Winter News

Nature news from Marsh's Falls

Foundation volunteers Rick and Kelly Stronks walked the Marsh’s Falls Nature Reserve First Hike of the Year on January 1! Despite a few falling snowflakes, they found none on the ground.

Bird activity, on the other hand, was surprisingly active. This is likely due to unusually abundant seed and berry production on spruce, pine, birch and maple trees. The result was high finch numbers in many regions including Lake of Bays. Rick and Kelly saw Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills, Purple Finches and had the pleasure of hearing the birds’ treetop chatter as they meandered through the woods.

We often wonder where the wolves are, whether near our homes or in other Lake of Bays locations. Thanks to the Marsh’s Falls monitoring camera – as the above photo illustrates – we have now ‘captured’ a wolf on the property. And, where there’s one wolf there’s probably a pack! This is exciting news, and evidence of a thriving wildlife ecosystem. We’ll have more to report on this in the next newsletter.

When walking the trails of Marsh’s Falls Nature Reserve (MFNR), you might notice that someone recently cut down some healthy-looking pine trees. Don’t worry this was done for a reason. In early November, volunteers identified and cut down some twenty Scots Pine, an invasive non-native species. This is part of the MFNR management plan, which aims to help the White Pine/Red Pine woods naturally evolve into an old growth forest. Part or this entails monitoring and removing invasive species. So, thank you to the volunteers who helped us achieve this long-term goal!

Some additional trail markers that have been added to better mark the trails. In December, four volunteers installed the new markers which were sourced from an Ontario company. Although the new markers are different from the original markers, the trails are still colour coded to indicate which trail you are hiking.

If you are interested in using the trails please register your visit here. You will receive an email with a trail map, details on where to park and information on the nature reserve. Registering is important for liability reasons as well as the collection of data for grant applications. Enjoy walking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Motorized vehicles (snowmobiles), fires and pets are prohibited.

Thank you to our donors

Every November we send a letter to our members and supporters that summarizes the Foundation’s achievements and describes our plans for the upcoming year. The letter also requests donations to support our conservation, stewardship and educational programs that protect the Lake of Bays natural and community heritage. We thank the many donors who have responded so generously and extend a warm welcome to our new and renewing members.

The Foundation’s bylaw states that anyone who donates $40 is an annual member for the calendar year. Any individual or couple who donates $1000 or more in any one year becomes a permanent Life Member. There are various levels of permanent membership based on cumulative donations.

We acknowledge the following permanent members who recently made significant donations:

Margaret and John Casey

John & Ann Chamberlain

Joan Decarie and Bill Howson

Jason and Audrey DeZwirek

David and Stephanie Keeley

Joan and Bob Lehman

Tracey Macey and David Ticoll

Ross MacKinnon (new Protector)

Mark and Judy McLean

Andrea Moffat

Al and Carolyn Paterson

Dayle and Tom Pinckard

Jeff and Beth Richmond (new Protectors)

Janice Robertson

John and Diane Saunders

Alvin and Cindy Stark

Jennifer Wiser

And, welcome to the following new Life members:
Graeme Eadie and Louise Ball

Eric Duiker

John Kneale and Cheryl Coull

Murray and Anne Malott