Dutton. Master Steward, Chris Near agrees and adds that “the Dutton’s land will also benefit from the knowledge that one generation is passing on to the next.”

The values of conservation and preservation are echoed by Jonathan (son) and Michael (grandson); the generations who are growing up on the land and envisioning their own ideas for stewardship. Michael is interested in maintaining the trail system and planting some trees. Although he admits it is hard to articulate, he values the strong family connection that he feels when visiting his grandparent’s property: “It is calming and peaceful to visit there, and I feel at home there.”

Jonathan notes that his parents have “passed on an active interest in the property. They have researched and learned so much about wildlife, for example, and shared that information and those stories with their kids.”

There is a long history of stewardship being passed on on this land. For John, Barbara and their family, the stewardship of their land has changed “how we value Muskoka as a whole. One leads into the other; the more we appreciate our 31 acres, the more we appreciate Muskoka” says John Dutton. For them, the family connection has given them a sense of how wonderful it is to have natural places that they can enjoy and steward.

Many landowners who participate in the Muskoka Stewardship program reflect on the importance of conservation on private land. John Dutton thinks “it is symbolic of our values. We want to preserve our property in a natural setting for generations to come.” Certainly, these are sentiments are representative of how many landowners in Muskoka feel about the region and their special piece of it.

The Dutton family has made a voluntary commitment to protect the rich and valuable natural heritage of their land by becoming part of the Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s Stewardship Program. The Foundation is helping them and many others to be better caretakers of the natural features that make Muskoka so special. If you and your family are interested in stewardship of your special piece of Muskoka, contact me.

The Muskoka Stewardship program is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Autumn Colour

The show of vibrant colours is nothing short of spectacular these days as we make our way along the roads and trails of Muskoka! We are so fortunate to live in and visit an area with one of the most splendid displays of fall colour anywhere in the world.

Ever wonder why the leaves change colours every fall?

Myths of leaf colour change:

• It does not occur because of frost. But, frost can disrupt the speed at which the leaves turn and halt colour transformation. Frost call kill the leaf and turn it brown.

Photo thanks to www.cottageblog.ca

Spring & Summer: trees are growing and turning green.

Fall: growth slows because of moisture levels, temperature, amount of stored energy in the roots, genetics. Systems begin to shut down as the tree prepares for winter dormancy

September 23rd (autumnal equinox): Days and nights are of equal length and thereafter the days are shorter and shorter. The sun's rays also become less direct and the air is cooler.

Autumn colour is a phenomenon that takes place within the leaves of a tree. Here's what happens:

• The lifelines between the leaves and the tree become blocked and the production of chlorophyll stops. The existing chlorophyll in the leaves slowly disappears as it is destroyed by sunlight.
• Throughout the summer, the green chlorophyll has been dormant, blocking out the other pigments, thus giving the leaves their green colour. Once the production of chlorophyll is halted, the leaves begin to show their true colours.
• As chlorophyll production ceases, other pigments become more dominant. Carotin helps with the orange colours and xanthrophyll is the yellow pigment.
• The leaves continue to change colour and reach their peak until the time just before the leaves fall. At the location where the leaf stem joins the branch of the tree, there is a separation layer. This is a layer of cells which gradually weaken, eventually causing the leaf to break off and fall.

Quick facts of leaf change:

• Colour change occurs on broad-leaved trees such as maple, oak, ash, and birch.
• These trees are also called "hardwoods" because most of them have wood which is quite hard, and "deciduous" because their leaves are shed each autumn.
• Trees that stay green all winter are "evergreen" or "coniferous" trees such as pine, spruce, hemlock, balsam, and cedar.
• Shedding their leaves actually protects the tree during winter. The leaves don't give off water (or transpire) when they are not on the tree, thus saving the tree from having the replace that water to keep the leaf alive.

Where in Muskoka is your favourite display of colour this year?

Cast your vote on the right or leave a comment!

Hike Up Your Tree I.D. IQ

How is your tree I.D?

I brushed up on my tree I.D. yesterday as I attended the first Nature Quest workshop of the summer, along with a few of the Master Stewards. The workshop was hosted by Mike Walsh, Tree Marker Instructor and retired Stewardship Coordinator for the Parry Sound Muskoka Stewardship Network.

Together, the group walked through the unmanaged forest of Arrowhead Provincial Park examining the trees for species, defects, potential growing stock, cavities and mast. We examined 25 trees in total; each tree giving us different insight into its value in a managed forest situation.

My favourite are the trees that are ideal cavity trees. Cavities are little nooks or holes where an animal has dug or burrowed into a tree. Cavities are used as habitat or places to escape bad weather or predators. Cavity trees have a high wildlife value and tree markers recommend leaving 6 cavity trees per hectare in your forest where the tree is at least 25 cm DBH (Diametre Breast Height).

The best kind of cavity tree is called C1. These trees are at least 25 cm DBH and have one of the following:

• Pileated woodpecker nest cavities
• Pileated woodpecker roost cavities
• Swift roost cavities
• Other woodpecker nest cavities
• Natural nest or den cavities

The next best, or a fair cavity tree, also is at least 25 cm DBH and has one of the following:

• Escape cavities
• Feeding cavities on the bole or major branches

We also learnt about common tree diseases in Ontario like black bark, punk knots, spine tooth fungus, frost cracks, and sugar maple borer. Some trees are able to heal themselves from the diseases and can still be valuable to a forest. Other diseases have air borne spores and can infect neighbouring trees so it is best to cut them down.

I have lots of information and pictures about tree defects and forest management at the office. Of course, the Resources section of the blog is also a good place to start. Contact me or check it out!

Learn more about cavities on the Ontario Woodlot Association website.

Didn't make it out yesterday? There are more workshops in the series! Check out the blog posting from June 23rd called "Nature Quest Stewardship Series" for more information.

Native Plants for your Property!

It's time again for the Muskoka Heritage Foundation's annual native tree and shrub sale!

{Encourage hummingbirds in your garden by planting perennials like Joe Pye weed}

Why choose native species?

• They are better adapted to the diverse weather and soil conditions of Muskoka
• They are more resistant to pests and diseases
• They provide excellent wildlife habitat
• They are better able to survive periods of drought
• They require little maintenance
• Most importantly: they help us reconnect with our natural heritage

The order form is now available at the MHF website. You must order ahead of the Saturday, May 15th pick-up date. Check out the website for pick-up times and locations. You can also find lots of information on the website about the growing conditions best suited to the native trees, shrubs, and plants we will be selling- like Joe Pye weed.

Check out the 'Stewardship Resources' page here on the blog to get more information about how to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden and tips for native species gardening. Look under the 'native species' and 'habitat' sections.

New for the sale for 2010: At the Bracebridge location only, short presentations will be given throughout the morning on native plant gardening and restoration. There will also be additional plant species for sale.

See you there!