Friday Nov. 20, 2015 from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
New Location! Batawa Community Centre at 81 Plant St., Batawa (north of Trenton)
Admission: $30 includes lunch
 
Download brochure or visit www.hastingsstewardship.ca to register by November 14.
For more info, contact Hastings Stewardship at 613 391 9034 or [email protected]
 
Conference Highlights:
Field Trips on site at Batawa ski hill: Geology & Biology ∙ Forest Bathing ∙ Forest Management
 
Michael Runtz –The Secret Life of a Forest
Not all of what goes on in a forest is visible to the eye.  Join Michael Runtz for a highly visual tour of the myriad living things and their interactions in our woodlands. Discover surprising and hidden aspects of this remarkable habitat.
 
Michael Runtz is one of Canada’s most highly respected naturalists, nature photographers, and natural history authors. More than 40,000 students have enjoyed his Natural History course, televised from Carleton University.
 
Mark Stabb – Ontario’s Biodiversity: Is Nature on the Run? – The Ontario Biodiversity Strategy and related Conservation and Community Actions
Acre by acre (OK, hectares), private landowners contribute directly to nature conservation through short-term actions and long-term plans. Mark’s presentation will demonstrate how these efforts fit into the big picture of global biodiversity conservation, in the context of woodlots and rural lands. Mark will illustrate the state of biodiversity in the region, with a focus on forests.
 
Mark Stabb is the Central Ontario program director with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), and he oversees numerous conservation projects. Previously, Mark worked as a biologist and park planner for the Ontario government, a teacher at Algonquin College, and a Wetlands program manager.
 
Rob Johnson – Green Legacy Programme
Rob Johnson is currently the manager of the Green Legacy Tree Nursery, a community based nursery that grows trees to improve the forest cover of the County of Wellington.
 
Rob will give an overview of the Green Legacy Programme - the largest municipal tree planting program in North America – providing over 160,000 trees a year. Rob will explain many ways to utilize trees on the farm, principles of permaculture, intercropping, silvo pasturing, and commercial varieties of fruit and nut trees.
 
Eleanor Thomson – Botany in your Woodlot
Eleanor is with E. R. Thomson Botanical Surveys and Ontario Field Botanists

Listen to Sarah Walsh, Director of Land Conservation for A2A partner, the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT), on North Country Public Radio, discussing the importance of conservation in the A2A region and connectivity along the Frontenac Arch as she walks along the new TILT trail through the Otter Creek Preserve.

Listen here.
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Join in October 23, 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., for a fun all-hands-on-deck chemical free invasive plant removal day! Help Ontario Nature staff and community volunteers pull invasive garlic mustard, preventing the weed from taking hold in the beautiful Lost Bay Nature Reserve. Meet Ontario Nature staff for environmental education activities and a nature walk in the morning, then join in the pull with guidance from the conservation staff. We will take precautions to prevent the spread of seeds during the pull.

Schedule:

• 10:30am-11:30am Lost Bay Nature Reserve hike
• 11:30am-12:00 bring your own bag lunch
• 12:00-3:00pm Volunteer garlic mustard pull

The event is free to the public and will take place rain or shine. Children age 10 and older are welcome.
Please bring warm layers that can get dirty, rain gear, garden gloves, a bag lunch and a water bottle. Snacks and refill water will be provided. RSVP to Dana at [email protected] or just show up at 10:30. If required, Dana’s phone number, for the day of, is 647-471-2589.

Directions and Location: To Lost Bay Lane from Kingston: Come east on the 401 to  Gananoque.  Take the 2nd exit onto Hwy 2, turning left (east) at the stop light at the bottom of the ramp.  Continue past the tiny village of Wilstead (about 5 km.) and a bit later turn left on the Kyes Rd.  (just past a green house on the left with a large weeping willow tree.)  Go north over the railroad tracks, and past the first 4 way intersection until the road takes a sharp turn to the right.   Just after that you will turn left on the Russell Road (north). Stay on it past the first 4 way intersection at Sand Bay Corners, where the road’s name changes to Black Rapids Road. Once  on Black Rapids the first possible turn to the left is Lost Bay Lane. There is Y in the road just before the place where the Garlic Mustard patch is. Keep left. You’ll spot some raspberry canes on the left and then a garden on the north and south sides of the road. Park your cars just beyond them on the side of the road.