Pollinators

The Canadian Wildlife Federation poster is free to download or to order as a paper copy.

We hear a lot about bees these days, how they are struggling to survive and how important they are to our food sources. Fortunately they are not the only pollinators. June 20-26th was Pollinator Week which brought awareness to the plight and positive actions being taken on behalf of these very important insects and winged creatures.
Pollinators are yes bees but also beetles, birds, bats, butterflies, flies, moths and even some small mammals.
Some facts from the David Suzuki website: https://davidsuzuki.org/project/pollinators/

  • Insects makes up 2/3 of all life on earth
  • Insects are a key food source for birds and fish and play a vital role in forests and fields as decomposers.
  • Over three-quarters of wild flowering plants and one-third of the food we eat depend on insect pollination. Think about it that is one out of every three bites of food we eat!
  • More than 800 species of wild bees live in Canada.
  • If we want to talk dollars and cents, pollinators add 233 billion dollars to the global economy, and honey bees alone are responsible for between 395 million dollars in agricultural productivity in Ontario. (https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/en/about-pollinators)

The problem stems from the loss of meadow & wildflower habitat, pollution and the use of chemicals.

Last month we spoke about connectivity and the importance of conserving connected tracts of land to help wildlife migrate and move between various habitats. Think about this for insects and pollinators, the importance of gardens as a stepping stone to the bigger open pastures and fields. Up to 80% of Canadians live in urban centres. Gardens are havens. The open fields under electric towers, the un-mowed ditches on the sides of roads and railroads also create a much needed habitat. By planting native species we can learn about nature and help increase biodiversity around our homes. Even potted plants on balconies that reflect the ecosystems around them contribute. These small acts of conservation can have a huge ripple effect.
To learn more about how NCC supports Small Acts of Conservation, such as planting native plants, click here.Everyone can play a role by planting native species, reducing or better yet eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, leaving lawns uncut in May when dandelions welcome the first Spring insects. (Read more about this initiative of the Nature Conservancy of Canada). Resisting the urge to clean out the dead leaves and old branches in order to create nesting spaces in the fall helps to create an over the winter habitat for native insects, pollinators and other backyard wildlife. Think of the forest floor which comes alive in the Spring as the wildlife wakes up from hibernation. Those leaves on the ground had a purpose.
What else can we do to help besides planting native species and creating spaces for nesting and hibernation?

  • Turn your lawn into a garden
  • Leave more lawn un-mowed
  • Think about water for the insects. A bird bath or pond may be too deep. A saucer or lid filled with a few stones (connectivity and to help them have a landing place) with fresh water is a good idea.
  • Support your local conservation organisations
  • Speak to your municipal government about changing the dates they mow the ditches, or leaving more municipal land untended or better yet creating more community garden spaces.

The Massawippi Conservation Trust has 1200 acres under conservation. Not all of it is forest, there are some fields and streams with wetlands that play host to so many insects and wild things. If you go for a slow walk along the trails in Scowen Park you will see in the uncut fields, insects moving from flower to flower. We have seen at the park and on the conserved lands, Daisies, Buttercups, Herb-Robert, Two leaved Toothwort, Northern Starflowers, Clover, Orange Hawkweed (also known as Devil’s Paintbrush!)  to name a few! Precious biodiversity!

Think about an ice cube, the smaller it is the faster it melts

Ecological connectivity
Breaks in ecological corridors
Forest fragmentation
Why is it important to connect parcels of land and maintain open corridors?

  • Did you know that you need to be 200 to 300’ from the forest edge for the sound of cars and lawn mowers to be muffled and to be able to find a cool, shady spot where the forest floor is still damp even during a 3 week drought?
  • It takes 14 acres of forest to have just one such acre in the centre where the truest forest conditions exist?
  • A residential pocket inside a forest affects up to 30 additional acres with disturbances?

Forest fragmentation occurs by the introduction of roads, agriculture, utility corridors, subdivisions etc. The greater the fragmentation, the faster the disappearance of the forest. Think about ice cubes. The smaller the cube, the faster it melts.

Many species are at the northern limit of their habitat. With the effects of climate change we will continue to see a movement of species, northward into our region.
“Ecological networks are a vital conservation strategy for supporting biodiversity as it responds to climate change. Changing climate conditions are forcing species to shift their ranges. Over the long term, connectivity science can respond to the risks posed by climate change by quantifying habitat and movement needs, predicting how they will change, and identify opportunities to protect large networks of habitat to safeguard connectivity and support species in the long-term.”
Excerpt taken from: A review of ecological connectivity science in the Region of Resolution 40-3 Executive Summary. An Assessment of the Science and Projects Describing the Ecologically Connected Landscape of the Northeast Region of North America.
https://www.connectiviteecologique.com/sites/default/files/2021-07/Connectivity-Analysis-40-3_Summary_EN.pdf

  • Forest fragmentation leads to the loss of biodiversity, reduction in forest health and water quality, increased threat from invasive plants, species and pathogens.
  • Quebec wants to conserve 30% of its land by 2030, in 8 years. At the moment only 17% is protected.
  • 91% of the land in the Eastern Townships is privately owned. Therefore it is essential to speak about conservation methods and find ways to reach property owners, educate them about the benefits of conservation.

https://www.corridorappalachien.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CorridorAppalachien_Bulletin-Printemps_EN_WEB_20220413.pdf

The Massawippi Conservation Trust currently owns or has under its protection, 1,200 acres of land (485 hectares of land). The vast majority is contiguous and on the western ridge of Lake Massawippi. This virgin forest is know for its clean water and healthy habitat which supports many species of salamanders. These important creatures may act as an indicator species of the ecological integrity of the forest they occupy together with the earthworm.

Land use planning is a tool that can be used to protect essential habitats.
As stated in the Appalachian Corridor website: Municipalities and MRCs have access to many tools to generate positive outcomes for the environment and can use their regulatory powers to contribute to the conservation of nature. Municipalities can capitalize on the following levers to foster the health and conservation of natural areas:
• Zoning bylaws
• City or town planning master plan
• Site planning and architectural integration plans
• Conditional uses
• Delivery of permits and certificates
• Municipal works agreements
• Tree planting and tree felling/logging regulations
• Vegetation cutting/mowing bylaws
• Outdoor lighting regulations
• Subdivision bylaws For instance, municipalities can adopt a nature-friendly approach to land use planning and bylaws, limiting the destruction or the degradation of the most sensitive features on a territory such as summits, steep slopes, or riparian areas.

Municipalities can also establish a legal conservation status on properties they own. Nature conservation can also be taken to a whole new level when neighbouring municipalities work together to develop and integrate a comprehensive and holistic conservation vision. In addition to supporting the region’s municipalities in advancing their projects for the conservation and protection of natural areas, Appalachian Corridor recently launched a guide to support municipalities and MRCs throughout Québec. This guide, structured in the form of two toolboxes, provides guidelines to encourage municipalities and MRCs to foster ecological connectivity and natural area conservation on their territories. These tools were developed as part of the Initiative québécoise Corridors écologiques.
https://www.corridorappalachien.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CorridorAppalachien_Bulletin-Printemps_FR_WEB_20220413.pdf

You don’t own land?
How can you help?
Find out if your municipality has any environmental plans, has it updated its zoning laws to reflect current realities? Get involved with your municipality and local regional governments. Join an environmental committee. Use your voice and your vote.

We would like to thank the following people and organizations for the ideas collected and shared here.
‘Woods Whys’ by Michael Synder (published by Bondcliff Books) who wrote for years for the Vermont Woodlands magazine and who is currently a Vermont State Forester and Commissioner with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation.
Our affiliated partner Appalachian Corridor who organised a very informative webinar on the importance of ecological corridors and have participated in studies and research papers over the years on the importance of the corridors in our local area not to mention many other topics in line with conservation.

TURTLE NESTING SEASON

Nicolas Bousquet is the author of the following article. At the moment his major project that he is in charge of is a study of the wood turtle :This includes participating in the surveys; active protection of adult females in a gravel pit; nest protection; developing measures to protect all the turtles and maintaining the activity in the gravel pit; limiting the propagation of the Japanese knotweed in the designed wood turtle habitat to maintain a good quality of habitat as well as teaching classes to CEGEP and University students in the field about the wood turtles.

Despite a rainy and rather cold spring, the recent rise in temperature and the sunny weather are causing the turtles to become active. The warmth is a signal for them to come out of their hibernation in the riverbeds. Soon the three species of turtles, the painted turtle, the snapping turtle and the wood turtle of our sector will be visible during our outdoor activities or on the road! At first, they will be looking for some sunshine and will come out of the still very cold rivers and ponds to facilitate their thermoregulation.
Then, the laying period begins, which will last from the end of May to the beginning of July, but it is particularly in June that the majority of the turtles will be active for the laying. The adult females will seek sand and gravel, or a mixture of both, exposed to the sun to make their nest and bury their eggs. They may therefore go to the side of the road or onto footpaths or cycle paths to nest and thus become very vulnerable. In fact, every year we note turtle deaths along the edges of these structures, often adults, but sometimes also hatchlings that have emerged from their eggs. The passage from the aquatic environment to the terrestrial environment and vice versa for egg-laying is therefore an issue for the survival of adult females every year.
How can we help them to remain safe and sound during this period?

Simply by remaining vigilant! Whether you are driving, walking or cycling on structures bordering lakes, rivers, ponds or wetlands, you can remain vigilant to the presence of turtles and react appropriately in the event of their presence. You can slow down and let the turtle go on its way and warn other motorists of its presence for example. In an immediate emergency, you can help it cross, always in the same direction it was going. It is important not to put the animal back in the water or move it to another location. You can also take a photo and report its presence on the website www.carapace.ca.
It should also be noted that the wood turtle is present in a few rivers in the Eastern Townships and is designated as vulnerable by its provincial status. Populations have suffered a recent decline and some are recovering with difficulty. The wood turtle is particularly vulnerable to injury and mortality on roads and by agricultural and forestry machinery, especially because of its very terrestrial nature. Since it is the most terrestrial of our turtles in Quebec, it is exposed to these pressures for longer than other species. Moreover, the degradation of its habitat does not help its cause, nor does the presence of predators that destroy nests, such as raccoons! Despite the efforts of local organizations and actors, the situation remains precarious for several populations in the Eastern Townships. In fact, since turtles in general are slow growing and slow to reproduce, the recovery of these populations takes several years… when it is possible.
However, there is hope! Habitat quality is an essential element in the recovery of declining species and many local organizations are working to maintain and conserve these quality habitats. There are also several actions underway to better understand the specific threats affecting our wood turtles in order to better correct them!

Nicolas Bousquet, biol.,
Coordonnateur de projets terrain
COJESAF

June 2022 Newsletter

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

A successful AGM was held on June 18, 2022. For those of you who would like to read the documentation given at the public meeting please see the attached:

May 2022 Newsletter

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Jane is an outdoor enthusiast who loves nature and walking. You can see her striding through the village and walking on our trails year round.

She has always loved walking and especially enjoys showing her visitors the Massawippi Trails when they come to stay in the region.
Jane is as intimately entwined in the history of North Hatley as is fellow board member Tom Wilcox. She is a permanent resident of North Hatley since retiring from her law career with the Federal government. Born in Sherbrooke, she grew up in Montreal and spent all of her summers in the village. Her great grand-father’s family bought their first summer home here back in 1920. Jane remembers summers spent in her family home, enjoying the independence which came with her 3 ½ horse power boat which she took across the lake each day to reach the North Hatley Club. In the 1960’s her father bought a large farm property in the Canton de Hatley where he planted trees and conserved the land. It was here that she took long walks with him and sometimes explored the land on horseback. She came back regularly to the property in the late 1990’s when she built some trails for walking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Jane became involved with the Massawippi Foundation fairly early on as the Board was being formed in 2012. She was invited to join in 2013 and today she is its Chair. The passion and respect of the original group is as strong today as it ever was. None of them are environmentalists, but they all share a deep love for the natural beauty of the region and want to do what they can to protect it for future generations.

When asked if she found the area had changed over the years she says, “Not really, the buildings haven’t changed, only the businesses on the inside.”  She remembered the general store and hardware where the Pilson now stands, Earl’s was the Dep, and the Hob Nob, (now the Mercantile) where her family always picked up hot dogs and fries for supper when arriving from Montreal on Friday nights. Of course LeBaron’s was and still remains today.” The biggest change was when the railway was sold.” Thinking back she remembers when she used to walk along the tracks to get from one side of the village to the other, sometimes jumping off the bridge into the water, in order not to get run over by the noontime train. The walkway and gazebo are what remain today. A lovely place to get a view of the lake and the ridge behind it.

When the Sentier Massawippi opened its trails, Jane was there with her sister. She realized then that this would be the special place to walk keeping in mind that George Wardman Sr. had been a good friend of her Father. The Meagher farm property was sold in 2018 and Jane and her husband Jean bought an Airstream thereby joining a new community. Their choice reflects their love of nature. The Sentier Massawippi trails in North Hatley and Sainte- Catherine, are her preferred local places to walk. She likes the beauty of the trail and the views of the lake. Jane makes sure to speak about the Foundation and its conservation mission with visitors.

When asked if she is an environmentalist, conservationist, or nature lover, Jane chooses the latter, saying she loves nature and tries to do her bit to help the planet and her community. Her son has recently bought a property in the area and so the family tradition is continuing.

In the words of Jacques Cousteau, “You protect what you love,” and that is what Margot Graham Heyerhoff does best.

Margot and her family moved to the Massawippi Valley permanently in 2002 however she had already established a love for the area long before when attending university and working in the area in the 1970s.

Unassuming and passionate, she is one of the founders of the Massawippi Foundation. Even before its legal inception, Margot played a key role in its establishment which now boasts approximately 1200 acres under its protection via the Massawippi Conservation Trust. The land, which is protected in perpetuity, has a current evaluation of over 4.3 million dollars and the Foundation has raised over 5 million dollars. For much of the last decade, Margot served as Chair and volunteer acting Executive Director at the same time – a term referred to as a “servant leader”. Today, Margot is President of the Foundation and a Trustee of the Trust. The conserved area we are talking about is the watershed of Lake Massawippi, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It contains pristine forests which have been identified as being of top ecological quality. Margot was among a small group of people who met over Thanksgiving weekend, 2010 to discuss the imminent threat of development on the magnificent forested ridge on the west side of the lake. One guest, David Rittenhouse took up the call and began to research how to create a conservation trust and a community foundation. By happenstance, Margot was drawn into the action after a chance meeting with David in the local depanneur. During the summer of 2011, they went door to door, spreading the word among friends to support the foundation during its infancy by providing seed money in order to purchase land and to explain the goals of the sister organizations. David made these visits while fighting advanced cancer and died in August that year but not before Margot visited him the evening before to promise him that the other founders would continue the work that he had begun as the Foundation’s first Executive Director.
Since then Margot has identified properties, helped negotiate land donations or sales and ushered the Trustees and owners to the table to sign transfers of land, a task that Margot compares to herding cats. She has also helped raise funds towards property acquisition and trail building and is a lead donor herself. She is a spokesperson and educator. She has given lectures, personally written hundreds of thank you notes, hosted fundraising events, even loaned her home in exchange for donations instead of rent.  Margot is a local, well respected authority on conservation in the region. She is called upon regularly by people wanting her guidance on how to establish a land trust.
Margot, along with the Board, believes in the importance of giving everyone access to nature. It was important to allow people to walk and benefit directly from the forest therefore it wasn’t long before two properties had trail networks. In the words of Margot Graham Heyerhoff, “The goal was not just to see this amazingly beautiful green mountain from afar while driving on Route 143  but for people to experience conservation from being ‘inside’ these protected forests”. Nothing has proven truer than in the last 2 years with the pandemic raging around us, people have benefitted from the trails, improving their physical and mental health.

The Massawippi Trust is under the conservation umbrella group of Appalachian Corridor. The biologists and specialists from the organisation have identified the top priority properties linking wildlife corridors which range from the United States through Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Margot is keenly aware of the positive impact on the wildlife regarding the connection between the properties and has worked nonstop to link contingent parcels together.
Aside from her various roles with the Foundation, including Chair, Acting Executive Director, and President, she also sits on the grants committee, fundraising committee, and now two new committees: Education and Farming.
As she says: “To support our vision for a green and prosperous Massawippi Valley, we are looking to expand our conservation efforts from only focusing on our rich forests to including various other types of ecologically vital lands.  The Massawippi Foundation and Massawippi Conservation Trust are joining the worldwide movement toward enhancing the agroecosystem resilience for sustainable agricultural production.  We feel that conservation also includes how we use our land – we will advocate for agro-environmental farming practices to keep our soil healthy, ways to preserve the biodiversity of insects, birds and plants, and ways we can all protect streams in order to improve the health of our lake, the health of our farms and their produce and ultimately the quality of life for all who live here.”
Today, as the Massawippi Foundation enters a new decade, it is expanding its mandate to develop educational programs for local school children, families and adults. It is also joining the regenerative agriculture movement. It will sponsor a research grant to identify the hot spots on the territory where farms are contributing to pollution. It will work with local organisations to promote new (old) farming techniques which are less invasive and can in fact help restore the quality of the soil, the crops grown, the farmers’ income and the environment.
Margot, originally a city person, has become totally invested in the local environment since her move to the Eastern Townships which she has expressed through her work with the Massawippi Foundation and the Massawippi Conservation Trust. She has learned about the environment and conservation through her passion for this corner of the world.  Margot has a creative edge about her (as a designer and an artist) and an active imagination for all kinds of projects and possibilities – many of which have already become realities.

 

Pat Webster

It has been more than ten years since Pat joined Tom Wilcox and Margot Heyerhoff to found the Massawippi Foundation.
Like them, Pat stayed on for the long run, but in June, she is stepping back to focus on new projects, including the launch of her first book, Autobiography of a Garden.
Pat grew up in Virginia, in a family that loved to travel. While in university she spent a year abroad, studying philosophy at the University of London and revelling in the heyday of London in the 60’s, when the Beatles and Carnaby Street were all the rage. Before returning home, she travelled to Greece where she met Norman Webster, her future Canadian husband.

Norman was a journalist. In the late 1960’s, he was offered the job in Beijing as the Globe and Mail’s correspondent. When he asked Pat if she wanted to go, she said YES! They and their three little boys spent two years there as part of a small community of diplomats. Later, with five children, the family lived three years in England and in various cities in Canada.

A world traveller, blogger, author, wife and mother, an American who gave up her citizenship to become a Canadian, Pat adopted the Eastern Townships and North Hatley like a native. “There is something about this place that grabs you in a deep way. It is hard to put a finger on it, but it is there.”

She and her family spent summer holidays in North Hatley. Year after year, she explored the woods, following deer paths and making her own, using the lake as her compass point. Standing at Black Point, she could see only two cottages on the west side of the lake, and almost no houses on the east.

One day, taking a new path, she happened upon a road carved into the side of the mountain. This scar on the landscape made her realize that the pristine forests could be ruined. “You don’t want to keep people out, but you feel that something precious is being changed in a negative way. You want to protect it.”

In 1996, Pat and Norman bought Glen Villa, the place where she now lives full time. She began to develop the garden around the house and to think about the land more deeply, over time creating what is now a landscape with art installations that explore ideas about history, memory and our relationship to nature.  “Each of us leaves a mark on the world we are part of, and it is up to us to decide what kind of mark that will be.”

She supported the goals of the Massawippi Foundation and the Massawippi Conservation Trust from the outset and was an enthusiastic supporter for the network of trails. “People who experience the forest come to love it, and the trails get them out there. It is hard to name but once they are in the woods, they sense the ‘specialness’ of the place. “

As a grandmother with 11 grandchildren, Pat is delighted that the Foundation is finally able to offer an education program for students.  Designed to teach children about the environment in the protected, outdoor setting of the trails, the program will start in the fall. “I am confident that the program will meet its goal of helping young people develop a real love for the environment. I hope that in a few years we will be able to expand the program to include family activities and programs for adults.”

A life of experiences, looking at the world through the eyes of others, has led Pat to acknowledge the importance of the landscape we all share. Now that the Massawippi Foundation is on terra firma, she is ready to move on to new projects, including the launch of her new book in July. It’s called Autobiography of a Garden. Published by McGill-Queen’s University Press. It will be available through fine bookstores everywhere or online through McGill-Queen’s University Press and other reliable sources. She will also be opening the garden at Glen Villa to the public this summer as a fund-raiser for the Massawippi Foundation. Dates for these open garden days are June 25, July 23, August 20, and October 1. Tickets cost $25/per person and must be booked in advance through Pat’s website, www.glenvillaartgarden.com

The Massawippi Foundation Board would like to thank Patterson Webster for her devotion to the area we call home. She has been a guide and steered the board with wisdom, wit and intelligence. Good luck with your new projects!

Embracing the north in your glass

Did you know that our region is home to some extraordinary farms and vineyards where the passion for organic farming practises is decades old? Caring for the environment and growing healthy food is nothing new for these farmers and vinters.
We are starting the first in our feature series with an article written by Caroline Chagnon, from Domaine de Bergeville in Canton de Hatley. Cheers!

While we are bottling the first wines of the 2021 vintage, the vines are finishing their long winter rest. Soon, they will be stripped of their protective canopies to catch the first rays of sunshine of the year.
Comfortably rooted on the slopes of the Massawippi Valley, our vines flourish in the highest viticultural region in Quebec: the Appalachian Highlands. The 250 m elevation creates a favourable contrast between hot days and cool nights. This temperature difference slows down the ripening of the grapes and preserves a remarkable acidity, which is crucial to the production of sparkling wine. Domaine Bergeville is the only vineyard in Quebec dedicated entirely to the production of traditional method sparkling wines. We believe that it is through the prism of double fermentation that the full potential of our northern climate, our soils and our hybrid grape varieties is best expressed. In other words: we bottle nordicity.
But beyond making wine, our concern is to shape an environment rich in biodiversity. Since the very beginning,

we have been working with organic and biodynamic viticulture. Thus, our vineyard has never known any synthetic product. Following a low-interventionist approach, every effort taken in the vineyard is done with the intention of making it a sustainable ecosystem and, ultimately, a self-sufficient organism. Aware that a vineyard is a monoculture, we have implemented several solutions to maintain an abundant and diversified environment. For example, we have deliberately planted different grape varieties on the same plot, interspersing vine varieties that flower at different times of the summer. Permanent green manures are grown in the inter-rows, which reduces soil erosion. At the edge of the plots, the wildflower patches and the forest are refuges for insects, amphibians and animals that contribute to the biodiversity of the vineyard. Each element of our ecosystem plays an essential role and contributes to its cohesion.
Our soil is our greatest asset. It is rich in silt, sand and pebbles, which makes it acidic and shallow, but also in the life that lives in it. Our intention is to constantly give back at least as much as it gives us. The application of biodynamic principles allows us to improve the health of the vineyard as a whole. Biodynamic herbal preparations help the immune system of the vines, preparing them to fight diseases and insects. In the long term, this practice allows us to reduce treatments and interventions to a minimum, reducing our impact on the environment. We fertilise our vineyard with composted manure from a local organic and biodynamic cheese factory. This takes much longer than chemical fertiliser to prepare, but it is deeper and more long term. Our efforts seem to be paying off as we have noticed an increased presence of earthworms, bacteria and birds in recent years, which is an empirical measure of strong soil life.
In order to work with nature and produce an authentic wine, adapted to our region, we have planted our vineyard with hybrid vines. These are a cross between wild North American and European vines and are better equipped than their European counterparts to deal with fungal disease pressure. Working with these hybrids allows us to significantly minimize the application of organic treatments, without jeopardizing our ability to produce quality wines. Frontenac, Acadie and St-Pepin, in particular, were selected for their robustness and organoleptic characteristics, but also for their rapid vegetative cycle.
Our philosophy remains the same in the cellar. Experience has taught us that healthy grapes require minimal intervention. Supported by healthy indigenous yeasts, the wine will have everything it needs to express the individuality it has taken a whole season to develop. Thus, handling and inputs in the winery are kept to a minimum. A minimal dose of sulphur is used at the beginning of the process, at the pressing of the grapes only. This natural winemaking process can be felt in the wines, which have an honest fruitiness, a freshness and a certain elegance.
For us, it’s all about reflecting the uniqueness of our northern vineyards and making wines with great precision and respect for our land.

Caroline Chagnon, Domaine Bergeville Communications Director