May 22, 2015

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Monarch Butterfly. Photo by M. Shelton

Lake Management Planning

Balsam and Cameron Lake Management Plans get traction!

The Lake Management Plans for Balsam and Cameron Lake have been approved by the Kawartha Conservation Board of Directors as well as the Executive Liaison Group, and were presented to City of Kawartha Lakes Council on May 19th.

For more information about these, and our other Lake Management Plans visit: http://www.kawarthaconservation.com/watershed/management-plans

Entrance fees support revitalization of Ken Reid Conservation Area

Pay and Display machine coming to our most popular Area July 1st

Beginning July 1^st, 2015, we will begin charging a nominal entrance fee at Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay.

All revenue generated from charging entrance fees will be reinvested directly into the continued maintenance and development of Ken Reid Conservation Area. By paying a daily entry rate, users are helping us meet our growing costs of maintenance and improvements of roadways, trails, our off-leash dog park, and other infrastructure in this popular natural area.

As of July 1^st, when visitors enter the park they will find a pay and display machine

which will require them to deposit fees in order to receive a slip which they will then display in the windshield of their vehicles. The daily entrance rate will be $2.00 per vehicle, or visitors will have the option of purchasing an annual pass for $75.00. Annual passes will be available at our Administration Centre and online at www.kawarthaconservation.com beginning July 1^st.

Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!

Give your health a boost this weekend- Step into Nature!

Join Kawartha Conservation and partners for two local 'Healthy Hikes'

This weekend, the Ontario Headwaters Institute

along with Kawartha Conservation and other local partners will host two hikes along the Oak Ridges Moraine in The City of Kawartha Lakes to

encourage local residents to get active, spend time in nature, and engage in the current coordinated review of the province's Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and two other land use plans.

The hikes will take place at Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area on Saturday, May 23 and Fleetwood Creek Natural Area on Sunday, May 24 and are part of a 10-hike series called Headwater Hikes run by the Headwaters Institute.
For more information on the hikes visit: http://ontarioheadwaters.ca/hikes/.

These hikes also qualify as events under Conservation Ontario's Healthy Hikes program which challenges Ontarians to spend time hiking in our province's nearly 300 conservation areas and track their progress for a chance to win great prizes. Attending events boosts the chances of winning, since participants will earn 200 bonus points towards their challenge goal for taking part. You can learn more about Healthy Hikes, and register to participate at www.healthyhikes.ca.

Kawartha Conservation Foundation

For event details, RSVP info, and to learn the benefits of joining our Foundation, visit our Foundation webpage.

Stewardship

Blue Canoe- Passing the Paddle to Shoreline Residents

We hope you have heard about our Blue Canoe program! You may have even had the opportunity to meet a Blue Canoe crew while they were traveling dock-to-dock on your lake or at an event over the last several years. The Blue Canoe is a one of a kind program that has been spreading the word about shoreline and lake stewardship across our watershed.

The Blue Canoe will be out again this summer continuing to help shoreline landowners do their part in protecting our lakes. You can find more information - including where you can find the Blue Canoe this year on the program's website.

The Blue Canoe - Most Valuable Shoreline Steward Contest

What better way to enjoy leisure time on your lake but in your very own Blue Canoe? This year the Blue Canoe Team is holding a contest for active shoreline stewards. We want to inspire and provide incentive to shoreline residents to implement Best Management Practices on their properties. The projects will be judged based on contributions to shoreline naturalization and the reduction of negative environmental impacts.

If you have property on Balsam, Cameron, Canal, Four Mile, Head, Mitchell, Pigeon, Scugog, Shadow or Sturgeon Lake you may be eligible to win the grand prize - your very own Blue Canoe with paddles! You could also win one of the great runner-up prizes! All you have to do is tell us about the great shoreline stewardship work you are doing this year.

A huge thanks to Paluski Boats, who donated the canoe for the contest!

The Blue Canoe Most Valuable Shoreline Steward Contest is open now until September 30, 2015, and entering the contest is easy! For information, including contest rules, and tips and how to enter, visit the Blue Canoe website, or call (705) 328-2271 ext 239.

Seedling Distribution a Success!

Ontario Woodlot Association Members lending a hand with seedling distribution.

Kawartha Conservation would like to thank our partners at the Ontario Woodlot Association for their support in helping to make our 2015 tree seedling distribution a success!

18,989 tree and shrub seedlings and native grass plugs were sold this year, and will be used for stewardship projects such as shoreline naturalization and rural reforestation on private land across the watershed.

Visit our website to learn more about our seeding distribution program and how you can get engaged in our 2016 program!

Job opportunities

We're pleased to offer the following position working across the watershed from our office in Ken Reid Conservation Area! Come join our team!

Seasonal positions

Lake Stewardship Technical Assistant - Immediate Opening
Apply by May 24, 2015

See our website for details.