In an effort to get those with the best knowledge and understanding of the land north of Highway 7 to engage with local landowners and users, members of the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation organized a Community Day in Cloyne, where numerous groups and organizations gathered at the Barrie Hall to present information and answer questions. The event, which took place on September 6, was an informal gathering that included 20 booth displays representing Quinte Conservation, the Mississippi Conservation Authority, Friends of Bon Echo, the Kennebec Lake Association, Friends of the Salmon River, the North Frontenac Dark Skies Preserve, The Land O'Lakes Tourist Association, the Land Conservancy for Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington and more.

Frontenac County Manager of Economic Development, Anne Marie Young, was present highlighting the North Frontenac Township’s Community Improvement Plan, which was recently approved by the county. The topics covered at the Community Day were plentiful and included various local histories, invasive species, land stewardship, local watersheds, water quality, septic systems, local biodiversity, geology, managing crown forest land, Benny's Pond and much more. Jenny Pearce and Matt Ellerbeck had several live snakes and salamanders on display for guests to visit with, and Chad Clifford of the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust offered up live recordings of various soundscapes found in the area, which are used by the organization to record and create an inventory of the animal and insect life on their properties.

The Cloyne Museum was open for those interested in the human history of the area, and certified chainsaw trainer Dave Smallwood and Dave Sexsmith of the Ontario Woodlot Association gave a basic talk and demonstration on safe chainsaw practices.

On one table were numerous books on related topics including “Discovering Natural Processes” by Gray Merriam and Jeff Amos, “Wind, Water. Barley and Wine: The Nature of Prince Edward County” and “Lennox and Addington”, both by Orland French. Professional ecologist Gray Merriam, who wears many hats in the stewardship world, as the founding member of the Friends of the Salmon River, as a board member with the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation and a member of the Kennebec Lake Association, said that the primary aim of the event was to engage area landowners in conversation with members of these groups. “Ultimately it is the land owners and users themselves who are going to be the stewards of the land. I believe that we are well past the point where you just call a provincial phone number to have your questions answered. In my opinion the role of volunteer stewardship groups is to talk to landowners and users, find out what their objectives are and then help them to meet those objectives.”

Merriam said that the second aim of the event was to give the various groups a chance to engage with one another. “The networking that has gone on this morning between the members of the groups and organizations has been wonderful and this event provides an opportunity for these like-minded groups and individuals to engage with one another, which does not happen very often.”

Merriam also highlighted the fact that the land north of 7 is some of richest land in Ontario and some of the only land in the province that remains undamaged. “It is the natural capital here that we need to be working with and we want the planners to recognize that the nature of the richness here is not in factories and shopping centers but in the land itself. The natural capital here is irreplaceable and with that in mind we should be planning all future activities here with deference to that natural capital.”

Ever since the Ardoch Lake Development Corporation began planning to develop lots on a large section of Ardoch Lake about five years ago, there has been keen public interest in the project, mainly from the few other property owners on the lake, and the more numerous residents of Malcolm Lake, which adjoins it.

It was not surprising, therefore, that the Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna was full on August 22 for a public meeting on the proposed 34 vacant lot condominium on the property.

A vacant lot condominium is similar to a subdivision. It is a planning tool that allows a developer to sub-divide a single large lot, in this case a 200 acre parcel with frontage on about half of the small lake. The laneway that connects all these properties to the nearest township road will be built by the developer, and maintained by a condominium corporation that will need to be established. In this case, the condominium corporation will also take legal responsibility for the type of septic systems that each of the eventual property owners puts in on their own lots.

Because Ardoch Lake is small, and there is a potential for increases in phosphorous levels in the lake as the result of septic runoff, this is a key element to the proposal.

The first presenter on the application was Joe Gallivan, who is playing a dual role in the planning process. As the staff planner for Frontenac County, he represents the county's interest as the approval authority for the plan of vacant land condominium. As the contract planner for the township (under an agreement with the county) he represents the township's interests in dealing with a site plan agreement and a zoning application that is part of the proposal.

Gallivan outlined the way the latest phase of the process has developed, including the reports from commenting agencies such as the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Kingston Frontenac Public Health and others.

Chief among the concerns expressed by MVCA are those dealing with potential impacts of the development on water quality and the fact that if the development is approved as proposed, the capacity of the lake for development will be used up. None of the three or four other property owners on the lake will be able to create new building lots on their properties.

Speaking for the developer, planner Peter Josephs said that by insisting that the septic systems on each of the 34 lots are built using recently approved technology the impact of phosphorous on the lake will be minimised, and the lake will be able to maintain a level of phosphorous under the provincial standard of 20 micrograms per litre.

Other groups also made presentations raising concerns about the proposed condominium, including the North Frontenac Lake Associations Alliance, and the Malcolm and Ardoch Lake Association.

Speaking for his family, Brian Schonauer talked about the decades-old cottages his family has put up on the other side of the lake, and said they might want to put up a few more at some point. Then he went further, introducing Gord Neilson of Michalski Neilson, a environmental planning and lake capacity assessment company based in Bracebridge, Ont.

In a detailed report, Gord Neilson questioned the target of 20 mirograms per litre of phosphorous in a lake that he described as "oligotrophic". Oligotrophic lakes are prized for their “excellent water quality and clarity”.

“Results of ministry-sponsored surveys show that Ardoch and Malcolm Lakes have low levels of phosphorous coming from natural sources, making them very clear as well ... the long-standing provincial water quality standard for oligotrophic lakes reads as follows:

'A high level of protection against aesthetic deterioration will be provided by a total phosphorous concentration for the ice free period of 10[micrograms]/Litre or less. This should apply to all lakes naturally below this value.'"

With the limited amount of development already existing on Ardoch Lake, the mean phosphorous concentration in testing between 2010 and 2013 is 6.8.

Neilson also said that “The typical pattern for new shoreline development on small cottage-country lakes is through individual severances, which result in small, incremental changes in lake values ... Larger plans of subdivision or plans of condominium are often contemplated on large lakes, the size and flow characteristics of which provide considerable resiliency against the scale of such development. It is extremely unusual for an application to be advanced that would see an increase of 25% or more in the number of residential units on a lake, let alone the approximately 400% increase in this case.”

Members of the public also expressed their concerns about the proposal, particularly because all of the calculations for impacts on the shoreline and water quality are based on seasonal use. However cottages do get four-season use.

Peter Josephs said that the road that will be put in will not be ploughed in the winter, limiting the use of the residences.

Joe Gallivan said that the proposal and all of the commentary will allow his office to provide a recommendation in the coming weeks.

North of 7 Community Day on September 6

The brainchild of ecologist Gray Merriam of the Frontenac Stewardship Federation, the Community Day is an attempt to bring people together who live North of 7 in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands to talk about the landscape and watershed where they live, how they use it, what they value about it. By inviting guests to talk about various aspects of the land and waters, the community day will also allow for knowledge to be passed around.

“Everyone is invited to this event,” said Merriam, “and there will be a lot to find out, but it is really those who live North of 7 that we want to see, because we need to talk to each other about what we have learned, what works here and what doesn't, even what we need to worry about and what we don't need to worry about.”

Merriam has called in a few favours to bring a large number of guest presenters to the event to give a full picture of the region.

The event is being held at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne and at the Pioneer Museum next door. It includes a timely chainsaw maintenance session presented by the Ontario Woodlot Association, which will include information about boosting forest value. The Pioneer Museum will be open from 10 until 3, and will be hosting a question and answer session all day.

Among the people who will be available at the hall will be some who have made particular studies of the area, including geologist Dugald Carmichael and writer Orland French, who will talk about the origin of Benny's Pond. Jenny Pearce and Matt Ellerbeck will present local snakes and salamanders. Other presenters include: Leora Berman, Mat Mertins from the Mazinaw Lanark Forest, Guy Nason, Anne-Marie Young, Ron Pethick and more.

In addition to all this, Debbie Deline's famous Dead Creek tarts and muffins will be available. For further information, call 613-335-3589

By Steve Blight

It’s August, and I thought I would devote this column to sharing a few nature experiences that I have from this summer that I think (and hope) readers may find interesting.

First is the Black Horse Fly. In late July I spotted a huge, all-black fly just above the door at our house. It was so big that I did a serious double take when I saw it, and approached it quite cautiously. This fly was about 1 inch wide, maybe ¾ inch wide, and completely black from tip to tail, as it were (see picture). Then I noticed that it had the same kind of stinger-like mouthparts as all the other deer and horseflies that have been biting me all summer. It turns out that it was a Black Horse Fly, Tabinus atratus, one of North America’s biggest horse flies. Known as B-52s in parts of the U.S., it is known to pack an extremely painful bite. I can hardly imagine what it would feel like to be bitten by one of these bad boys (actually girls, as it is only the female horseflies that bite). And I should add that I have zero interest in finding out!

This year in many parts of our area there are sugar maple seedlings everywhere. Last summer, local trees of many species, including sugar maples, produced a bumper crop of seeds. Perhaps it was the long cold winter with abundant snow, or just the right weather this spring, but with the warmer days in May, small sugar maple seedlings began to appear everywhere – lawns, gardens, forests, driveways, sand piles, pathways, you name it. A friend and neighbour who has been a forester for some 30 years told me that he has never seen anything like it. Hopefully enough will survive to replenish the forests with the next generation of sugar maples. On a related subject, I wonder if the profusion of seeds last fall anything to do with the abundance of mice in homes and cottages that some people are reporting this year. Maybe bumper crops of maple seeds produce bumper crops of mice!

Last summer I edged into the risky world of collecting wild mushrooms to eat. I had been considering it for several years, and last year I took the plunge. After my first success with chanterelles I was hooked. I have been slowly and carefully adding new mushrooms to the menu here at Chez Blight, with the most recent addition being lobster mushrooms (see picture). Lobster mushrooms are curious as they are actually the result of a mold-like fungus that has parasitized one of two other types of large, inedible normally-shaped gill mushrooms. There's really no mistaking the lobster: the fungus creates a beautiful, bright orange covering over the host mushroom, the surface of which is rather hard and dotted with tiny bumps. Eventually, the fungus even begins to transform the shape of the host mushroom, twisting it into odd contortions. What I really like about lobster mushrooms is how big they are – it doesn’t take many to provide enough for a meal. So I trimmed them up – they need a lot of trimming – sautéed them slowly with garlic and herbs, and tried a mouthful. Some people may find their mild seafood-like aroma and flavour pleasant. Alas, I did not, and will not be harvesting lobster mushrooms again!

As always, please be 100% certain about the identity of any mushroom before eating it – a mistake can be very uncomfortable or at worst, deadly. Even with one that is “known” to be edible, it’s always wise to start with a very small amount if it’s your first experience with this mushroom, avoid any alcohol consumption during the “test” day, and wait for a couple of days to make sure that you don’t have an adverse reaction.

Finally a note about chipmunks. A couple of years ago, a number of people observed that they were seeing far fewer chipmunks than usual. Around our house, chipmunks had effectively disappeared. At the time, I read in several places that there may have been a virus or some other malady affecting local chipmunks. I still don’t know if there really was a crash in chipmunk populations or if so what its cause was. But if the number of chipmunks around our house this year reflects what is happening more broadly, I’d say they have bounced back very nicely. By far the happiest member of our household at this news is our dog, who spends many blissful hours chasing (but never catching) these cheeky little ground squirrels.

OBSERVATIONS: Two weeks ago we published a photo of some giant plants that Mike from the Ardoch / Plevna area had observed growing on Smith Road. At the time, based on prickles on the underside of the leaves we thought they were prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola). However, the plants have since put out white flowers, which indicates they are tall blue lettuce (Lactuca biennis). The tallest of the plants have topped out at 12 feet!

The Centre for Sustainable Watersheds and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority are seeking property owners to participate in a shoreline naturalization program for the Mississippi watershed.

The “Natural Edge” project has received $60,000 over two years from the EcoAction Community Funding Program and brings together local communities on four lakes (Mississippi, Canonto, Kashwakamak and Patterson) in the watershed and 8 kilometres of shoreline on creeks and tributaries.

The project involves planting native vegetation (trees, shrubs, ground cover, grasses, aquatic plants and wildflowers), which are preferred by local wildlife for shelter and food, to benefit the ecosystem and stabilize shorelines from erosion. Restoring, protecting and enhancing shorelines also contributes to improved water quality by filtering runoff.

The pilot project is designed to be a model for future naturalization efforts. It aims to see thousands of native trees and shrubs planted on 20 shoreline properties on four lakes and on 5 km of creeks and tributaries. Various workshops are planned, including hands-on planting activities on each of the four lakes, shoreline education workshops and presentations at various events to promote the program. Educational materials are also being developed.

Another key component is the creation of a demonstration site with interpretive signage. The project is funded by EcoAction Canada, but participating landowners are asked to contribute 25 per cent of the total costs for their site. Properties involved in the project receive a customized planting plan indicating the recommended areas for planting and a list of suitable native tree, shrub and ground cover species.

The goals and wishes of the landowner drive the plan, and all advice is optional. The CSW will work with landowners to complete projects that are economically feasible on a case-by-case basis. CSW coordinates the ordering, delivery and planting, along with tools, materials and labour to complete the project. Landowners can participate in the planting, but it is optional and voluntary.

The planting is slated for the spring of 2015. Several partners are participating, including Canonto Lake Association, Kashwakamak Lake Association, Patterson Lake Association and Mississippi Lakes Association.

Any landowner within the Mississippi River watershed who is interested in a free site visit should contact Courtney Allison at CSW, 613-264-1244 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.watersheds.ca

This nest, which had reportedly been used in the past by Ospreys, has been a good spot for this bald eagle, judging by the size of the young, who should be flying within weeks, or even days. Bald Eagles, which had been almost wiped out in Southern Ontario by 1980, have made a comeback. They are still more common in northwestern Ontario, but nests have been identified on lakes in Frontenac, Lanark, and Leeds and Grenville in recent years.

Bald Eagles are designated as a Species at Risk by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), but their designation on that list is as a “Species of Special Concern” which is defined by the ministry in the following way: “Lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.”

The MNR has four categories of Species at Risk: Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern. Bald Eagles were listed as Endangered in Southern Ontario in 1980 and have seen steady improvement.

Still, active nests are not common sightings, judging by the number of nests reported in the latest Southern Ontario Bald Eagle Monitoring Program report by Bird Studies Canada in the spring of 2012. That report identified 57 active nest sites in Southern Ontario, the bulk of which are in the vicinity of Lake Erie. Of those, 41 were successful, and 67 chicks survived at least to the fledgling stage (the point when they were able to fly and leave the nest).

That study identified only three nests in Frontenac County, on Bobs, Wolfe and Kashwakamak Lakes, and one in Lanark County, on Christie Lake. The Bobs Lake nest was the only successful one, bringing two chicks to the fledgling stage. There were very likely more successful nests in the two counties in 2011, based on the regular sightings of Bald Eagles each year, but they were either in more obscure locations or they were not reported to Bird Studies Canada.

Marcus Saunders, from Clarendon, an avid bird watcher who did the research in Northern Frontenac and Lanark Counties for the most recent Bird Studies Canada Atlas of Birds of Canada, said that he sees Bald Eagles locally “just about every month of the year.” He said he was aware of a nesting pair on Crotch Lake a number of years ago, and he thinks there may be nests on or near other lakes.

Bud Andress spent 20 years working on the restoration of Bald Eagles in the Thousand Islands region, which included building eagle nesting platforms. He also was part of a team that attached a radio transmitter to six fledgling birds, three of which survived.

“The three birds travelled a spectacular distance. They went as far as James Bay, Labrador, West Virginia and Washington, DC..”

The travel patterns of adult Bald Eagles are not well known, Andress said. There are a number of birds that over-winter in the Thousand Islands region, where their largest food source is white-tailed deer. Unlike Osprey, which survive almost exclusively on fish that they kill themselves, Bald Eagles are opportunistic feeders, happy to steal fish from Osprey or scavenge for food in any way they can.

“What we don't know,” said Andress, “is if the nesting pairs we see in the summer stay here in the winter or travel elsewhere, and we don't know if the pairs stay together all year or just meet up in the breeding grounds in the spring.”

Bald Eagles do nest in the same location year after year, not necessarily in the same nest but in the same vicinity.

One male in the Thousand Islands area where Andress lives has had 37 chicks since 1999, likely with two different mates.

Residents of South Frontenac are lucky in that they are able to drop off hazardous waste materials at no charge and no limit on a weekly basis at a designated site in the township. Residents in Central Frontenac on the other hand are given one free opportunity a year to drop off hazardous waste, which if missed means they have to hang onto the stuff for another long year.

Recognizing a rising demand for such a service, South Frontenac Township staff opened the hazardous waste site, which is located at 2491 Keeley Road, in June 2011. Built using federal gas tax money, numbers from a 2013 report show that the site was well utilized by residents. In 2013 alone a total of 1683 residents used the service. Staff at the township decided to contract out the collection of the hazardous materials to a company called Drain All Ltd., which runs out of Ottawa and Napanee. Drain All staff man the site, which is open to South Frontenac residents every Thursday from April 1 to October 31, 3 to 8pm and every second and fourth Thursday from November 1 to March 31, 3 - 7pm.

Materials that can be dropped off include dry and wet batteries, antifreeze, aerosols, paints and paint-related materials, adhesives and other corrosive liquids, oil, oil filters, fluorescent tubes, fire extinguishers, flammable liquids, pharmaceutical waste, non-refillable propane containers, pesticides and fertilizers, empty oil and antifreeze containers, electronic waste like televisions, fax machines, cell phones and computers, boat and hay bale wrap, small white appliances like toasters, microwaves and bread makers, and also non-recyclable plastic items like lawn furniture and other large plastic items. The site does not accept any metal.

South Frontenac Public Works Manager, Mark Segsworth, seems pleased with the numbers reported in 2013 and said that the service “helps to mitigate the impact of hazardous waste on the environment and on the township's landfills by minimizing the hazardous materials entering the environment through landfill sites.”

Earlier this month, motivated by concern about the environment and a love of business, young entrepreneur Hayden Rasberry launched his own business called WeDrink. The 16-year-old KCVI student, who divides his time between Kingston and Yarker, was one of the vendors at this year’s Canada Day celebration in Harrowsmith.

WeDrink offers consumers a unique, reusable glass water bottle that Rasberry designed and has had manufactured. He said that the number one reason for starting up the business was his awareness of “the growing demand for glass water bottles in and around the Kingston area.” He noticed, for example, that the Limestone Organic Creamery's glass bottles were being used by people post consumption to store their drinks. He said, “I knew that I could create a better, lighter weight glass bottle that was actually meant to be used and carried around.” Environmental and social concerns were a second motivation and Hayden said that his bottles are great for the environment since they are 100% recyclable, and as they are not plastic, they lack the health concerns associated with plastic water bottles, many of which, prior to 2008, contained bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound associated with health problems. WeDrink bottles are made from high-density, thin, lightweight glass. They are long-lasting, can be used for hot and cold drinks, which Rasberry says “taste much better when drunk from glass”, are dishwasher safe and come with a neoprene cover and a washable stainless steel cap.

Rasberry says that the glass used in WeDrink bottles is less breakable than ordinary glass, and he is trying to help people overcome their fear of using a glass drink bottle. He has done numerous tests on his bottles and said they can withstand breakage from a one-metre drop onto concrete. The neoprene covers, which are available in five colors, are included in the cost of $15 per bottle and also help to protect them. “We use so much glass in our homes every day; it’s in our cups and plates and the very thin wine glasses and I am trying to encourage consumers to see that a glass drink bottle is a viable alternative to other metal and plastic alternatives.”
Rasberry's company is also partnered with a charity called Watercan, which helps to bring clean water to communities in need. Ten percent of the profits from each WeDrink bottle goes to WaterCan, hence the name of the business. “Every time a WeDrink bottle is sold, someone much less fortunate benefits as well.” Rasberry strongly feels that by offering an environmentally safe alternative to plastic water bottles and by supporting a local charitable organization, he is meeting the needs of his customers and he reported that the business, at this early stage, is doing well. Just one week after its launch he is close to having sold the first 200 bottles he had manufactured and will be ordering 400 more. This summer Rasberry will be able to focus on the business full-time after receiving a $3,000 grant from Summer Company. “My goal this summer is to establish a solid base as well as trying to gauge the consumer demand in Kingston and the surrounding area. After that, I am going to consider expanding to other cities and areas in the fall.” The business has caught the attention of some potential investors, who he said are hoping to help him grow the brand.

This fall Hayden Rasberry will be returning to KCVI for grade 11 and said that he will be putting academics as his primary focus. He plans to study commerce after graduating from high school and said he has a huge interest in business, especially those that focus on environmental and social issues. “I'm convinced that triple bottom line companies like WeDrink, which focus on people, the planet and profit are the businesses of the future. Because the people denying problems, like global warming, are becoming fewer and fewer, companies like this one offer consumers an opportunity to relieve some of the anxiety and stress they have about these issues while offering up a product with social and environmental benefits.”

Rasberry credits his parents, musician Gary Rasberry and Rena Upitis, founder of Wintergreen Studios, for helping him build the company. “Not only did I have a place to stay and food to eat while I was planning and setting up the business, but both my parents gave me a lot of good advice, since both have experience as entrepreneurs.”

WeDrink bottles are sold at Plover's and Living Rooms in downtown Kingston and will be available at a permanent summer retail location soon to be announced on the company’s website. Hayden will also be selling the bottles at a number of different events throughout the summer, which are also listed on the website. Customers can also order bottles by contacting the website. Visit www.WeDrink.ca

photo 2077-

By Steve Blight

The house we live in has quite a few windows. The main purpose of building our house near Sharbot Lake was so that we could live in a rich natural setting. Having a lot of glass allows tons of natural light into the house, affords great views into the forest, and helps us feel more connected to the natural environment. All is good.

Unfortunately, birds and glass don't mix well at all. I have been aware that having lots of glass in a bird-rich environment might result in birds striking our widows, with the accompanying terrible results. However, up until recently we weren’t aware of any bird strikes at our house at all -- not to say there weren’t any, rather that we had no evidence that any had happened. Then in April, all that changed.

First a little about bird-window strikes. Some estimates suggest that the number of North American birds killed in bird-window crashes range as high as 100 million per year. Some birds seem to recover quickly and fly off; others die instantly; still others take up to several hours before they seem to recover sufficiently to fly off. Unfortunately even some that appear to recover are believed to die later from injuries sustained in the crash. One expert estimates that 1 out of 2 of all window crashes end up with a dead bird.

One morning in April I was sitting at our kitchen table and a heard a muffled but loud "thud" from above my shoulder -- and right away I knew it was a bird. We went outside, fearing the worst, and lying on its side on the deck looking quite stunned was a tiny Golden-Crowned Kinglet. It was alive but doing poorly. After a frantic search for what to do (thank you Google), we determined the best thing to do was to capture the bird carefully with a towel, and place it in a small, partly-closed box located in a sheltered outdoor spot away from predators and give it time to recover. So that is what we did, crossed our fingers and waited. Within about an hour, the kinglet had flown off, to an unknown future.

The very next morning the sorry story was repeated with a Hermit Thrush. Same solution -- towel, box, wait two hours and it was gone. A couple of days later was the last straw -- within the span of several hours a Hairy Woodpecker then a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker had hit the same window, and received the same box-wait treatment.

Since the kinglet window strike, I had been searching for a solution with increasing desperation, and dreading the awful thud of another bird strike. It seemed so wrong to me to have chosen to share space with birds that come from as far away as Brazil and then be responsible for their deaths. Something had to be done.

Fortunately there is a great source of information on bird strikes available on the All About Birds website, sponsored by Cornel University in New York State (http://www.allaboutbirds.org). In my opinion it is the best website dedicated to North American birds out there, and a quick search on window strikes led to all sorts of useful info on why birds strike windows and measures that can be taken to reduce their incidence. I would very much encourage anyone that is upset about bird strikes at their home to visit the site. There isn’t enough space here to repeat all the good advice, but three things can really help. First, try simply moving your feeders and birdbaths to new locations. Bird strikes usually occur at particular windows, so moving feeders farther away (minimum 30 feet) from them may solve the problem entirely. You can also try placing your feeders much closer to the glass—if a feeder is just a foot or two from a window, birds may still fly into it, but not with enough force to injure themselves.

Second, avoid apparent visual tunnels. Bright windows on the opposite wall from your picture window may give the illusion of a visual tunnel through which birds may try to fly. Try making one window less transparent by keeping a shade drawn or a door closed, or by altering the lighting inside the house.

Third, find a way to break up the reflections caused by large expanses of glass. Note that single stickers of hawks rarely work -- it isn't the fear of the predator's silhouette that keeps the birds from the widow, but the fact that the reflection is broken up. Multiple stickers are needed to be effective. Another way is to hang dangling objects from the outside of the widow -- the inside of the window won't work as it does not break up the reflection. The All About Birds site provides many different creative solutions that may work for you.

Our solution was to stretch a curtain of thin hanging cords, spaced 4 inches apart, across the group of windows where the bird strikes occurred. The design came from another website called Acopian Bird Savers (www.birdsavers.com). This site provides instructions on how to make the curtains as well as offers them for sale. Being a moderately handy guy and always open to saving money by doing things myself, I set out to custom-make some bird savers. I bought some white vinyl 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch trim and sticky-backed Velcro from Home Depot, ordered the prescribed drab olive-coloured 1/8 inch nylon paracord on-line from Ropeshop.ca, enlisted my creative daughter's help, and got to work. After about a day's work, the finished product was ready for installation

The picture accompanying this article illustrates the final product that we installed on the outside of our windows. It ended up being fairly inexpensive, not difficult to make, and easy to install. We put the rope curtain up at the beginning of May, and the evidence so far is encouraging -- no bird strikes on these windows since. A Veery recently crashed into a different window (it flew off after one hour of the box treatment described above), and this window will get its own rope curtain treatment in short order.

I’m recounting this story because window strikes are a serious problem for our birds, and there are inexpensive and practical ways to reduce their incidence. I am hopeful that with a little effort (and quite of bit of Paracord!), our family will be able to safely share our living space with families of birds for many years to come.

by Sue MacGregor, Lake Sustainability Planning Committee, Kashwakamak Lake Association

The Kashwakamak Lake Association (KLA), presented the Kashwakamak Lake State of the Lake Report in July 2013 as the first step in preparing a lake sustainability plan. In order to complete this first step they need feedback from people in the community who use the lake. The KLA is asking people to share this survey with their friends, visitors, family, neighbours and others in the Kashwakamak Lake community so they can be part of this process too. If you need a printed copy, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Once you've read the full report, which is online at www.kashwakamak.ca , please complete the survey by clicking on the survey link, https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KLASurvey2014.

It’s important that as many people as possible read the report and let us know what information is missing. If you have regular multiple users of your residence/property (ex. shared by multiple families, frequent visitors, renters, etc.), please copy the survey and/or share the link and have them complete and submit the survey as well.