ARTICLE CATEGORIES
Some Common Nature “Do’s and Dont’s” | Part 1: Honouring the Trail
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes We start every outing of the Massawippi Foundation’s Nature Education Program by gathering around the Scowen Park map. Once we are all huddled in close together, we take the time to say hello, to look back on our outing last season, and to revisit the…
New Year’s Resolutions and Nature
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes There is an interesting duality to the month of January. On the one hand, the new year feels ripe with possibility and promise and on the other it often comes with a post-holiday slump only made worse by the gloom and cold of winter. What…
The Monarch Butterfly: “Spokes-Insect” of the Summer at Scowen Park
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes A project months in the making officially came to a close on September 7 as the Scowen Park Monarch Butterfly was released into the wild. Overwhelmed with joy for having participated in such a wonder-filled project, our “Butterfly Brigade” members are so grateful for everything…
A walk at the Glen Villa Art Garden
My birding Walk and Talk at Glen Villa, in the pouring rain on Saturday June 17th. Was it worth it? YES! With a pair of binoculars and some patience I observed and learned that you need to: 1) listen to its song 2) observe the flight patterns 3) study the habitat 4) look at the…
The salamanders of the watershed
Written by Nicolas Bousquet, Biol. Field Project Coordinator COGESAF Reading time: 5-6 minutes The Lake Massawippi watershed is home to several species of salamander, particularly the stream salamander. There are three species of stream salamander: the two-lined salamander, the northern dusky salamander and the purple salamander. The presence of numerous streams in forested and mountainous…
Surprising Slugs
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes As I was sitting on my balcony one misty morning, enjoying my cup of coffee, my eyes wandered to my garden box in which I had planted some of my favourite fine herbs earlier in the season. My heart sank… ruined. All of them. And…
Turtles and the Tomifobia
Every spring, when the temperatures start to warm up, the turtles get busy, so we can get a good look at them. Because turtles are cold-blooded animals, they try to optimise their metabolism by finding warmth. You can therefore see turtles well exposed to the sun on sandbanks by the river or on branches emerging…
Biodiversity, Jenga and the 2023 Monarch Butterfly Project
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes With the passing of “No Mow May”, many might find themselves curious about the overall importance and impact of seemingly simple gestures such as letting a lawn grow out for one extra month each year. The short answer: when it comes to conservation, it can…
How can we help bats?
Reading time : 2 minutes © CERFO There are eight bat species present in Quebec. Three are migratory and five are resident. The residents look for places to hibernate each winter. They need a dry place, but with access to water to drink from time to time. The temperature needs to remain above zero during…
Rethinking Birdwatching
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes When you think of birdwatching, you may be inclined to picture a group of people of a certain age walking slowly along a trail, most wearing a bucket hat and a vest of some sort. As they meander slowly along a trail, they periodically stop, look…
Sweet Signs of Spring
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes Every seasonal transition has its own flavour, but perhaps the most highly anticipated transition is the one from winter to spring. After months of cold, snow and fleeting sunlight, there is nothing quite like the elation one feels at the first taste of spring. We start…
How to encourage field birds in agricultural areas
Reading time : 3-4 minutes © CERFO As our thoughts turn to Spring, we start to think more about birds. A renewed membership with SLOE (La Société de loisir ornithologique de l’Estrie), exchanges between members and a link towards an article published by the scientists at CERFO, led this author to reprint the CERFO…
Nature Education Program : Part 2/3 completed
The kids are having fun and learning…the two go hand in hand. Jessica, our Nature Nerd educator, is inspiring wonder and curiosity. This winter we received 290 students, spread over 10 days from 6 local schools in cycle 2 (grades 3-4). The Theme – Survival Changes in the environment in winter Animal Adaptations…
Migrations in Motion
Migrations in Motion © Nature Conservancy Reproduction (et traduction) d’extraits d’un article de Nature Conservancy. Justine E. Hausheer est une rédactrice scientifique reconnue qui écrit pour Nature Conservancy. Temps de lecture : 3-4 minutes Justine écrit : Une nouvelle étude réalisée par des chercheurs universitaires et de Nature Conservancy révèle que seulement 41 pour cent des zones naturelles aux États-Unis conservent une…
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time : 5-6 minutes “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (Quote from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax) We often think of conservation as taking place on a large scale, fuelled mainly by grand sweeping gestures like protests…
Wetlands are a natural remedy for Canada’s sick lakes
About the author of this article : Mark Gloutney is Ducks Unlimited Canada’s national Director of Science, Education and Business Planning. Originally published in The Globe and Mail on September 9, 2022 Thank you for granting us permission to share this article. Reading Time: 4-6 minutes Chances are high that you saw it over the summer at your…
What looks like a dog, moves like a cat, and smells like a skunk?
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading Time : 5-7 minutes Two of my most memorable Nature Nerding experiences happened in the Massawippi Foundation’s trails last winter and both came about because I followed my nose… While hiking back up from the lake at the Massawippi Trail in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley last February, I paused abruptly because…
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Birds and Québec Winters
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Winter in Québec can be a tough season for humans. Whether we have chosen to live here or found ourselves here due to circumstances beyond our control, the shorter days, the snow and the cold get to us all at some point. Thankfully, these factors rarely pose a problem…
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…
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…
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…
Why are salamanders so important?
We have two salamander studies currently underway on the Massawippi Trust conserved lands. Why study these particular creatures?They are small and mighty indicators of the health of the environment. They are one of three orders of amphibians which include frogs and toads and Caecilians (limbless amphibians found only in the tropics). There are approximately 400…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Why do Beech and Oak leaves hang on through the winter?
Have you ever noticed those parchment thin leaves of the Beech tree that hang on bravely throughout the winter? What about the rich brown Oak leaves rustling like paper in the wind? Why do these leaves persevere when all the others have fallen to the ground? To answer this question, we need to look at…
Let’s Get OUTSIDE!
We are hearing all too often about children spending too much time indoors and in front of screens (phones, tablets, computers and TV). Have you heard about nature deficit disorder? What happened to parents telling their kids to stay outdoors until the street lights came on? Or kids playing street hockey, using their backyards or…
Blue Birds (of Happiness) truly exist…
and they make some people happy especially when they come back year after year to nest in their boxes. Margot H. tells a funny story that when she was a young woman, visiting friends in the Eastern Townships, she found out that Blue Birds were in fact real birds and not just cartoon characters or…
For the Birds
Barred Owl: photo taken by Mahicans Diamond on the Massawippi Conservation Trust’s land. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, birds are a part of our daily lives. They are the number one wild animal we encounter almost daily and are an early indicator of the health of the planet. We may not…
Take a walk on the wild side. Forest Bathing – Shinrin-yoku – Bains de forêt
So much has been written on this topic it is hard to know where to begin. Let us start by the definition and what forest bathing is NOT. As you can surmise from the name Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese term which was coined in 1982 by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to…
Wild Mushrooms of the Forest
Mahicans Diamond helped us to identify this specimen seen just beside the trail. The common name is Hemlock Varnish Shelf (Latin name: GANODERMA, tsugae). It is a very close look-alike to the Lucid Bracket (common name) (Latin name: GANODERMA, resinaceum). They are distinguished by the dead trunks they grow on (one on deciduous trees, the other on Hemlock) as…
A Fresh Take on a Timeless Tradition
For centuries, Christmas trees and the use of evergreen branches have been integral to holiday celebrations. Ancient cultures, including the Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews, employed evergreen boughs and wreaths in their rituals to symbolize eternal life. This tradition evolved into the modern Christmas tree, which traces its origins back to the Renaissance in Europe. Throughout…
Come See! Come See! It’s Finally Open!
by Matthew Cleary (Updated September 13, 2024) The Massawippi Trail just got a lot longer. A new sector of protected land, forest and wetlands with over 5 kilometers of new hiking trails, is now open to the public. The trail that once ended at Ethan’s Beach now continues on further south. You can, of course,…
Reflections on Some Common Nature “Do’s and Dont’s” | Part 2
Reflections on Some Common Nature “Do’s and Dont’s” Part 2: Signs of Human Presence Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes The new program for the grade 4 students visiting our trails revolvings around Noticing Signs of Animal Presence. Throughout February and March we had so much fun scouring Scowen Park for…
A beautiful day, out of the office and off the hiking trails
Recently, I had the pleasure of joining Nicolas Bousquet from COGESAF (Conseil de gouvernance des bassins versants de la rivière Saint-François) who came to our property for his annual salamander inspection. COGESAF monitors 2 sites on our property. They alternate their visits, making only one site per year to reduce pressure on sensitive habitat! Nicolas…
Fire and Fire Prevention
Fire and Fire Prevention We are becoming more and more aware and affected by fire. Living near a forest, an open field of dried grass, an old wooden barn, shed or a house, we worry about fire. What can we do to help prevent it? How can we protect ourselves and our homes? There are…
Trails Essay – May 2024 by Matthew Cleary
Trails Essay – May 2024 by Matthew Cleary I make hiking trails for a living. It is the best job in the whole world. We are not volunteers. We take our work very seriously. To build a hiking trail that lasts, that is safe, that encourages people to remain on the path and minimizes the…
Some Common Nature “Do’s and Dont’s” | Part 1: Honouring the Trail
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes We start every outing of the Massawippi Foundation’s Nature Education Program by gathering around the Scowen Park map. Once we are all huddled in close together, we take the time to say hello, to look back on our outing last season, and to revisit the…
Training on the Sentier Massawippi trails in preparation for Corsica’s GR20 – Interview with Alain Lessard
How did you find out about the Sentier Massawippi trails, even though you are not from the Eastern Townships? A friend of mine, a resident of North Hatley, introduced me to the Sentier Massawippi and Scowen trails. She and I are both active people, and we have been going regularly, about twice a week, for…
New Year’s Resolutions and Nature
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes There is an interesting duality to the month of January. On the one hand, the new year feels ripe with possibility and promise and on the other it often comes with a post-holiday slump only made worse by the gloom and cold of winter. What…
MCT acquires lakeside Marsh
We are pleased to announce that we have acquired a new property to protect in perpetuity and helped Blue Massawippi at the same time by purchasing this property which will give Blue Massawippi an infusion of cash for their important work on the lake. We would like to thank Christine Crowe and Denis Peticlerc along…
The group Recherche Sauvetage Estrie in Training at Massawippi Trail
Perhaps you noticed a group of individuals wearing orange helmets and vests while walking on the trail on Saturday, October 21st? They were volunteers from a search and rescue organization who used the site for their training. Here is some information about our community and a summary of our day. Who are we? The…
Burroughs Falls
What an exciting place to learn about history from a cultural, industrial, environmental and anthropological point of view. In September, the Massawippi Conservation Trust signed a deed of servitude with the municipality of Stanstead East in order to protect the land immediately adjacent to the falls. This land and the Niger river that flows through…
The Monarch Butterfly: “Spokes-Insect” of the Summer at Scowen Park
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes A project months in the making officially came to a close on September 7 as the Scowen Park Monarch Butterfly was released into the wild. Overwhelmed with joy for having participated in such a wonder-filled project, our “Butterfly Brigade” members are so grateful for everything…
A walk at the Glen Villa Art Garden
My birding Walk and Talk at Glen Villa, in the pouring rain on Saturday June 17th. Was it worth it? YES! With a pair of binoculars and some patience I observed and learned that you need to: 1) listen to its song 2) observe the flight patterns 3) study the habitat 4) look at the…
The salamanders of the watershed
Written by Nicolas Bousquet, Biol. Field Project Coordinator COGESAF Reading time: 5-6 minutes The Lake Massawippi watershed is home to several species of salamander, particularly the stream salamander. There are three species of stream salamander: the two-lined salamander, the northern dusky salamander and the purple salamander. The presence of numerous streams in forested and mountainous…
Surprising Slugs
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes As I was sitting on my balcony one misty morning, enjoying my cup of coffee, my eyes wandered to my garden box in which I had planted some of my favourite fine herbs earlier in the season. My heart sank… ruined. All of them. And…
Turtles and the Tomifobia
Every spring, when the temperatures start to warm up, the turtles get busy, so we can get a good look at them. Because turtles are cold-blooded animals, they try to optimise their metabolism by finding warmth. You can therefore see turtles well exposed to the sun on sandbanks by the river or on branches emerging…
Biodiversity, Jenga and the 2023 Monarch Butterfly Project
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes With the passing of “No Mow May”, many might find themselves curious about the overall importance and impact of seemingly simple gestures such as letting a lawn grow out for one extra month each year. The short answer: when it comes to conservation, it can…
Open Garden Days at Glen Villa
Saturday June 17th, July 15th and August 12th 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 Choose either the morning or the afternoon. Children 10 and under are admitted free of charge and do not require a ticket. New in 2023 – Walks and Talks Explore a special topic in small groups with…
How can we help bats?
Reading time : 2 minutes © CERFO There are eight bat species present in Quebec. Three are migratory and five are resident. The residents look for places to hibernate each winter. They need a dry place, but with access to water to drink from time to time. The temperature needs to remain above zero during…
Rethinking Birdwatching
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes When you think of birdwatching, you may be inclined to picture a group of people of a certain age walking slowly along a trail, most wearing a bucket hat and a vest of some sort. As they meander slowly along a trail, they periodically stop, look…
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Members
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the members of the Fondation Massawippi Foundation will be held on Saturday, May 6th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in person at the St. Elizabeth Church, Community Hall, 3115 Capelton Road, North Hatley, Quebec. To receive the Corporation’s financial statements and…
Sweet Signs of Spring
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time: 5-6 minutes Every seasonal transition has its own flavour, but perhaps the most highly anticipated transition is the one from winter to spring. After months of cold, snow and fleeting sunlight, there is nothing quite like the elation one feels at the first taste of spring. We start…
How to encourage field birds in agricultural areas
Reading time : 3-4 minutes © CERFO As our thoughts turn to Spring, we start to think more about birds. A renewed membership with SLOE (La Société de loisir ornithologique de l’Estrie), exchanges between members and a link towards an article published by the scientists at CERFO, led this author to reprint the CERFO…
Nature Education Program : Part 2/3 completed
The kids are having fun and learning…the two go hand in hand. Jessica, our Nature Nerd educator, is inspiring wonder and curiosity. This winter we received 290 students, spread over 10 days from 6 local schools in cycle 2 (grades 3-4). The Theme – Survival Changes in the environment in winter Animal Adaptations…
Open Garden Days at Glen Villa Gardens
Open Garden Days at Glen Villa Gardens We are pleased to announce that Patterson (Pat) Webster will be opening the Glen Villa Art Garden, her private gardens on the shores of Lake Massawippi, for tours on three Saturdays this summer. Pat will donate the proceeds from ticket sales to the Massawippi Foundation. Last year she…
Migrations in Motion
Migrations in Motion © Nature Conservancy Reproduction (et traduction) d’extraits d’un article de Nature Conservancy. Justine E. Hausheer est une rédactrice scientifique reconnue qui écrit pour Nature Conservancy. Temps de lecture : 3-4 minutes Justine écrit : Une nouvelle étude réalisée par des chercheurs universitaires et de Nature Conservancy révèle que seulement 41 pour cent des zones naturelles aux États-Unis conservent une…
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading time : 5-6 minutes “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (Quote from Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax) We often think of conservation as taking place on a large scale, fuelled mainly by grand sweeping gestures like protests…
Wetlands are a natural remedy for Canada’s sick lakes
About the author of this article : Mark Gloutney is Ducks Unlimited Canada’s national Director of Science, Education and Business Planning. Originally published in The Globe and Mail on September 9, 2022 Thank you for granting us permission to share this article. Reading Time: 4-6 minutes Chances are high that you saw it over the summer at your…
What looks like a dog, moves like a cat, and smells like a skunk?
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Reading Time : 5-7 minutes Two of my most memorable Nature Nerding experiences happened in the Massawippi Foundation’s trails last winter and both came about because I followed my nose… While hiking back up from the lake at the Massawippi Trail in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley last February, I paused abruptly because…
COP15
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),…
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Birds and Québec Winters
Written by Jessica Adams (Nature Nerding) Winter in Québec can be a tough season for humans. Whether we have chosen to live here or found ourselves here due to circumstances beyond our control, the shorter days, the snow and the cold get to us all at some point. Thankfully, these factors rarely pose a problem…
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…
Profile: 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…
Profile: Alan Capes
Alan Capes: Good Governance 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…
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 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…
Profile: Claude Séguin
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…
Profile: Martin Primeau
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Do you know about the 4 tenets of conservation?
They are: conservation, research, recreation and education. Conservation Recreation Research And now, in our 11th year, we are building the education tenet. Our Objectives and Desired Outcomes over the next 5 years: Nature Education, Physical Fitness, Team Building with primary school age children. “Teach the teachers!” Give pre-service teachers a hands on experience of outdoor education in…
Why are salamanders so important?
We have two salamander studies currently underway on the Massawippi Trust conserved lands. Why study these particular creatures?They are small and mighty indicators of the health of the environment. They are one of three orders of amphibians which include frogs and toads and Caecilians (limbless amphibians found only in the tropics). There are approximately 400…
Profile Dany Gagné
Profile Dany Gagné passionate about nature and a key trail building team member Dany Gagné is a passionate man, a creative person who loves the environment, culture, learning, and digging deep, literally and figuratively. He has worked for the Massawippi Conservation Trust since 2018. Previously, he worked with fellow trail builders, Matthew and Mahicans, on another…
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…
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,…
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…
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: Agenda Slate of Board of Directors for 2022 Minutes of the 2021 Annual General Meeting
In the words of Jacques Cousteau, “You protect what you love,” and that is what Margot Graham Heyerhoff does best.
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…
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.
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…
Profile: Pat Webster
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…
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…
Why do Beech and Oak leaves hang on through the winter?
Have you ever noticed those parchment thin leaves of the Beech tree that hang on bravely throughout the winter? What about the rich brown Oak leaves rustling like paper in the wind? Why do these leaves persevere when all the others have fallen to the ground? To answer this question, we need to look at…
Let’s Get OUTSIDE!
We are hearing all too often about children spending too much time indoors and in front of screens (phones, tablets, computers and TV). Have you heard about nature deficit disorder? What happened to parents telling their kids to stay outdoors until the street lights came on? Or kids playing street hockey, using their backyards or…
March 2022 Newsletter
View our March 2022 newsletter on Mailchimp https://us17.admin.mailchimp.com/campaigns/preview-content-html?id=13604812#English
CLEATS OR SNOWSHOES?
It is a question we ask ourselves very often before going for a walk in nature. As the popularity of winter hikes increases, more and more products and accessories are available for sale to help make our experience more enjoyable. From walking poles to cleats to snowshoes to backpacks with first aid kits or…
JANE MEAGHER, CHAIR OF THE MASSAWIPPI FOUNDATION
JANE MEAGHER, CHAIR OF THE MASSAWIPPI FOUNDATION Jane seen here tagging the property with Appalachian Corridor biologist. 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…
LEAVE NO TRACE WHEN YOU ENJOY NATURE
By Marie-José Auclair, President of Appalachian Corridor’s Board of Directors Although hiking is a low-impact activity for the environment, our behaviours while enjoying the trails can sometimes be devastating and lead to permanent impacts on surrounding flora and fauna. Garbage, fires in forbidden areas, improvised bathrooms in the bushes, and loud hikers; all of these…
January 2022 Newsletter
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HOW TO CONSERVE LAND
You own land on the Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT) territory of action? You are interested in learning more about ecological gifts and the tax benefits you could enjoy? You are curious whether there are prerequisites or fees to this program? What are the resources available to support your conservation project? What type of servitude would…
Happy Holidays 2021
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December 2021 Newsletter
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Regeneration Canada by Ananda Fitzsimmons, President and Co-Founder, Inocucor
On September 1st, I had the pleasure of attending the Massawippi Foundation’s Farm to Table luncheon. It was an opportunity for me to learn about the critical conservation work that the Foundation and the Trust are doing. I applaud the management of the Foundation and the Massawippi Conservation Trust for taking an unconventional stand…
PROFILE: Board member, ERIC van Bochove
Helene Hamel syn·chro·nic·i·ty /ˌsiNGkrəˈnisədē/ noun: the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. “such synchronicity is quite staggering” It is our tenth anniversary. When discussing our future, beyond conserving forests, sustainable agriculture is also discussed as a different form of conservation. How can we help promote environmentally sound farming…
November 2021 Newsletter
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American Friends of Canadian Conservation
Tom Wilcox, a board member of the Massawippi Foundation and a Trustee of the Massawippi Conservation Trust, has most recently forged a formal relationship with US organization American Friends of Canadian Conservation (AF of CC), a relationship that promises to bring significant American resources to conservation organizations across Canada. Mr. Wilcox serves as the Canadian-based representative for…
The VIMO Farm
The Viens family is the winner of the Agri-Environmental Leadership Award for a conventional farm. They were chosen by our committee to receive the first Agri-Environmental Leadership Award by meeting the criteria of the committee which consisted of : Dr. Eric van Bochove, recently retired executive responsible for the scientific direction of Agriculture and Agri-Food…
The Felgarth Farm
Alex Brand and his wife Lindsay-Jane Gowman are the winners of the Agri-Environmental Leadership Award for an organic farm. They were chosen by our committee to receive the first Agri-Environmental Leadership Award by meeting the criteria of the committee (including Dr. Eric van Bochove, Dr. Darren Bardati, and Stéphanie Durand who are described above). Excerpts…
September 2021 Newsletter
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A year in photos
2021 has been a remarkable year so far. It is our 10th anniversary in which we have celebrated with the community, announced land acquisitions and officially opened Ethan’s Beach and where we launched our first Farm Leadership Awards. As they say a picture is worth 1000 words … so here are thousands! Press Conference: Announcement…
Blue Birds (of Happiness) truly exist…
and they make some people happy especially when they come back year after year to nest in their boxes. Margot H. tells a funny story that when she was a young woman, visiting friends in the Eastern Townships, she found out that Blue Birds were in fact real birds and not just cartoon characters or…
FMF/MCT Vision – next 10 years
This year, the Massawippi Foundation and the Massawippi Conservation Trust are celebrating their 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, they are joining the global movement to improve agro-ecosystem resilience for sustainable production by launching a competition to award two agricultural producers with prizes of $10,000 each. In setting out its 10-year vision for a green…
August 2021 Newsletter
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Meet Hamnett Hill, board member of the Massawippi Foundation
Hamnett Hill is one of the newer members of the Massawippi Foundation board, joining in 2020. In speaking with Hamnett, we discovered that it was his love of the region, the environment, and food that brought him to the table. He is a relative newcomer to the valley, buying a family property a mere 10…
July 2021 Newsletter
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The Farm Agri-environmental Leadership Award.
[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-krark9zf’ admin_preview_bg=”] The vision of the Fondation Massawippi Foundation (FMF) for the next ten years. Application deadline has been extended to midnight, Friday, July 23rd. To support our vision for a green and prosperous Massawippi Valley, we are looking to expand our conservation efforts from only…
June 2021 Newsletter
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The A.G.M. was successfully held via videoconference on June 19th
The A.G.M. was successfully held via videoconference on June 19th Documents from the meeting: Agenda AGM June 19 2021FMF MCT Draft Minutes (June 27, 2020) Directeurs Administrateurs 2021
PRESS RELEASE – MASSAWIPPI CONSERVATION TRUST ADDS 154 HECTARES (390 ACRES) TO PROTECT THE MASSAWIPPI VALLEY
Canton de Hatley, June 9, 2021–Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a new property to be protected in perpetuity in the Massawippi valley. The project is the fruit of a three–year collaboration with three siblings, who fulfilled their parents’ conservation dream by selling their forested and ecologically rich 154…
Île du Marais rues des Sapins, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley
Not too far away from the Massawippi Trail in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley is another jewel of a place for bird watchers and for people who enjoy nature. The Ile du Marais site includes an island and marshland and is now a privately owned conservation property. The wetlands were formed around 1910 when a new dam was built.…
For the Birds
Barred Owl: photo taken by Mahicans Diamond on the Massawippi Conservation Trust’s land. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, birds are a part of our daily lives. They are the number one wild animal we encounter almost daily and are an early indicator of the health of the planet. We may not…
May 2021 Newsletter
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Important Announcement – April 26 2021
Dear Visitors to our trail in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, We have been working with neighbours, the municipality and trail users since last autumn to help everyone with the parking issues on Côte du Piémont. A benefactor paid the first surprise parking tickets issued on February 14th. Mr. Bob Gingras generously opened a field for overflow parking. The…
Matthew Cleary, foreman of the Massawippi Trail building team, Massawippi Conservation Trust
Matthew Cleary came to Canada from California. He had been working in national and state parks in the USA and moved here with his skills and his Québecoise wife in 2008 to raise their family. Our trail director, Mahicans Diamond, met Matthew in the region and soon they became good friends through their shared experiences.…
April 2021 Newsletter
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Take a walk on the wild side. Forest Bathing – Shinrin-yoku – Bains de forêt
So much has been written on this topic it is hard to know where to begin. Let us start by the definition and what forest bathing is NOT. As you can surmise from the name Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese term which was coined in 1982 by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to…
Appalachian Corridor, our partner in conservation.
The Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT) has been considerably active over the past few years for the protection of the natural environments of its territory, and more particularly within the conservation core identified on the western shore of Lake Massawippi. Out of a natural habitat core covering 1,200 hectares, 36.7% of the natural environments are protected…
Margot Heyerhoff and Tom Wilcox
Margot Heyerhoff and Tom Wilcox, founding members of the Massawippi Foundation and the Massawippi Conservation Trust. The Wilcox family,1955 on Lake Massawippi. Brandy (the dog), Bart, Gordon and Tom. Dr. Bud Wilcox on water skis. Who took the picture? Libby Wilson Wilcox sitting on the bow. The Wilcox camp in the background. Tom Wilcox is…
Letter to our Trail Visitors
February 17th, 2021 FMF/MCT _ Letter to our Trail Visitors – Dear Visitors to our Trail in Ste. Catherine de Hatley, As many of you know, on Sunday, February 14th, a complaint was made to the Magog police about cars parked on Côte du Piémont and parking tickets were issued to at least 19 visitors…
February 2021 Newsletter
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Talk a walk (or a ski) down memory lane.
Following our article last month about the Quatre Vallons cross-country ski trail maintained by Mr. Gilbert Beaupré, here is a sequel about the old Skiwippi trail which many readers will fondly remember. The old 33km (20 mile) long trail went from Auberge Hatley (Robert and Lilian Gagnon) via Hovey Manor (Stephen and Kathryn Stafford) to the…
The Scowen Family and Park
Originally a forest inhabited by Abenakis, this land now comprising Scowen Park was partly cleared in the early 19th century for settlement. Over the years, a sugar camp was built in the maple grove high on the ridge. Blackberries grew abundantly. Below, a house and barn stood, while cattle grazed in the pasture nearby. In…
January 2021 Newsletter
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Camp Massawippi
Since its inception in 2011, the Massawippi Foundation has given over $ 450,000 to the community around the lake. Although the Foundation collects funds primarily for the Trust to buy land and build and maintain trails, it also gives back to the community. One of the early recipients was Camp Massawippi The camp, located in Ayer’s…
Les Quatre Vallons
As we celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Massawippi Conservation Trust and Foundation, our neighbour, Mr. Gilbert Beaupré has been operating his trails for much longer than us. In 1977, Mr. Beaupré decided to build some cross-country ski trails. He has made this his labour of love and his duty to maintain over 12…
2021 is our 10th year anniversary
I think many of us are grateful that 2020 is over and are looking forward to starting anew in 2021. The Massawippi Trust holds 1200 acres of pristine forest and land under conservation around the shores of Lake Massawippi. We have also built close to 14 kilometers of trails. We kept these trails open during…
December 2020 Newsletter
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Interview with Mahicans Diamond
Exchange: Mahicans Diamond, director of the trail construction team with Hélène Hamel, community coordinator. When I interviewed Mahicans Diamond earlier this year, I was struck by his deep love of the forest as well as his calm personality. You can see that he derives immense pleasure from working in nature and building quality trails that…
Profile of Louise Ransom
Last month our profile introduced David Rittenhouse who was one of the first trustees of the Massawippi Foundation and Trust. This month we would like to tell you about Louise Ransom, the very first person to donate her land in order to have it preserved and conserved in perpetuity. She led the charge with her gift…
November 2020 Newsletter
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Profile: people who make the difference.
David Rittenhouse was one of the founding members and first trustees of the Massawippi Foundation and Conservation Trust. Remembered fondly by his friends and fellow founders, David is credited as being the person who sounded the alarm bell after noticing a potential serious environmental threat from development on the western slope of Lake Massawippi. A group…
Wild Mushrooms of the Forest
Mahicans Diamond helped us to identify this specimen seen just beside the trail. The common name is Hemlock Varnish Shelf (Latin name: GANODERMA, tsugae). It is a very close look-alike to the Lucid Bracket (common name) (Latin name: GANODERMA, resinaceum). They are distinguished by the dead trunks they grow on (one on deciduous trees, the other on Hemlock) as…
TAGGING NEW PROPERTIES
What is tagging? In order to help identify the borders of the land under the stewardship of the Massawippi Conservation Trust, yellow tags are nailed (one inch deep only) into the trees. Each tag is placed just above eye level, visible from one tree to another along the property line. They indicate to passersby that this…
The A.G.M. was successfully held via videoconference on June 27th
The A.G.M. was successfully held via videoconference on June 27th Supporting Documents from the meeting: Agenda AGM June 27th 2 p.m. SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF THE MEMBERS (PDF) BY-Law No. 2 (PDF) Directors 2020 Trail Building Protocol
Ethan’s Beach is now open!
Ethan’s Beach is now open! Come take a hike down to the lake for a swim. Have a picnic. Enjoy the beautiful forests of the Massawippi Valley. Here are a few things to keep in mind. As the beach is at the bottom of a hill, the trail slopes downwards and is rated “black diamond”.…
FMF 2020 Annual General Meeting to be held online
FONDATION MASSAWIPPI FOUNDATION NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF MEMBERS The Annual General and Special Meeting of the members of the Fondation Massawippi Foundation will be held via ZOOM video conference on Saturday, June 27th, 2020 at 2:00 pm. The meeting will be a shortened version of the planned in-person event. It will…
Communique to our Constituents – FMF, MCT and Covid 19
Dear Supporters and Friends, None of us knows the timeline or the effect that self-isolation, social distancing, economic stress, government regulations or business closures will have on our lives or on the work of the Massawippi Foundation and Massawippi Conservation Trust. Our Board of Directors recently set up a Plan B for our activities over…
Celebration in North Hatley!
(photos by Heather Ross and Whitty Ransome) Original article: http://fanhca.org/2019/06/17/bonnes-nouvelles-a-north-hatley-celebration-in-north-hatley/ Great news from the Massawippi Foundation and The Massawippi Conservation Trust! More than fifty children from the North Hatley Elementary School planted 100 trees and shrubs at Scowen Park on June 5, creating a beautiful arborway to the celebrated trail on Capelton Road. It was…
New Season, New Website
As we start our new season, we are happy to present the new website design that now combines our two organizations into one, easy to browse platform. We hope you enjoy it.
