Jonathan (Joff) Elkas

Jonathan (Joff) Elkas

Joff currently works at BCE as senior legal counsel. He is a bilingual business lawyer with over twenty-five years experience with expertise in general commercial, IT, franchise, consumer protection, privacy and telecommunications regulatory law.
He holds degrees from Université de Sherbrooke (Baccalaureat en droit (L.L.B.)) and McGill (B.A. – History, Distinction).

Joff is married to Nancy Wells and is the father of three children. He is the son of Marlene and Sam Elkas of Sherbrooke.

He is an active community member holding positions in various boards over the past few years including the position of President at the North Hatley Club Inc.; Vice-President and chair of communication at Pillars Trust Fund Inc. 2015 – 2019; Friends of McGill Football, during his involvement over 6 years he spear-headed fundraising initiatives for the coaching staff. He was a co-winner of McGill’s E.P. Taylor Award (2015) in recognition of the founding of the Michael Soles Football Award, an endowment to support outstanding student athletes playing McGill Football.

When asked what were his reasons for his involvement in the Massawippi Foundation, Joff said:

” The opportunity to join the board of the Massawippi Foundation was too good to pass up. My father, Sam, had been a long-time board member and, for years, would tell me about the great things this little team of dedicated volunteers was accomplishing for the Massawippi Valley (and the fun it was having doing it). I had not only admired the Foundation’s achievements in just over 10 years – millions raised, over 1200 acres of forest preserved – but also the “win win” nature of the efforts themselves. It was as much the “how” of the accomplishment as much as the “what”.

For example, building ecologically sensitive hiking trails on conserved lands really struck a chord with me. By encouraging residents and visitors to explore and educate themselves about our local environment in a healthy and responsible way, we ensure it continues to be appreciated and cared for over the long term. These are the types of initiatives I aim to support and promote. My goal is to ensure the Foundation continues to thrive and perform its important work as the leading ecological steward of the Massawippi Valley. Through continued innovation and thoughtful collaboration with our community partners, I’m confident we will get there.”

Jonathan (Joff) Elkas

Good Governance

Alan Capes

Alan is a Civil Engineer (Concordia University) with an MBA (McGill University}. For 35 years his career focused on building business cases, and implementing, multi-million dollar business transformation projects and leading technology strategy at CN Rail. Alan founded and led the world’s largest rail technology user community, across North America, Europe and Asia. Alan has also been a guest lecturer on business strategy at several Quebec universities. In retirement, Alan co-founded and serves as a Director of La Fondation Ruisseau Bouchard in Dorval and is a Director of the Ayer’s Cliff Fair.

When asked what were his reasons for his involvement in the Massawippi Foundation, Alan said:

“My parents loved the Townships and bought a small waterfront property on Lake Massawippi in 1947, it instantly became the centre of the Capes family for generations. This is where our roots are firmly planted. In retirement my wife Lynn and I moved here permanently and the house routinely flows with our two sons from Montreal and family from Ontario and British Columbia. We love this land; the lake, the mountains, the trees and rivers of the Massawippi valley and the amazing neighbors and communities that thrive here.

I can think of nothing more rewarding and important than participating in protecting and sharing this wonderful ecosystem with future generations of family, friends and strangers alike. Building on over 10 years of extraordinary successes of the Massawippi Foundation, there are many exciting opportunities ahead: critical rivers, wetlands and forests to protect, expanding and enhancing public access to trails, actively engaging young people in nature awareness and experiences, and working with agricultural communities to enhance the quality of the land. I am excited and grateful to work on these and many more opportunities, with this team and these communities, to improve the quality of all life in our little part of the planet.”

Alan Capes

Once it is gone, it is gone forever! COP15

COP15 Montreal, Dec 15, 2022

One of the key targets of the COP15 is the 30 x 30 objective, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s natural land and sea environments by 2030.

Margot Heyerhoff, who is a Trustee of the Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT), gave a presentation aimed to inspire participants through telling the story of the MCT, framed by the 4 tenets of conservation (conservation, research, recreation, education). Margot walked them through the humble beginnings of the Trust, the challenges, the successes, the growth in size and scope, the power of passionate volunteers and the many lessons learned along the way. It is a compelling story, told beautifully and it was enthusiastically received and most often described by participants as “inspirational”.

The energy in the room was palpable and positive.

The presentations of the day were focused on biodiversity and accelerating conservation in southern Quebec. Participants included the QC Minister of Environment and Climate Change, conservation organizations and partners, and mayors from Montreal, Monteregie and the Townships.

Key messages were:
 Strengthening, and government investment in, the conservation partnership
ecosystem in southern Quebec
 Urgency in the face of increasing economic pressure on land development,
climate change and the dramatic surge in flora and fauna migrating north into
southern Quebec from the US
 We only get one chance at conservation; once it’s gone it’s gone forever

Appalachian Corridor Association and Nature Action Quebec (NAQ) did excellent work in coordinating the event and supporting us. We learned a lot over the course of the day, met new conservation partners, made new friends and clearly elevated awareness of the Massawippi Conservation Trust.

What took place at COP 15:

  • Adoption of an equitable and comprehensive framework matched by the resources needed for implementation
  • Clear targets to address overexploitation, pollution, fragmentation and unsustainable agricultural practices
  • A plan that safeguards the rights of indigenous peoples and recognizes their contributions as stewards of nature
  • Finance for biodiversity and alignment of financial flows with nature to drive finances toward sustainable investments and away from environmentally harmful ones
In case you missed it and want to know more:

Q : What is the COP 15?
A : For those who are still confused about COP 15, we invite you to view this very enlightening section of the Nature-Québec (NAQ) website and there is also a short video summary: https://naturequebec.org/la-cop15 (available in French)

Q : How was Appalachian Corridor directly involved?
A: On December 15, co-organized with NAQ and the Coalition des Montérégiennes, they organized a day dedicated to promoting the importance of taking action for Southern Quebec with municipalities (and cities) to accelerate conservation in Southern Quebec.

Q. What was announced at COP15?
A. Biodiversity protection – Quebec announced $650 million for an ambitious Nature Plan 2030
The Quebec government announced several measures at COP15, including the implementation of the Nature Plan 2030, which provides for investments of $650 million over seven years. This plan aims to achieve the next global conservation target of 30% of the world’s land by 2030.

Ici Radio Canada Stéphane Bordeleau
Published December 15, 2022

Translated from the original French version.

Invited to speak Thursday morning at COP15 in Montreal, Quebec Premier François Legault pledged to introduce a water protection bill in the next parliamentary session that would, among other things, increase the fees on water drawn from the province.
“In the coming years, freshwater reserves will become increasingly precious. We must protect them.”
– A quote from François Legault, Premier of Quebec

The Challenge, the Succession, the Future

A not-for-profit Foundation needs good governance as well a succession plan for its board members. Thanks to the hard work of our founding members, we have both.

We are pleased to share with you the profile of 4 new members of the board who have joined the team in 2021-2022. Two are presented this month and two more will be presented in January. Our 11 member board is complete.  We will reveal more about the individuals over time as their roles in the Foundation increase, until then please help us welcome them to the team!

They defined the criteria for board membership.
Criteria includes:
1. Be a Member of the FMF
2. Be 18 years of age or older
3. Priority be given to full and part-time residents of the Massawippi Valley.
4. Ability to communicate in French and English.
5. Ties to the Massawippi Valley.
6. Possess at least 2 of the 4 WWWW’s (wealth, work, wisdom, wit).
7. Active interest in the activities of the Foundation
8. Interest and ability to attend, in person if possible, or by video-conference all board meetings.
9. Previous or present involvement in organizations whose mission is related to conserving nature.

We present to you…

Claude Séguin
Claude holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from HEC Montréal and a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Syracuse University in New York State. He began his career in the public sector in the 1980’s and ended as Deputy Minister of Finance for Quebec in 1987. Following this he held various finance and top level positions at Teleglobe, CDP Capital and Private Equity at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). After which he joined CGI Group as Senior Vice-President – Corporate Development and Strategic Investments from 2003 to 2016 and was Advisor to the Chairman from 2016 to 2018. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Solidarity Fund QFL since 2018. Over the years, he has been involved in several fundraising events including Centraide of Greater Montreal and the 24 Hours of Tremblant Foundation.
When asked what were his reasons for his involvement in the Massawippi Foundation, Claude said:
“Having lived on the shores of Lake Massawippi for over 30 years, I have been impressed by the magnitude of the achievements of the Fondation Massawippi not only by its considerable acquisitions of land in the lake’s watershed, but also by the quality of the developments that have been made there for the benefit of all. And all this by a small group of people truly dedicated to the quality of the environment of our region and the quality of life of the people who live there or find rest and peace there. My wife and I have agreed not only to support the Foundation financially, but also to become personally involved to contribute to its development and to help it realize its promising projects.”
Martin Primeau
Martin has been a member of the Fire Protection Service, City of Sherbrooke for close to 25 years. He is currently the Division Chief of Operations. He also served with the North Hatley Fire department as Captain from 2002 -2005. Martin was involved in local politics from 2005-21, initially as a municipal councillor and finally as the Mayor of Canton de Hatley. During his tenure he helped create the Eastern
Fire Department; supported the construction of the Town Hall with multipurpose rooms; created a participative committee
– Development of the Massawippi Valley (purchase of the Ayer’s Cliff beach) and supported financial participation of Mont Orford. Martin holds a B.A. from Université de Sherbrooke and has a multitude of educational certificates  in the field of fire prevention and safety.
When asked what were his reasons for his involvement in the Massawippi Foundation, Martin said:
” When I arrived in the Eastern Townships, my first involvement at the municipal level was to get involved in the environmental advisory committee of my municipality. It was a way for me to protect my environment and to make the population aware of its conservation. Shortly after, I had the chance to join the municipal council of this same municipality. I quickly noticed the involvement of many citizens and organizations in promoting environmental protection. Although the protection aspect is major in the vision of these organizations, for me it was important that the education aspect be present in the objectives and especially in the field.
The Massawippi Foundation responds very well to this educational vocation. This was an important element for me when I was asked to join their team. Being a user since the very beginning of the many trails they offer to the community, I could see the rigor and the concern to do things well that is reflected in this organization on a daily basis. The Foundation is a complementary partner to the mission of the municipalities and remains attentive to the people who make up the municipalities. Our region has been fortunate to have visionary people who wanted to get involved in protecting their environmental heritage while being actively involved in their community. It is a real pleasure for me today to be able to contribute to the accessibility of our lands and lakes now and for future generations.”

(Martin is both a board member of the Foundation and a Trustee of the Massawippi Conservation Trust.)

Let’s protect what we value most NOW! Giving Tuesday

Let’s protect what we value most NOW!

Giving Tuesday

Looking for a unique gift to offer someone for Christmas? Why not give a donation to their favorite cause and make a positive impact on the environment.

       

By giving to the Massawippi Conservation Trust you help us to:

  • continue in our mission to steward and protect environmentally sensitive land in the Massawippi valley;

  • build trails to provide free community access to nature for health and wellness;

  • fund our education program (NEW IN 2022!) for local primary school students.

We protect what we love and we love what we know.

BAT CONSERVATION OF THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS

Bats are one of the world’s most misunderstood species, yet they exist on every human-inhabited continent. There are so many myths tainting the image of these unique mammals. History has made them out to be scary creatures when in fact bats are important human allies, vital in the fight against pesky insects. In truth, the scariest thing about bats is this: they’re being decimated in Canada by a disease called White-nose Syndrome.

As humans, we’ve learned all too quickly how diseases can spread through closely gathered populations exposed to infection. Bats are no different. White-nose Syndrome has reduced bat populations by almost 95 per cent in eastern Canada, leading to several species being designated as Endangered. This summer, White-nose Syndrome was found on bats in Saskatchewan. Critical social distancing is impossible for bat populations headed back to their winter hibernation sites. As colonies instinctively gather together, there is a greater risk of contracting White-nose Syndrome. Clearly, it’s a frightening time to be a Canadian bat!
Reproduced from the Canadian Wildlife Federation website.

THE MISSION OF BAT CONSERVATION OF THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS IS TO TAKE CONCRETE ACTIONS TO PROTECT BATS IN THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS. THIS PROGRAM BENEFITS FROM THE EXPERTISE OF BIOLOGISTS WITHIN THE APPALACHIAN CORRIDOR TEAM AS WELL AS RESSOURCES AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORTS ITS ACTIVITIES.
To find out more please click on the Appalachian Corridore website 

Mushroom Madness, our education program for adults and families.

Mushroom Madness, our education program for adults and families.

We kicked off the month with the Mushroom Madness event. This program was our first foray into educational activities for adults and families by the Massawippi Foundation.
We had 3 walks scheduled on the Sentier Massawippi trails in Scowen Park and Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley. Participants learned about mushrooms but also about nature in general and how to appreciate it through art. We would like to thank Jessica Adams and Rebecca Soulis (and her partner Jason Campbell) co-founders of Nature Nerding. They guided the particpants
around nature, art and wellness. Each event had more than 20 participants.

On October 6th we hosted Nicolas van Caloen from Mycotrophe.
His presentation was on the fungal world, cultivation and mycorremediation. His talk was about the different aspects of the life of a fungus, its cultivation and its roles in ecosystems as well as the ability of fungi to decontaminate the environment. 30 + people enjoyed the facsinating talk and lively presentation.
A vernissage and mushroom tasting event was held on October 7th.
Louise Marois is a local artist from St. Vennant de Paquette. Her exhibition offers two separate sections of graphite drawings on paper, one on mushrooms and a second on various plants. Ecological concern is at the center of this new corpus. The artist invites the visitor to wonder about what awaits us in the near future. This show will be open to the public at the pub La Cie Vilandré until mid December.
We would like to thank the owners of the pub La Cie Vilandré in North Hatley who graciously offered us their space, free of charge and added mushroom dishes to their menu. They are giving a portion of the sales of these dishes to the Massawippi Foundation educational fund.
We plan to host more programs in the future. Please watch for announcements on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

Our education program has officially begun!

What season are we currently in? When did it officially start? What if we didn’t have a calendar- what are the signs that fall is upon us? Are we the only living beings that notice these changes? What happens in nature when autumn arrives?

These are but a few of the questions we asked each group of students who set foot on the trails at Scowen Park in the context of the Massawippi Foundation’s Nature Education Program. Coordinated and animated with the help of Nature Nerding, the program’s objective is to connect young people of the region with their natural heritage by providing opportunities to explore, discover and appreciate nature through the seasons. The long term vision is to help cultivate a connection so strong, so innate, that young people develop a sense of belonging and personal concern for the natural world. As many may know, one of the Foundation’s favorite sayings has become:

“We protect what we love. We love what we know.”
 

Each program outing creates a space for young people to truly know the natural world in their own backyard. This does not necessarily mean retaining facts and repeating information learned, but rather embracing one’s curiosity, engaging with one’s surroundings, and gradually gaining a sense of familiarity with and awareness of nature with each experience.

From mid-September to mid-October,  we had the pleasure of welcoming nine school groups for a total of approximately 150 students! Students joined us from both French and English schools in the towns of North Hatley, Ayer’s Cliff, Waterville and Stanstead. Geared towards grades three and four, the program’s theme was “The Wonders of Fall”, featuring a scavenger hunt inviting students to use all their senses in observing and interacting with nature while asking questions about how each element or “wonder” was related to the fall season. In addition to stoking students’ curiosity for the natural world, the fall program aimed to introduce the students to Scowen Park and at the same time, have them consider what it means to have a safe and respectful outing in nature.

Highlights of this season’s program included seeing garter snakes sunning amongst the leaf litter, learning about little known, but cool phenomena such as thistle galls, beechdrops and fern sori and of course, noticing the wide variety of fascinating fungi growing in all kinds of interesting places along the trails! Magnifying glasses in hand and binoculars at the ready, students let their wonder and curiosity guide them. They saw neat things and learned some new terms, but most importantly of all, they asked great questions and shared their discoveries and enthusiasm with each other.

With the fall program having come to a close, we reflect on the season we just had and the year ahead while brimming with gratitude and excitement. We are grateful for every person participating in the program, whether as an educator or as a student. Each group has its own personality and energy, students bringing with them a new perspective on the park and the wonders to behold. No two outings were the same this season, nor will they be in winter and spring. This is a gift! We are also incredibly thankful for the Massawippi Foundation making this program possible. In the last year, the Foundation has very intentionally turned its attention to education as an integral part of its overarching conservation mandate. Not only did this involve recruiting someone to design and lead the program, but the program strives to offer schools a turnkey experience from providing a snack and drink at each outing to paying for each group’s bus transportation. This is all in an effort to encourage and facilitate school participation, helping connect as many young people as possible with nature.

Finally, we can hardly contain our excitement! As we consider the future of the Education Program, we see a world of possibilities. Having received feedback from several teachers, we are pleased to hear that students are already looking forward to the winter visit… as are we! The program is in its first inaugural year and if the fall season is any indication, we are in for an incredible year filled with wonder and delight!  Jessica Adams, Nature Nerding.

   

Salamander Sequence

Email from Félix Plante, University of Sherbrooke

“The inventory of creek salamanders was successfully completed last Thursday by the members of COGESAF and myself.
We were able to find and count all three species of creek salamanders, the purple salamander, the two-lined salamander and the northern dusky salamander.
As mentioned previously, since this is a long-term study, the complete and popularized results will be transmitted only after the 10 years of inventory planned for the project.
The inventories will therefore continue each year, and will be carried out by the COGESAF team.
I thank you again for your precious collaboration, it is much appreciated.”

A Forest and a ‘Food Forest’ What is the difference?

A Forest and a ‘Food Forest’
What is the difference?

A forest is a wild place where trees and plants grow. However it is also a place where you can find food. For example, many people think of mushrooms but there are many other types of food to be found in the forest if you know what you are looking for. This topic will be the focus of our future adult learning conferences that are in development.

Just ask Gérald Le Gal and his daughter Ariane Pare-Le Gal about foraging wild food1. An old friend of theirs, Patrick Garcia, is a new friend of ours. He too is a specialist in indigenous plants and picking.

Finding food in the natural environment has been the mainstay of our existence for hundreds and thousands of years. Just ask indigenous communities and they will tell you all about it.

A “ food forest” is a man-made environment planted in a manner to imitate nature and produce a variety of edibles. Forests have creeks and rivers flowing through them. Food forests are watered and controlled by people.. 

In many countries of the world, forest gardens or food forests are common. They are probably one of the oldest forms of land use by humans seen along river banks and in the foothills of monsoon villages.  From the Kandyan forest gardens of Sri Lanka to the Huertos familiars in Mexico and the Pekarangan in Java, Indonesia, they can be best described as low maintenance landscapes with dense vegetation that mimic natural forests in their various stories.  They use less water than regular gardens and have better soil quality with fewer weeds.

One of the early proponents of food forestry in the more temperate climate of the western world was Robert Hart2. He started in 1960, when he saw that his farm was not working as well as he wanted and noticed the natural forest where plants were growing better than on his farm. He developed his methods and his theories over time. They were later explored by Martin Crawford2 and the Agroforestry Research Trust. Forest gardens have become increasingly popular as part of the whole permaculture scene. They can be found throughout the temperate world.

Food Forest strategy lies in the concept of layers. There are either 7 or 8 layers depending on the gardener’s choice.

  1. Overstory consisting of large mature trees
  2. Understory consisting of smaller fruit and nut trees
  3. Shrub layer filled with fruit bushes such as currants
  4. Herbaceous layer made with perennial vegetables that spread horizontally
  5. Ground cover layer consisting of edible plants that spread horizontally
  6. Root layer with plants grown for their roots and tubers
  7. Vine layer which is essentially vertical consisting of vines and climbers such as beans
See the illustration by Graham Burnett who is another great source of information and inspiration on this topic4

A well-managed food forest will yield fruits, nuts, herbs and vegetables at close proximity helping to reduce CO2 emissions. Once established it requires very little artificial energy, no chemical fertilisers or pesticides and minimal labour. However Robert Hart does suggest daily supervision and to cut back plants that try to encroach on each other. Mulching is also a key element in the health of the soil and the organisms within. Like a natural forest, the trees in a forest garden helped to store CO2. As the trees grow and the soil remains undisturbed, the amount of carbon locked up inside the earth increases.

Thanks to Mother Nature we are learning to copy her model and produce food in better growing conditions.  These gardens can be adapted for any amount of space be it in the country, a backyard or an urban setting. They are a way to incorporate edible and useful trees and bushes. The concept can be adapted even to small spaces such as balconies!

1 Gerald Le Gal et Ariance Paré-Le Gal, Forêt, Les Éditions Cardinal inc., Montréal, 2019. This book contains wonderful stories, photographs and recipes for wild food. For a quick story about the man behind the company Gourmet Sauvage watch the podcast https://acpfnl.ca/podcast-012/
2 Robert Hart describes Food Forests in this video. His book: Forest Gardening: Rediscovering Nature and Community in a Post-Industrial Age
3 Martin Crawford has written books including: Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops. His book is also available in French FORÊT-JARDIN (LA) : CRÉER UNE FORÊT COMESTIBLE EN PERMACULTURE POUR RETROUVER AUTONOMIE ABONDANCE Watch him on this video
4 A website created by Graham Burnett offering tips and explanations as well as products for sale. https://spiralseed.co.uk/making-forest-garden/