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Nature League INCORPORATED AS SENIOR LEAGUE ENDOWMENT SOCIETY OF COLLINGWOOD WINTER ISSUE 2013/14

pot-luck SupperTuesday, December 3rdAll Saints Anglican Church32 Elgin Street, CollingwoodSocial: 6pm. Buffet: 7pm.Xmas carol singalong. Bring a food dish of at least 8 - 10 servings. Everything else provided.A donation of $8 p.p.towards costs would be appreciated.

HighlightsYour Directors wish all Nature League members a memorable Christmas season and a crisp, snowy winter.

AGM

The AGM was held on Wednesday,Sept 11th at the United Church in Collingwood; 52 members present.Guest speaker Sheila Colla spoke on the plight of bees.

Clare Capon, President, reported these highlights:-* Nature League trail signs (3) in place at Harbourview Park.* Nature League supported 3 secondary school students ( CCI, SCI, & GBSC ).

Welcome to Winter❄ ❄❄ ❄❄

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* Sponsored a student for the Ontario Nature’s Summer Leadership Program. * Donated $1000.00 to NVCA towards purchase of land at Minesing Wetlands. * Trip to Tobermory a great success.* Making a difference with annual garlic mustard pull. * New “ Rack/Purse’ card introduced.

* Departing Directors:- Esmonde Clarke, Dan Hennessy, and Nancy Tully-Peever thanked for their service

Who are these gazers?See page 2

Photo from last year’sPot-Luck SupperDon, Ann & Vanda

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Nature Leaguers: * Learning * Doing * SocializingThank you to Program co-ordinator Esmonde Clarke and the many activity leaders and volunteers.

Front puzzle revealed Jean, Zaiga, Leny & Annie

Grant, Joan and Don Kerr

First fall walk (Hens & Chickens)

Crystal Buffet

Welcome new Directors

Left; Joan LatimerJanet Howden & seated RosemarieBeldowskiWalters Falls

The Pine River Gang

Great food at the AGM

Blueberry Trails Esmonde, Zaiga & Annie

Making a difference Celebrating Conservation in Minesing Wetlands N/L & Ontario Nature’s 2013 Youth Summit

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Noa Bridson withRob Stewart, the keynote speaker and filmmaker of“Sharkwater”and“ Revolution”

Clare & Byron Wesson at the sign unveiling

The Clarence Smith Nature reserveThe NVCA and Nature Conservancy of Canada have been working to secure a 200 acre property on the edge of the fen within Minesing Wetlands. This summer a request for help was sent out to partners including the Nature League, as well as private donors for donations to purchase the property. An amount of $1,000 was given by the Nature League. With help of Friends of Minesing and foundations the amount has been realized to secure the property. Clare and John Capon with members of the Clarence Smith family, NVCA, Friends of Minesing and other private donors attended the official unveiling of the sign.

Nature League Environmental AwardsThe Nature League, again this year, provided 3 - $300.00awards to graduating students at local secondary schools.A $300.00 Environmental Award was made available at each of Collingwood Collegiate Institute, Georgian BaySecondary School (Meaford) and Stayner Collegiate Institute. The Award is presented to a graduating student who has shown a “passion for the environment” during high school years & who will be pursuing further studies in Nature/Environment at University or College.

Environmental Award WinnersCollingwood Collegiate Institute: Vestie Soars......is attending the University of Guelph in the Bachelor ofScience in Envrionmental Sciences program. Community activity included a month long environmental youth group program & working with NVCA.

Stayner Collegiate Institute: Taylor Kennedy... ...is attending Fleming College in Lindsay in the Ecosys-tem management Technician program. ( also received the Brentwood Horticultural Society award - pursuing studies in the Environment ). Note: School program included“Specialist high skills major in the environment”.

Award Winners Geogian Bay Secondary School ( Meaford ): Brittany Smith... (seen here at Jasper National Park) ...is attending the University of Northern British Columbia in the BSc in Natural Resources Management - Outdoor Recre- ation & Conservation program. School/Community activities included participation in the club “Pursuits” - science, nutrition, recreational leadership & aboriginal studies; Transition Town Meaford -ensuring environmental sustainability within the community & con-necting those ideas & common green initiatives.Participation in the completion of an Ontario EcoSchool environmental audit of G.B.S.S., creating a future environ-mental plan for the the school, was a highlight.

Sponsored by the Nature league, Noa Bridson ofCollingwood Collegiate, attended Ontario Nature’s 2013Youth Summit for Biodiversity & Green Solutions. The Summit, featuring numerous workshops and hands on activities, is designed to help young Ontarians become environmental leaders in their own community. It was held on Sept. 20-22 at Geneva Park in Orillia.Selected by her teachers as a young naturalist with a “passion for her community,”Noa is currently in grade 12 at C.C.I. Founder and president of the environmental club, Earth Link & board member of Environment Network.

Excerpts from Noa’s letter of gratitude to the Nature League

“ Though it was only a weekend long, I made friendships that will last a lifetime.”“All workshops were both inspir-ing & educational and gave me insight on how I could help make improvements within my own community.” “I would like to give a tremendous thank you for sponsor-ing me to go to this amazing event and all the hard work that many different people put into making this experience so life changing.”

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“Glimpses: Treasure / Garage Sale Fundraiser”

NATURE LEAGUE P.O. BOX 572, COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO L9Y 4E8

Despite the weather, our September 21st fundraising sale added $1,800 to the Nature League coffers.A special thank you to committeemembers: Jill Clifford, Sue Mason,Joan Latimer, Shirley Wilson andMary Ellen Walker. Also thanks toAnnie McGouran and John Caponfor their project contribution.

The Nature League Website is now available, visit us at: www.natureleague.ca. Your comments are welcome. Just click on the “Contact Us” tab.

Fundraising Project

N/L member Annie McGouran has created an environmentally friendly fundraising project to support the Nature League’s mission and to honour her late friend, Stephen Salaff, a Canadian Environmental writer.

Annie sources discontinued wallpa-pers from local retailers and creates one-of-a-kind envelopes. They are hand cut with inserts featuring eye popping colours such as cobalt, poppy, raspberry, jade and orange.

Re-purposing wallpaper has a posi-tive environmental impact. As the inks and dyes can’t be separated from the paper it ends up in landfill. Furthermore, wallpaper is subject to aerobic decomposition producing methane gas.

Available in floral, vintage, geometric and contemporary designs in card and notelet sizes suitable for invita-tions, thank you or gift cards.

The envelopes contain cards with detailed woodcuts of threatened Ontario species, of birds, fish, plants & mammals carved by John Capon, N/L member. The back of each card details the plight of the species pictured on the front.

This initiative was successfully launched at the September 21st N/LTreasure Sale in Craigleith where Na-ture League members and members of the public purchased more than $300 worth of Annie’s wallpaper en-velopes with John’s cards. Proceedsfrom this initiative will enable a localstudent to attend the 2014 OntarioNature Summer Camp.

To enquire about purchasing these unique, decorative, recycled, wallpaper envelopes and cards, please contact Annie at;amcgouran@rogers.com

Zaiga with “furry friend”Annie’s envelopes & cards

Janet explains pricing to Jean May Reynolds “eyes” the great baked goods

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Treasured committee: top insert, Mary Ellen Walker, from left: Joan latimer, Jill Clifford, Sue Mason & Shirley Wilson. Hilka Horvat looks on.

N.PEEVER & A McGOURAN Photo credits; Raymond Smemanis and Gary Cauthers

Winter Activities 2014

The start of each outing is targetedfor 10:30 A.M. and will last approxi-mately 2 hours. Bring your own lunch and a beverage for “Soup’s On”. If available, carry a cell phone and a local emergency number. No Pets.

PLEASE NOTE: No car pooling at Metro. Please be on time at the meeting place.

PLEASE NOTE: If road conditions are bad it is imperative to check with the leader by 9:00 a.m. before setting out as the outing may be cancelled. If there is no snow, we will still gather at the meet-ing point to walk and for “Soup’s On”.

If you need a ride please contact the co-ordinators:

Collingwood: Clare Capon 705-446-9874Wasaga Beach: Carole Hill 705-429-2869

Note: All members and non-members must sign a waiver form before they start, releasing the Nature League from any liability related to the ski or snow-shoeing activity.

Wasaga Nordic Blueberry Trails

Take Hwy. 92 east through Wasaga Beach to traffic lights before the bridge (plaza on right with McDonalds, Tim Hortons.) Cross the bridge to River Rd. W. and proceed. Turn right at sign for Wasaga Nordic, go short distance to Wasaga Nordic sign. Park in lot. Ski/snowshoe fee required. Soup’s on at 10 Mulligan Lane, Unit 9, Wasaga Beach. Hosts: Nancy & Grant Peever 705-429-5817 & Carole Hill 705-429-2869

Loree ForestTake Grey Ct. Rd. 2 south from Hwy. 26 to Victoria Corners. Turn left on 21st Sideroad to Loree Forest entrance. Park on north side of road. Ski/snowshoe. Leader: Clare Capon 705-446-9874. Soup’s on at the Capons’ 288 Sixth Street, Collingwood. (Take Sixth St. East we are after Cedar street to just before Oak St. on South side).

JAN 22ND

JAN 8TH

JAN 29TH

FEB 12TH

FEB 19TH

Nottawasaga Bluffs

Go south and west on Hwy 124 to Singhampton. Turn left on Milltown Rd. (sign Nottawasaga Bluffs CA).Then left at Ewing Dr., then left at signNottawasaga Bluffs. Parking area on right. Ski/snowshoe. Leader: Esmonde Clarke 705-466-3483. Soup’s on at Sharon & Peter Longs’ 8849 Nottawasaga Sideroad 12/13 705-466-5693

Osler Bluff Ski Club

795534 Osler Bluff Rd. south of Poplar Sideroad. Hostess: Twylla-Faye Tassie Goad. Activities: Alpine ski: $69 incl.tax for the day. Snowshoe, cross coun-try ski- free. Anyone wishing to ski Alpine please advise Twylla-Faye at 705-444-0303. Meet at main entrance of the clubhouse at 10:00 a.m. to register. Advise Esmonde Clarke 705-466-3483 by 10:00 a.m. Jan 28th if planning to at-tend. Soup’s On at Twylla-Faye’s chalet 129 Valley Rd. at 12:30. Bring lunch.

Rail Trail, Stayner-Collingwood

Follow Hwy. 26 south from new traf-fic circle at Wasaga Beach to Sideroad 27/28. Turn right, continue about 0.5 kms. to Rail R.O.W and park at the side of the road. Ski/snowshoe. Leader: Jim Richardson 705-445-2613. Soup’s On at Zaiga and Raymond Smemanis’ 14 Williams St., Collingwood 705-293-0350

Scenic CavesTake Grey Rd. 19 (Mountain Rd.) to traffic circle at Blue Mt. Ski Hills & follow Scenic Caves Rd. approx: 2.4 kms. to parking lot for Scenic Caves. Ski/snowshoe, fee required. Leader: Esmonde Clarke :705-466-3483. Soup’s On at Rosemarie & Karol Bel-dowskis’ 304 Holden St. Collingwood 705-443-8812

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FEB 5TH

JAN 15TH

Loree Forest

See route directions January 15th.

Leader: Bill Klein 705-445-9073. Soup’s on at Louisa Vaillancourt’s 19 Westwind Drive, Collingwood. 705-445-1955.

FEB 26THLora Bay Golf Course

From Thornbury proceed west on Hwy. 26 for approx: 7 kms. Turn right on Lora Bay Drive (Lora Bay golf course sign.) Drive to the round-about, turn right & then left into the clubhouse parking lot. Ski/snowshoe, mostly level. Leader: Lynda Eades 519-599-5842. Optional lunch at Grill & Greens, 21 Arthur St. W., Thornbury.

Welcome New Members

Susanne StarkDoug and Maria MitchellViv Alper Jerry Finczak

A Special ThankYou and Merry Christmas to ourvoluntary financial contributors.Your generosity is appreciated.

Membership Renewal. Just a reminder to those who have yet to renew their membership.We appreciate your continuing support.

Winter activities: Cross country Skiing & Snowshoeing

A Special Thank Youand Merry Christmas to our

voluntary financial contributors.Your generosity is

appreciated

Flash-freezing buds could save threatened trees

“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”These words, the first two lines of a famous poem written in 1892 by American Joyce Kilmer, express a sentiment embraced by most of those who live on planet earth.But trees are more than just a thing ofbeauty - they are, said renowned Canadian plant scientist PraveenSaxena, “the central power house thatruns the world.”

Today that power house is in decline.“Up to half of the world’s plants faceface extinction within three decadesfrom disease, pollution, climate change and other human activities,” Dr. Saxena said recently.

Scientists are racing to develop methods to save disappearing trees before time runs out. Saxena, a profes-sor at the University of Guelph, is in the forefront of this research.

Suspended animationIn June the university announced that Saxena will head a new facility where he and his team will continue their ground-breaking work in the field of cryopreservation of endangered tree species. This science is a complex and painstaking one. Simply put it involves flash-freezing the buds from survivor trees in liquid nitrogen and bank-ing them for future use. Years later when the tissue is warmed, growth will resume. In theory just one bud can produce a great many trees.

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BY JOAN LATIMER

100 year-old elm survivor. Photos courtesy University of Guelph

“Being able to store essentially a whole forest in a bunch of small vials - that’s a very powerful thing,” said Scott Merkle, a professor of forest forest biology at the University of Georgia.

Cryopreservation research is a costly endeavour. It is thanks to a 2-million dollar donation from Guelph philan-thropists Phillip and Susan Gosling, that the university is able to continue this work in a new, cutting-edge facility due to open this Fall in the Gosling Research Institute forPlant Preservation (GRIPP) located on the GuelphCampus.

The facility will focus on research toconserve rare and endangered Canadian native tree species and is based on the success Saxena’s team has had in developing methods toclone Amercan elm trees that appear to be resistant to Dutch Elm disease.

GRIPP was established in 2012 with the help of a $1.5million donation from the Goslings. The couple, distressedover the decline of American elm trees, offered financialaid to further the work of Guelph scientists seeking to create a disease resistant elm tree.

Cloning breakthroughLast March Dr. Saxena, along with Alan Sullivan and a team of researchers including Chunzhoa Liu, professor, Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing, found a way to-successfully clone American elm trees that had somehow survived repeated epidemics of their biggest killer- Dutch Elm Disease. The breakthrough is the first known use of invitro culture technology to clone buds of matureAmerican elms.

To create clones researchers had to first find survivor trees -no easy task since more than 95 per cent of the elms in Eastern Canada and the United States have been wiped out by Dutch Elm Disease.

They found one survivor right on their own campus - a century-old elm still thriving though its neighbours had withered and died. Clones from this sturdy tree and other equally hardy survivors, are among more than 3,000 specimens currently being tested for disease resistance.

Ash, Maples threatenedSaxena and his team are now developing cloning andcryopreservation technologies for other threatened tree species including Ash, Maple and Chestnut. They will also work on biodiversity conservation with leading institu-tions across Canada and internationally, including the renowned Kew Gardens in Britain.

“This is advanced science that can make a difference cul-turally and scientifically,” said University of Guelph vice president Kevin Hall.

Prof. Praveen Saxena

Hi all Nature League members

Since more and more information will be coming through the internet, please provide us with your e-mail address, unless you have already done so.If you have just acquired a new e-mail address or changed your mailing address, or have a new phone # please notify our treasurer.Migs Baker Telephone: 705 - 445 - 4097

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Visit our brand new websiteThe Nature League now has its own website.Members who would like to see the newsletter infull glorious colour, or to check our current events log on to: www.natureleague.ca

INCORPORATED AS SENIOR LEAGUE ENDOWMENT SOCIETY OF COLLINGWOODP.O. BOX 572 COLLINGWOOD. ONTARIO L9Y 4E8

VISIT US :- @www. natureleague.ca ( includes events/newsletter in colour )

CONTACT US @enquire@natureleague.ca or club president @ 705-446-9874 ( questions/membership info. )NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Nancy Tully Peever: ntpeever1@rogers.com Gary Cauthers: glcauthers@rogers.com John Capon: carvers.cottage@sympatico.ca Joan Latimer: joanlizlatimer@gmail.com

We need your help!Please let us know of any member who is ill at home or inhospital. Contact: Carole Hill: Tel.# 705-429-2869( e-mail carolevhill@sympatico.ca / copy Clare )or Clare Capon: Tel.# 705-446-9874( e-mail clare.capon@gmail.com / copy Carole )

Why not become aNature League member!

You can make a difference in your community-and you can enjoy yourself at the same time.

The Nature League fundraises to protect our environment and supports environmentaleducational awards.

It organizes both winter and summeroutdoor activities and runs social eventsthroughout the year.

Why not join us and get involved, contact usat: www. natureleague.ca

Nature LeagueP.O. BOX 572COLLINGWOOD, ONT. L9Y 4E8

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