Photo:  Raphael Kerem inside one of the yurts

Raphael and Tanya Kerem are the owners of Radiance of the Ordinary in Burridge, a century-old cheese factory they have transformed into their showroom, workshop and home, and where they create one of kind handmade books, brooms, furniture and other unique items.

Recently they expanded their business by offering nature lovers a unique way to camp in South Frontenac. Over the last few years the couple have created Kingsford Yurt Camp on a 12-acre property they own that borders Frontenac Provincial Park. On it they have set up two Mongolian yurts - one made and shipped directly from Mongolia and the second, built in the Mongolian style but designed and built by Raphael, who spent time in Mongolia specifically to learn how to construct these unique dwellings. Yurts are the nomadic homes of over 1.25 million Mongolians today.

Visitors have described the Kingsford Yurt Camp as a kind of Shangri-la paradise, and for good reason. The camp offers visitors a uniquely peaceful and serene natural sanctuary. Located in a picturesque riverfront forest setting and surrounded by towering white pines, the camp offers visitors a chance to experience nature with the added comfort, serenity and exotic magic intrinsic in these unique Mongolian dwellings - something Raphael was hoping to achieve when he initially decided to set up the camp. “This style of camping is not of the rough and ready sort. It's much more comfortable and cozy, somewhere between camping and being at home - the difference being that you still feel that the outdoors is very close at hand. You can hear the rain on the roof and babbling of the brook while enjoying the comfort and peace that a yurt has to offer,” he said.

The yurt is a circular structure with a 19-foot diameter, which typically houses a family of five in Mongolia. It is comprised of five latticed walls connected above by 81 rafters that fan out from a central circular roof, which opens to the sky, letting in light and fresh air. In the winter months the yurt houses a central wood stove which is used to heat it. A small, beautifully painted wooden door provides the entrance way. Inside, three large authentic Mongolian sofas that double as beds, each beautifully painted in the colors and decorative motifs unique to Mongolia, can sleep four to five people comfortably. The yurt sits on an insulated wooden platform; the walls are also insulated and are made of felt and canvas, which give the interior space a certain quality of peace and repose unique to these nomadic dwellings.

Also located on site are two small cedar buildings, both designed and built by Raphael. One is for storage and is topped with a gold painted finial; the second, located up a gravel pathway and nestled in the trees is an outdoor privy. Other features of the camp include a hand-hewn white pine bench that sits by the creek's edge and a circular stone campfire ring where visitors can prepare food. Campers are also provided with all the drinking water and firewood they need for the extent of their stay.

Kerem shared comments from the yurt's guest book, in which many visitors have written that their stay at Kingsford Yurts was a memorable camping experience. From the outset Raphael said he was keen to provide a unique camping experience free of all our modern conveniences. So there is no electricity and campers are encouraged to come and experience nature and the beautiful structure of the yurt in an ideal natural setting devoid of all of the everyday distractions. He noted the effect the camp on those who visit. “Quite often campers will arrive here quite wound up. Later, when I see them when they leave, they are noticeably more calm, at ease and at peace and they say that that is something they take away with them.”

For those wishing to have a yurt of their very own Raphael also sells the yurts under a company business called Groovey Yurts. They cost roughly $10,000, which includes the yurt and its insulated platform. For more information contact Raphael or Tanya at 613-273-5693. Radiance of the Ordinary is located at 326 Burridge Road, north off of the Westport Road between Godfrey and Westport.

The KFL&A Land Conservancy celebrate the purchase of the Depot Creek Nature Reserve

In a meadow located near the village of Bellrock just west of Verona, a group of 30 nature enthusiasts gathered on June 23 to celebrate the first purchase of property by the Land Conservancy of Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington.

The charitable organization was formed in 2004 and its aim is to “safeguard the land, water quality and the flora and fauna in the region of KFL&A” by acquiring lands either through purchase or by donation. It recently purchased the 30 hectare (72 acre) property from long time Bellrock resident and renowned Canadian artist, Kim Ondaatje. This is the organization’s first ever land purchase and so the celebration marked a big landmark for the organization.

The land has been named the Depot Creek Nature Reserve and boasts woodlands, wetlands, meadows, a meandering creek, numerous ponds, walking trails and an undisturbed shore line. It was chosen for acquisition since it is a property that has been well cared for, protected and preserved over the 40 plus years plus that Ondaatje has owned it. The conservancy was also looking for a property where people could visit. “Most of the properties we have acquired are not suitable to host visitors so we were looking for a property that not only met our usual requirements but also was one that people could come see, explore and enjoy”, said Vice President of the organization, Mary-Alice Snetsinger.

In a recent Bio-blitz that was held on the property by the Kingston Field Naturalists on June 14 & 15, over 400 species were identified, including numerous species at risk. President of the Land Conservancy, Vicki Schmolka, opened up the ceremony and welcomed guests to the event to celebrate “something very magical, important, fundamental and precious, which is the protection of this property... This is all about protecting this habitat forever.”

Ann Robertson, who heads up the land stewardship arm of the organization, also spoke about the preparation of the reserve by many of the organization’s volunteers, who have built a privy on site.

At the ceremony Kim Ondaatje was presented with a wooden trail marker that will designate one of the walking trails on the reserve, which has been named in her honour. Asked what motivated her to make the land available for purchase, Ondaatje said, “This land has been my number one project since I stopped painting in 1973 and it has been a live painting that I have been working on for 40-odd years. I have planted thousands of trees and done everything to keep every kind of chemical off of it and have let it go ‘au natural’ in every way, so I'm very happy to know that it is going to be preserved this way forever.”

Peter Milliken, former speaker of the House of Commons, was also in attendance and was presented with a gift for his role in heading up the fundraising campaign for the acquisition.

The Land Conservancy of KFL&A is a volunteer organization with an 11-member board of directors and approximately 100 members. All funds they raise go towards land protection and land stewardship.

To date they own five properties totaling 121 hectares (300 acres). Along with Depot Creek their properties include the Arthur Nature Reserve, Meyer Woods, Salmon and Snake Islands and a conservation easement near Westport. Visitors are welcome to explore the Depot Creek Nature Reserve, which is located on First Lake Road just north of Bellrock. There is a parking lot at the property entrance with signage. The Land Conservancy asks that large groups call in advance and all visitors are asked to respect requests forbidding pets and fire building on the premises. Visitors are also asked to remember to close and latch all of the gates on the property so that cattle grazing in the vicinity do not get loose. Guests are also asked to leave no trace behind after visiting. For more information visit www.landconservancykfla.org

On August 16 & 17 the Greater Bobs and Crow Lake Association, with the help of Toronto Zoo's Adopt-A-Pond Program, held its very first BioBlitz. With 103 participants connecting with 17 experts who meandered the trails on the Crown Lands between Mud Bay and Crow Lake, BioBlitz 2013 was hands down the environmental hit of the summer! What a success! Hundreds of species were tallied, including a number of very rare ones. Some of the exciting finds included two Species at Risk reptiles: juvenile Five-lined Skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus), Ontario's only lizard, and an Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides) along with 3 shed skins from other

Ratsnakes. One skin was close to 2 meters long!

Summer is a very exciting time to be out in the natural world. A BioBlitz is a community event where naturalists from all fields of wildlife expertise come to survey a specific parcel of land. They list all the plants and animals they can find, and usually take community participants on a short walk to share some of their knowledge. By repeating a BioBlitz every few years, communities can track changes in their local environment and monitor the presence of Species at Risk that may be living in their area.

Species Lists are being collected from the BioBlitz 2013 experts and will become part of a permanent environmental record for Bobs and Crow Lakes. BioBlitz 2013 was a great way to engage the local community in environmental education while they learn about new and familiar things that live right in their own back yard. It was also a social event where persons from around the 800 km of shoreline on Bobs and Crow Lakes gathered together to celebrate the uniqueness of their lakes.