At our meeting in Cloyne, March 20, 2016, we discussed the past efforts and the future plans of the club and then had a very interesting presentation by Steve Elmy, founder of Rack Stackers, a deer feed and seed company. He introduced his product line and emphasized the planting of nutrient-loaded plants in open spaces, around old marshes and bush trails. It would seem that we can grow large amounts of feed for deer on small plots of land. He is familiar with the area and assures us that we can be successful here. Our land will need to be treated with lime to counteract the acidity of our soil. He is open to offer support and advice through Facebook, 613-477-2473 and his web site www.rackstacker.ca. Many thanks to Steve for an informative and interesting evening. He donated the products he brought to show us and the happy winners headed home with their prizes.  

The Land Between is your backyard: It is a region that extends from Georgian Bay to the Frontenac Arch, skirting the Algonquin Dome. It has the highest habitat diversity in Ontario, and the most shorelines too. It is a meeting place for species from north and south such as moose and deer, blueberry and strawberry, river otter and woodchuck, black fly and mosquito. Because of these features and this species richness, The Land Between is an important area, providing water and vital ecosystem services to all of southern Ontario during climate change. But the region does not have enough soil and with a starker climate, pollution and disturbance are far reaching and need to be managed wisely. Learn more about this significant region and its features, the rare wetlands and turtles that contribute to water quality and biodiversity, and how to live in harmony with this environment by creating native buffers, shoreline gardens and pollinator-friendly areas in your backyard. Leora Berman, founder of The Land Between organization, a national charity, is providing a free three-part workshop this Saturday, Sept. 24 at Land o’Lakes Emmanuel United Church in Northbrook. “Why the Land Between is important” will be presented at 10am; “All about turtles and wetlands” at 10:30am; and “Creating Natural Shoreline Gardens and Buffers” at 11am. While you are there, take advantage of the opportunity to book a site visit and create a stewardship plan for your property. Everyone is invited to drop in or RSVP to Leora at 705-457-4838 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information visit thelandbetween.ca

A fundraising BBQ was held by the Bon Echo Area Residents Against Turbines (BEARAT) at the Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna on Sept. 4. The event, which was attended by over 100 people and featured live music from the Pickled Chicken String Band and Roger Hermer, was organized to generate more interest and to raise money for BEARAT's expected upcoming battle against wind turbines being built in the North Frontenac and Addington Highlands areas.

Last year BEARAT was very active in fighting against two companies, Nextera and ResCanada, which had proposed building large wind turbine farms in both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands. The contracts eventually were awarded to projects elsewhere in the province, but they caused great debate and discussion in the area, drawing hundreds of people out to local council meetings, including the Ontario Provincial Police, who were brought in to keep the peace.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins, John Laforet from Broadview Strategy Group, and Dan Carruthers, a cottager from Ashby Lake, spoke to the attendees on Sunday about the current situation and fielded questions from the crowd.

“What we're doing right now is amping up our game,” Laforet said. “Individual actions are going to be extremely important as we begin to see what the timelines and benchmarks actually are for the IESO.”

The IESO is the Independent Electricity Systems Operators, an organization that oversees the supply and demand of the province's electricity and are responsible for choosing which companies receive contracts to build turbines in Ontario.

“We're basing this year's target funding on what we spent last year, which was $75,000,” Carruthers said. “We have about $30,000 raised (so far this year).”

Mayor Higgins and North Frontenac's Council, in a vote last year, declared their township “not a willing host” to industrial wind turbine projects and have since had it included in their Official Plan.

Addington Highlands voted last year to be a “willing host” to the proposed projects and so, during Sunday's BEARAT fundraiser, multiple people in the crowd were curious as to what could be done to sway that Council to vote against the projects this time around.

“Once we have a sense of what the ground looks like in Addington Highlands, who we're up against, where they're going, then there is a list of concepts that we're going to put forth,” Laforet said. “There is a real, or apparent, potential conflict of interest that would, or could, result in ties. Ties are interesting and helpful to us.”

Laforet also explained that they would offer “opportunities to oppose the project, in addition to opportunities to continue their support for the project, but in a way that is going to really upset the proponent and if they don't do it they look really bad to their constituents.”

“The plan is to wait until it's real, then put opportunities in front of them to oppose the project based on the community's sentiment, based on other real concerns about what could happen, and then (to offer them) other opportunities to be world class in protecting members of the community while supporting the project going forward,” Laforet continued.

One of BEARAT's tactics right now is to have landowners sign non-consent forms if they feel that their property could be impacted by a possible turbine in the future. The forms and more information are available on the BEARAT website at www.bearat.org.

(Editors note - a previous version of this article said, erroneously, that John Laforet is associated with Wind Concerns Ontario. In an email to the News Laforet said that he was the President of Wind Concerns Ontario over fiove years ago, but is now a private consultant.)

This August we are in the tenth consecutive month of above-record temperatures. Not only is it clear that global warming is real but it is also clear that climate change is characterized by vastly increased variability in resulting weather. Forest fires here, flooding rivers there and killing drought in unpredictable locations.

Making good judgments becomes difficult when guidance from the past is made doubtful by strange new developments.

In the face of this warming trend and the difficulty of predicting where unusual weather will happen, we try to operate with infrastructure and policies that were designed for the much less extreme climate and much less variable weather of the 1930's through 1950's. So culverts are too small and bridges are too low. They were designed for less severe storms. Our agricultural and food production methods are not adapted to droughts that flare up. Our wells are threatened. Spring high water comes mid-winter. Adaptation is required both in our actions and in our thinking.

Climate change is real and is linked to our concern about future energy supplies. Thinking people recognize that we need to stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Burning coal and oil to generate electricity will change our world by adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and changing global warming. We must adapt to new realities. We need alternative sources of energy.

Our future will demand that we use all ways of meeting our needs for power. We will need all reasonable sources of power and all possible means of reducing the need for power. Our problem will not be solved by some large technical breakthrough but by accumulating adaptive small percentages both of increased energy production and of energy not used.

It would be foolish if we sacrificed other valued components of our quality of life to meet needs for power. It is foolhardy to cover higher classes of farmland with solar panels. Proposing windmills in the globally recognized Important Bird Area on Prince Edward County was equally thoughtless. Forcing the infrastructure for power production into rural environments when the demand for that power is in urban centres is exceptionally foolish. There are rural qualities of life that, over the long term, will prove more valuable than short-term relief from urban NIMBYism or brief increases in urban cash flow.

The Canadian way, from the last century, of imposing dams and their impoundments on northern and rural cultures is out-dated and never was justified. If Oakville wants power and a power plant is thoughtfully planned and clearly announced in advance, then it should go into Oakville's cultural future, at the site of the demand, not into someone else's cultural existence. Such politically biased erroneous decisions sacrifice democracy to gain votes.

Regulations and policies do not represent the fundamentals needed to judge future alternatives. Ontario's Green Energy Act does not characterize alternative power sources of our future ­­–- it was a political act by the same fallible politicians who caved in to NIMBYism on the Oakville power plant. To make the best decisions, we must learn about alternative power sources and how they would affect our quality of life, not about errant political acts.

Let's quit the divisive, often poorly informed, taking of sides for and against alternative power sources. Let's become critically informed about different kinds of energy sources and their side effects. Let's share the information and decide where to put them based on sound information. Let's not repeat the error of flooding northern river valleys without consultation or the equivalent error with solar panels or wind turbines. We draw electricity from a continent-wide grid; our baseboard heater may run on energy from far distant flooded valleys.

Let's attend community meetings to discuss possible alternatives with open minds, seeking adaptive solutions, not with closed minds attempting to defend poorly informed belief systems.  

Quinte Conservation and the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority have both declared a level 3 water conditions.

The Quinte declaration includes the Salmon River, which runs from south of Cloyne, through Arden to the Depot Lakes and Stone Mills Township, and eventually into Lake Ontario.

“This is the most severe low water level that Quinte declares. We have received approximately 35% of average rainfall across the watershed in July. This means that some lake and river levels are visibly lower than they would normally be for this time of year. Flows in the Moira, Napa and nee and Salmon Rivers continue to be extremely low and we need a significant amount of rain to change that,” said Quinte Conservation Water Resources Manager, Christine McClure.

A level 3 condition indicates a failure of the water supply to meet demands. It can result in restrictions on water use in municipalities that supply water to their residents, and residents on private wells are asked to voluntarily curtail their water usage in order to keep more water in the system and to keep wells from running dry.

Quinte reports that water levels have become “dangerously low” on the Skootamatta, Black, Salmon, and Napanee rivers. For that reason, Quinte has released water from a number of upstream dams.

“We are attempting to maintain a minimal flow in the rivers to support local ecosystems. These dams have been identified as low flow augmentation structures and are being operated according to their individual operation plans. Residents above the dams we are operating will notice a decline in their water levels,” said McClure.

The dams that have been activated include the Deer Rock Lake Dam, the Upper Arden Dam, the Second and Third Depot Lake Dams, and the 13 Island Lake Dam. Water has not yet been released through the Skootamatta Lake Dam but Quinte says it might do so if “conditions warrant”.

Residents and businesses located along the Salmon River watershed that experience dry wells or other water-related issues are asked to call Quinte at 613-968-3434 or 613-354-3312, ext. 129. Tips for conserving water are available at Quinteconservation.ca

On Wednesday morning (August 10) The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) followed Quinte's lead and made a level 3 declaration. CRCA covers lakes ans streams in the eastern and Central part of South Frontenac, including Dog, Collins, Loughborough and Sydenham Lakes as well as the Cataraqui River.

Teh CRCA explained the circumstnces which led to the declaration in a release on Wednesday, which poined ominously towards low water levels through the summer and fall seasons.

"The last four months (April through July) were some of the driest ever recorded in the Kingston area. Only 10 mm of rain fell, on average, across the CRCA in the last 30 days (average is ~70 mm) and there has been essentially no rain yet in August, 1/3 of the way through the month. Stream flows are now exceptionally low, close to the lowest ever recorded, with some streams having dried up entirely. Lake levels across the CRCA, and eastern Ontario, have been falling due to evaporation (as much as 2.5 cm each day), and are as much as 20 cm below normal for this time of year. These low levels will be potentially exposing hazards that are normally irrelevant. Recreational users (swimmers, boaters, etc.) should exercise caution. These low levels are expected to persist into winter conditions."

Conservation is the only means that residents can employ to stretch the dwindling water resource. the CRCA published a chart outlining how household water use breaks down to help South Frontenac residenst controltheir usage. Toilet flushing accounts for 24% of water use, showers and faucets both account for about 20%, clothes washers 17%,  leaks 12%, baths 4% and dishwashers 1%. So, plugging leaks, using low water flushing techniques, and following the old hippy adage (if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down) might be the best advice going in the coming months.

Full fire bans are in place in South, Central and North Frontenac, Addington Highlands and the City of Kingston. Small campfires are still permitted in Lanark County, and there are fire restrictions at provincial campgrounds. Check with the campgrounds for details.

In 2015, the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) was delighted to receive a donation of an additional 258 acres to its Rose Hill Nature Reserve north of Denbigh. On Saturday, August 6 there will be a dedication ceremony at 10:30am with the unveiling of a new plaque in honour of the families who donated this land. Following the ceremony, we will head out to explore the new Brodey Trail, which leads to a beautiful picnic spot at Fufflemucker Pond.

Rose Hill Nature Reserve lies within typical Canadian Shield country characterized by very hilly terrain of granite bedrock and frequent rock outcroppings. The reserve is densely forested except for one small area that was once the location of an old farm where you can still see remnants of an old stone foundation. On a rise beside the old farm stands a magnificent glacial erratic boulder. On the side of this boulder is a large bronze plaque commemorating two family members who died in a car accident after visiting the property back in 1979. The new plaque will also be mounted on the side of the great boulder in honour of the donors from the Armstrong, Brodey, Fincher, Hatton, and Nevers families.

Admission to the event is by $10 donation to the MMLT. Following the dedication ceremony, we’ll head over to the Brodey Trail, which is 458 meters one way and not difficult to traverse, but good walking shoes are advised. Visitors are invited to bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy at Fufflemucker Pond. After lunch there will be opportunities to explore other trails.

From Hwy 41, turn east onto Rose Hill Rd. for 3.4 km. Park at road side beside Rose Lake. Trail entrance is on west side of road, before parking area.

For more information about the Land Trust and this property, please visit mmlt.ca/protecting-nature/ourprotected-properties/rose-hill-nature-reserve/

The MMLT holds a deep conviction that nature offers numerous benefits that contribute to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. To that end, the Land Trust attempts, whenever possible, to allow public access to these properties so that the general public can enjoy their benefits.  

Mike Burrell finds beauty where many people can’t.

Looking past the night sky to a source of light, he admires the moths fluttering around the beam. He distinguishes their colour, size and species. He knows they are an invaluable part of nature. “We need moths for the health of our eco-system,” contends the 32-year-old zoologist. “Like anything, if we remove them, we’ll probably have issues.”

Burrell was helping a group of 12 people understand moths at an evening workshop at Elbow Lake Environment Centre (ELEC) on July 16. The workshop was an initiative of ELEC and Kingston Field Naturalists.

Considered a nuisance by many, moths are the quiet workers of the night. “They get a bad rap,” he admits. “Most of them are just going about their business pollinating plants. For the most part, they’re just another actor impacting the ecology of our forests.”

By last July, 783 types of moths were found in South Frontenac. Burrell believes that more than twice that number are waiting to be found and identified.

“I just love the diversity of them; there are so many,” he says with a smile. “You’re not going to go out and not see something new. It’s pretty neat to go out and see something new whenever you want.”

A volunteer with the field naturalists who works with rare animals in Ontario, Burrell is pleased with the public’s interest in the insects.

“We managed to see a lot of moths,” he says with a laugh about the workshop, which described the area’s mix of southern and northern species. “I’d say we were successful… Basically, every kind of plant you can find will have a moth feeding on it,” Burrell explains with authority. “There are all sorts of life histories with the species. There are some rare moths (too). They are just an amazing group of animals to learn about.”

We only saw the Blinded Sphinx on Saturday. 

Melissa Dakers and Chloe Lajoie of Watersheds Canada were in Cloyne July 16 to outline the natural shoreline program.

They explained the structure of a natural shoreline, and how it protects our waterfront properties, cleans our water and supports the natural inhabitants of our waterways. They offer a service that will come to our properties and discuss with us our goals for shoreline development. Using photos they will work out a waterfront plan, recommending species and placement of plants ranging from flowers to trees. This plan is discussed with the property owners and modified to their wishes. The most exciting part of the program is that they then will order the plantings and come and plant them on our properties. The landowner pays 25% of the cost of the plants and agrees to maintain them. The Waterfront Canada staff remain involved to offer suggestions if any difficulties arise with the plantings. They can be reached at 613-2641244 or www.watersheds.ca.

Some fire bans lifted in townships

The Cataraqui Region (CRCA) and Mississippi Valley (MVCA) Conservation Authorities both upgraded their drought warnings from “minimal” to “moderate” early this week, leaving only one more level to reach, a “severe” warning.

In a release, the CRCA said “Inland lake levels, which had been holding steady through the early part of the drought, have started to decline below target levels. With the continued lack of precipitation, and warm sunny weather, evaporation will be high, and lake levels will continue to fall. Care should be taken with navigation, as lower water levels will expose boaters to hazards that are normally well below the water surface, boat hulls and boat props.”

For their part, the MVCA said on June 30 that, “Flows in the main branch of the river remain at approximately 25% of normal, while flows in the smaller tributaries continue to be roughly 10% of normal for this time of year. All of the upper lakes in the watershed have begun to drop over the last week.”

Quinte Region issued a release on July 6, reiterated a stage 1 or “minimal” low water advisory, but also said, “We are predicting that we will soon be in a Level 2 Low Water Condition and will be meeting with our Low Water Response Team to go over current conditions and weather forecasts.”

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has not upgraded the drought status, which was issued on June 6, but a further announcement is expected in the coming days.

Fire bans all over the map

There have changes to the fire ban status throughout the region over the past two weeks. As of Tuesday, in the townships of Central, North and South Frontenac, and Addington Highlands, burning is permitted as normal (see the townships' web sites for updates). Throughout the County of Lanark there is a partial burn ban in place, and small cooking fires are permitted. There is a total fire ban in Kingston.

This article will be updated as further information becomes available.

A Night of Exploring and Understanding Moths will have you amazed by their incredible diversity at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre on Saturday, July 16 from 8:30 pm to midnight. Learn about the life cycle of a moth, their favourite foods and creative ways of deterring predators, as well as their role in the ecosystem as pollinators and indicators of environmental health. This event is co-hosted by the Kingston Field Naturalists.

Learn about Nocturnal Life at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre on Friday, August 5 from 8:00 - 9:30 pm. This interactive, hands-on and family-friendly program will introduce visitors to Ontario's most recognizable nocturnal animals, beginning with an indoor presentation and then heading outside on a guided night hike, rain or shine.

For information on both events, visit: elbowlakecentre.ca/events. Drop-ins are free, or book a cabin for $60/night. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613-353-7968.