VOLUME 25 NUMBER 1

WINTER 2016

If summer is the season of plenty with insects, leaves, berries and nuts all available to wildlife in abundance, then winter is the season of privation. Most insectivo-rous birds migrate to warmer climes where insects remain active, yet, mammals as different as chip-munks, bears and bats each slow down their metabo-lisms and sleep away the winter (depending on their stored fat). In this season of low food availability, should humans “help” wildlife by providing extra food?

Based on considerable research, the answer for deer is, in most circumstances, an unequivocal no. Like mammals that sleep away the winter, deer too slow down their metabolisms so that they need less food to survive in winter than in summer. Feeding deer in the fall fools them into thinking that summer is end-less and a high metabolism is no problem. Of course, it is a problem if the artificial food ceases to be avail-able and it is also a problem because the deer will eat more of their natural winter foods (last year’s growth on shrubs and low trees) potentially damaging their habitat. Beginning to feed deer later in the winter is also problematic. A deer used to a diet of dry twigs can have great trouble digesting suddenly available grain, resulting in diarrhea and reduced good health. The only time that providing deer with extra food may be helpful is in a winter with exceptionally deep snow that restricts movement to food sources. Even then, it is likely best to let nature take its course.

The picture for feeding birds is much less clear. Pro-viding extra food likely does help some birds make it through the winter though there is no real proof. Some British researchers have speculated that bird feeding could be driving natural selection but they provide no specific evidence and many of the studies cited were from areas with much higher densities of feeders than occur in Muskoka. The primary potential disadvantage of feeding birds is the potential for dis-ease transmission. The best known disease is house finch eye disease which, as its name suggests, affects mainly house finches (rare in Muskoka). The only

other disease that has been recorded among feeder birds with any regularity is salmonellosis (essentially food poisoning) and even this disease is not very com-mon.

The best way to guard against disease transmission is to disinfect feeders regularly. Clean any food or drop-pings off the feeder and disinfect with a solution of one part liquid chlorine household bleach to nine parts warm water. After two or three minutes in the disinfectant solution, rinse and allow feeders to air dry before refilling.

As a final note, feeding birds in the warmer months in

Muskoka is definitely not a good idea unless you are

interested in seeing a bear up close and personal.

By Margaret McLaren

Muskoka Conservancy’s annual Native Plant Sale will be held on May 7th, 2016. Plants can be picked up at the usual locations: the MNRF warehouse in Brace-bridge and Avery Beach Park in Huntsville. A list of plants for ordering will be available in March and online ordering will begin late March or early April. There will be a variety of native potted or bare root perennials, trees and shrubs.

Scott Young

Like many of you, I like to take a sunny trip in winter.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a nature re-serve in a remote corner of a tiny Caribbean island. True to the national slogan, the reserve was “beautiful by nature.” Pockets of sand surrounded by cliffs of rugged iron shore topped by an osprey nest. Stunning crystal blue water lapped the mangroves, a nursery for reef fish and other juvenile marine life. Inland was a wild mix of flowering trees, scrub and cactus. Caves revealed bands of conch shell deposits thousands of years old. But what truly astonished me was that this nature reserve, part of the country’s National Park system, is at the centre of a boiling controversy in which the government proposes to remove it from the park system to create a development zone.

24-hours later, with sweeping aerial night views of endless Toronto suburbs on my mind and a few grains of sand remaining between my toes, I traded the snor-kel and fins for cross country skis. On a trail through snow covered trees on beautiful Muskoka Crown land, I listened as the twittering of tiny birds was drowned by the roar of a heavy transport truck on Highway 11.

Anthropocene mindbender! The economics alone!

Unsustainable population growth, inappropriate de-velopment, climate change, fragmentation by roads, and invasive species—there’s no hiding from the pres-sure cracks on a tiny tropical island. Here in gigantic Canada, the issues may be less obvious, but a healthy natural environment is far from guaranteed. Careful planning, low-carbon energy, Crown land, Provincial and National Parks are important components to any solution, and so too is the nation-wide fabric of land trust organizations like Muskoka Conservancy.

So yes, I like to take a sunny trip. I drive on roads to get to the lake. I know the issues and I know there are no easy solutions. I am certainly no environmental Saint, and I guess we are all part of the problem to varying degrees. But for you, the supporters, donors, volunteers and directors of Muskoka Conservancy, you with your private land stewardship, tea-towel sales and Little Sprouts Eco Club, please do this: feel good that you are a big part of the solution. And thank you for that.

Since 2013, the Muskoka Conservancy has sponsored a photo contest to promote and celebrate Muskoka and surrounding area. Winners are awarded the Mi-chael Foster award, which includes a framed archival print of the winning photograph.

Who May Enter: The contest is open to any non-professional photographer. There are two categories available: Youth: people under 16 years on January 1, 2016, and Adult: amateur photographer 16 years old or older. Entries must be at least 300 dpi, and must be submitted by the original photographer and sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2016.

This year’s theme is “What Muskoka means to you”.

We are looking for images of Muskoka and surround-ing area that represent the natural or built environ-ments, that demonstrate the unique beauty of the area, with subjects such as buildings, habitats or events that demonstrate this year’s theme.

Check our website for more details!

http://muskokaconservancy.org/photocontest/

February 20: Gravenhurst Winter Carnival: See Mus-koka Conservancy’s entry in the bed race!

Date TBA: Nature Quest snowshoe hike

April 22: Earth Day. Stay tuned for events

June 4: Muskoka Conservancy Annual General Meeting at Windermere Golf & Country Club

What began last July as a handful of Gravenhurst parents and their children wanting to discuss how to create a more eco-friendly future, has grown to an abundant online com-munity of 119 environmentally savvy parents from all over Muskoka. All of these parents are following along and par-ticipating in our program online, while a growing number are attending our monthly meetings and outings.

This past month the group focused on reusing items, and, on January 2nd in Bracebridge, 24 children received their sticker for completing this task. The group has now moved onto saving energy for the month of January and met on January 31st in Gravenhurst to discuss what their Little Sprouts have learned.

The Little Sprouts program is about so much more than just learning to be eco-friendly. The children, though young, are learning to speak publicly about their ideas in a welcoming environment. Most children are ages three to seven in the group, are already creating lifelong habits like recycling and composting, and are sharing their knowledge with their families, schools and other social groups. Being a Little Sprout is about learning to live sustainably, caring for

our natural habitats and learning how to protect our re-sources for future generations.

If you would like to learn more about the Little Sprouts program, join the Facebook group Little Sprouts Eco-Club in Muskoka, email Christina Hunter at chris-tina@muskokaconservancy.org or call Muskoka Conser-vancy’s office at 705-645-7393

Little Sprouts receiving their re-use stickers on January 2nd.

At Muskoka Conservancy we’ve been listening to our mem-bers and the message we’re getting is clear: donors want to be assured that their money will be put directly toward our mission of protecting and caring for Muskoka’s natural spaces. For an executive director, this is great news! Nothing would make me happier than to direct more dollars to cre-ating nature reserves and inspiring people to care about Muskoka through outdoor experiences.

Honestly, the fewer hours and dollars we pump into paper work and fundraising, the better. We’d rather be out there with you, saving a wetland, leading a Nature Quest or inspir-ing more kids in our Little Sprouts program.

Yes, there are always going to be administrative costs to operate a land trust. And yes, effort will be required to gen-erate the necessary funds. We know we need to get the most out of each dollar. That’s why we’ve introduced a monthly giving option.

The Monthly Giving Program targets our supporters who decisively want to maximize the efficiency of their donation. It also has the miraculous benefit that we don’t ask you to donate so often.

According to relationship building/fundraising specialist Har-vey Mackinnon, monthly giving has numerous benefits:

Makes sense for donors – monthly giving is relatively easy for donors who are typically already set up for a variety of monthly payments. And because donors are able to give smaller amounts monthly, it can be easier to swallow than writing a single cheque once a year.

Lowers administration costs — monthly donations are processed automatically, so staff and volunteers don’t need to continually solicit donors. This translates into reduced communications, marketing, and administrative costs.

Builds better relationships – monthly giving means we can stop always asking donors for money, and instead report back on how their gifts have made a real differ-ence to the program and the mission of the organization.

The efficiency of donating through CanadaHelps drastically reduces paperwork by automatically producing charitable receipts. Well, now we’re getting somewhere!

That’s why I am a monthly donor, and I encourage all our members to sign up for our monthly giving plan using CanadaHelps. It is the most efficient use of your charitable dollars. Simply go to www.muskokaconservancy.org, and look for the butterfly button to donate, click on Canada-Helps, and choose the monthly giving option.

By Scott Young

Muskoka Conservancy is fortunate to have many dedi-cated and talented volunteers. This month we would like to recognize and thank Elaine Loberg for the wonderful things she does for the Conservancy. If you visited the office last summer and noticed how stunning the gardens looked, that was thanks to Elaine. If you attended the Christmas Open House and noticed the attractive way that the front office was set up, that too was thanks to Elaine. For several years now, Elaine has been responsible for the layout of the displays at the Annual General Meet-ing and, in addition to all of this, she is a recorder for the Technical Advisory Group, which assesses potential prop-erties offered to the Conservancy. When asked why she does all this, Elaine replied:

“The Muskoka Conservancy promotes the ideals that I stand for, which most importantly is respect for the natu-ral world and its beauty. The earth is a sacred space and our only space, and we must respect the land we walk on. Water is sacred and means life to every-thing on earth. We must understand that we are only here for a short time and we must take care of our natural environment. Even the simplest task, such as planting a tree, demonstrates that we are acting responsibly. A poet once said, ‘when you plant a tree, you plant a hope.’ This belief is ingrained in me as part of my ancestral heritage.

“Wayland Drew was also my mentor. In his novel Halfway Man he talks about the wilderness. Going into the wilder-ness is where healing is and sanity. When you go into the

land, you go into yourself. Things get clarified in the world. That is why wise people go back in when they are troubled.

“I live by my beliefs. We must honour and respect our natural world. It is a sacred space. The Conservancy allows me to spread and experience this love of Mother Nature. Whatever I can do to help, I will be there.”

Thank you for all you do Elaine! We couldn't do it without you!

According to a news release by the MNRF in November 2015, invasive species are defined as “harmful alien species whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the econ-omy or society, including human health”. Globally, costs to the environment, agriculture and communities from invasive species are estimated to be $1.4 trillion — the equivalent of five per cent of the global economy and seven times the cost of natural disasters. In Muskoka, invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed and Phragmites threaten our natural environment. The new Ontario Invasive Species Act received Royal assent on November 3, 2015. The new Act will:

Give Ontario the tools to ban the possession and trans-portation of certain invasive species

Allow for earlier intervention and rapid response to keep invasive species from spreading, for example by prevent-ing the movement of contaminated firewood

Help ensure compliance through modernized inspection and enforcement measures.

Purchase your Mus-koka Roastery Coffee from The Shop at Muskoka Conser-vancy! One pound bags are $16 and all proceeds go towards supporting our work!

MUSKOKA CONSERVANCY STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT YOUNG PROPERTY MANGEMENT COORDINATOR JENN LEMESURIER

MUSKOKA CONSERVANCY OFFICERS

PRESIDENT ISOBEL HEATHCOTE PAST PRESIDENT ALLYN ABBOTT VICE PRESIDENT TOM CLARK VICE PRESIDENT JOHN BURTON

RUSS BLACK WILLIAM CLARK JOHN FINLEY

PETER GOERING ELIZABETH MASON ELIZA NEVIN

ROB PURVES GEORGE SNIDER

HONORARY DIRECTORS

CHRIS BLAYMIRES CARL CORBETT KIM HORRIGAN

CHRISTINA HUNTER MARG MCLAREN NORM MOFFAT

JEAN POLAK LORI SILD CYNTHIA SMITH

DIRECTORS