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 group was founded in 2003 under the name Recherche et Sauvetage Sherbrooke Haut-Saint-François (RSSHSF). The original members, some of whom are still active, have over time provided valuable assistance through their life experience and deep involvement, and have gained recognition for the group’s expertise in search and rescue. In the fall of 2021, the board of directors initiated a process to better represent members from all over Estrie. The new name Recherche Sauvetage Estrie was adopted, along with a new logo. What hasn’t changed, however, is the desire and commitment of our members to help others!

Our mission 

We are a non-profit organization, bringing together volunteers from various backgrounds who dedicate their time to respond to the needs of different authorities. Our accredited ground search and rescue members are always ready to intervene to save lives. Our main mission is to provide assistance in finding missing persons, those lost in the forest, or in distress.

 

Trained and qualified

The group responds to requests from the Sûreté du Québec, Civil Protection, and other organizations or citizens requiring our services. We are recognized and accredited by the Association québécoise des bénévoles en recherche et sauvetage (AQBRS). In order to fulfill our mission, all our volunteers receive training in areas such as search and rescue basics, profile of a missing person, ground search techniques, map and compass skills, crime scene preservation, GPS, radio communication, etc. Volunteer training is ongoing.

 

Massawippi Trail

Our volunteers typically train in the area around Sherbrooke Airport, where the terrain is flat and well-known to group members. Seeking a different location for a search and victim evacuation simulation, one of our board members, familiar with the Côte du Piémont trail, suggested the location. Immediately, the President of RSE contacted the responsible party at the Massawippi Trail to request permission for our upcoming training day. The site’s topography, quality of trails, and cleanliness of the forest allowed us to practice both practically, theoretically, and physically.

 

The course of the day 

We arrived in the parking lot at 8:30 am. We had just enough time to unpack our equipment when it began to rain, and it continued throughout the day. So, we set up our shelter, and by 9 am, we gathered under the tent to receive instructions. Despite the bad weather, we were a group of 15 individuals practicing search and first aid techniques. Once teams were formed and directives given, volunteers dispersed into the trails. One member remained at the command post in the parking lot. This task is crucial because this person manages communications and monitors the trailer where all our rescue equipment and victim transport gear are stored.

 

We began with a trail search. To do this, we divided our group into teams of 3 to explore different trails (except for the beach trail). This search technique involved placing one searcher who walked directly on the trail, while the other two walked on either side about 10 meters into the woods. Their common goal was to find clues, tracks, or objects belonging to the lost person.

 

A clue was eventually found in the late morning between points 4 and 5 on the trail map. From that location, a search operation was launched with all the volunteers. We formed a search line south of the old Wippi South trail, and the search was conducted within an area approximately 200 meters deep and 300 meters wide. When the team found the person (an actor simulating spending the night in the forest, suffering from hypothermia, and having severe back pain), to add to the challenge, they spoke only in Spanish! Our volunteers had to adapt to communicate with the victim and use our stretcher with a backboard and the mule (stretcher transport system) to evacuate the injured person.

 

The exercise was a success, and everything was carried out professionally and with a good spirit. After returning to the command post, it was time for lunch. This was followed by an evaluation of the activity to discuss the positives and areas for improvement. Everyone agreed that the Massawippi Trail is simply beautiful! In addition to being perfect for this type of scenario, it provides good physical training. We will definitely return. In the afternoon, it was time to pack up the camp and head back home.

 

How to become a volunteer?

For more information about our group or to join the 40 volunteers who are at the heart of our mission, please contact Mr. Dany Chaput, the president, at 819-571-7313 or email him at [email protected]. The next training session starts on January 17, 2024, and there’s still time to sign up. Give us a call!

We want to thank the organization for allowing us to use your fantastic terrain!

 

A walk at the Glen Villa Art Garden

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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 size and colour of the bird, shape of the tail, shape and colour of the beak and any other distinguishing marks to identify the bird.

As a participant, I was amazed at how quickly the guides (Camille and Jean-Paul, both members of SLOE and veteran bird watchers) identified birds in flight. They could spot the Blue Bird and the Swallow who often share the same size bird house and might even fight over who gets the box to build their nest.

Jean-Paul and Camille both have life lists which they share on E-Bird. Jean-Paul said he had several lists, one for Quebec, one for North America, others for different countries.

This information is available to scientists who track birds and study their patterns.

Camille wrote to us after the visit and said:

We saw, among others, a ruffed grouse and its young, a yellow-throated vireo (very rare) and three American Woodcocks (hard to see usually).

In all, 25 different species observed in the rain and dripping leaves.

If you want to know more about birding, I would encourage you to join La SLOE or the St. Francis Naturalist Club, These are two wonderful groups in our area, to help you find out more about birds and go on other great guided tours next year.

The activity at Glen Villa was organized in the context of the fundraiser for the Massawippi Foundation.

More guided Walks & Talks will be held on July 15th and August 12th, 2023 

Click here for more details.

Biodiversity, Jenga and the 2023 Monarch Butterfly Project

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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 be easier to appreciate the interconnectedness and the impact of each moving part when we zoom out. A lawn is not just a span of grass that needs tending for aesthetic purposes, it is a habitat. Not only is it part of a wider network of similar habitats (i.e. other people’s lawns, fields and the like), but it is one that, if left to its own devices, grows a much wider variety of plant species that eventually flower making it much more valuable to wildlife, pollinators in particular.

This article is not about “No Mow May”, however, but rather the overarching concepts of biodiversity, conservation and how they pertain to the plight of pollinators. As summer approaches and we begin to move forward with the Massawippi Foundation Monarch Butterfly Project, we are sharing more about the concepts underlying efforts of this type to protect the Monarch population.

 

Understanding Biodiversity

You have likely heard the term before, but what does biodiversity mean to you? It may conjure images of a thriving ecosystem with a variety of species living alongside one another. Without a doubt, we can appreciate variety, the beauty of it, and the notion of “richness”, but what exactly is biodiversity and why is it important?

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. (Worldwildlife.org)

The above definition highlights that biodiversity includes not just the elements we can see, nor the ones we deem “beautiful”, but all of the living parts, right down to the microscopic players. It also weaves in the notion of working together. Each species in a biodiverse ecosystem has specific roles to play that will impact the survival of other species in the ecosystem to varying degrees.

This does not mean each species has a role all its own without any overlap. In fact, redundancy is one of the key ways in which biodiversity sustains healthy, resilient ecosystems. There are various ways of envisioning how this operates. Think of biodiversity as Nature’s built-in contingency plan. Ehrlich and Ehrlich (1981) compared each species in an ecosystem to the rivets on a plane – if one is removed, the impact is minimal, but the more rivets removed, the greater the risk of catastrophe.

Another way of looking at it is likening an ecosystem to a tower of Jenga blocks. Each block represents a species (and the roles it plays) within that ecosystem. The more blocks (species) removed, the less stable the tower (ecosystem) becomes. As blocks are slowly removed, the tower may stay upright, but is much more vulnerable to disruption – a breeze, the floor shaking… This is not unlike how an ecosystem becomes more vulnerable to disasters such as storms, droughts or invasive species. The more diverse the system, the sturdier the tower and the more resilient it is to adversity.

 

The Importance of Encouraging Biodiversity

Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. (Worldwildlife.org)

From a purely anthropocentric standpoint, biodiversity serves us and we therefore have a vested interest in maintaining it. That being said, we often have a tendency to focus on the grander species or charismatic megafauna. The thing is, the bigger the animal does not necessarily mean the greater the importance.

Insects comprise two-thirds of life on Earth and each year they are responsible for providing ecological services valued at $57 billion. Perhaps one of the most valuable services is that of pollination. According to Pollinator Partnership, we can thank pollinators for two out of every three bites of food we eat and they sustain overall ecosystem function by helping plants reproduce.

 

Zooming Back In: The Massawippi Foundation Monarch Project

As you might imagine, there is a lot more to the big-picture conversation on biodiversity, conservation and pollinators. When it comes to passing from learning to action, however, zooming back in is essential if we want to avoid overwhelm and downright discouragement. So how, where and when can we start?

Put simply: Start small, focus close to home and start as soon as you can.

In March, we shared an article on the Monarch Butterfly, introducing an exciting new project spearheaded by the Foundation in collaboration with Nature Nerding. This project is the Foundation’s way of taking action by zooming in on how it can have a concrete impact on the pollinator population in its own backyard.

 

Starting small and close to home: Milkweed and Monarch conservation at Scowen Park

As soon as we can: Launching this summer!

This project also encompasses the four tenets of conservation which are fundamental to the Foundation’s conservation mission:

  1. Preservation – The natural milkweed and monarch habitat in the fields at Scowen Park will be protected and we hope to eventually lead initiatives that protect the milkweed populations throughout neighboring communities.
  2. Research – The project will include a citizen science component like several existing Monarch Butterfly projects (see list below).
  3. Recreation – Project elements will be available for all visitors to view, admire and enjoy when they come for a walk at Scowen.
  4. Education – The project will involve the installation of information panels as well as educational activities and visits open to the public (more details coming soon).

The hope is to make use of resources and partake in programs that already exist (adapting them where necessary) while also developing a conservation and education model unique to Scowen Park and the Massawippi Foundation.

For this to be a success, we are counting on the participation from our beloved community!

 

How to Get Involved

Are you interested in learning more about the Massawippi Foundation Monarch Butterfly Project? Do you have ideas you would like to share? Perhaps you would like to watch over metamorphosing Monarchs when the time comes?

No matter your level of interest, we would love to hear from you. We plan to assemble our first ever “Butterfly Brigade” for the summer of 2023 with a first meeting in late June.

To put your name on our list of potential Brigade members, please complete the short form here: 2023 Butterfly Brigade Registration Form

You may also write to the following email with any questions you’d like to ask or thoughts you’d like to share: [email protected]

 

Build Your Nature Vocabulary

Use the text and search the web to build your nature vocabulary and try using it the next time you’re out and about in nature, either making observations by yourself or with friends!

  • Habitat
  • Biodiversity
  • Charismatic megafauna
  • Ecological services

References

– What is biodiversity? Why it’s under threat and why it matters (World Wildlife Fund)
– Pollinators need you. You need pollinators. (Pollinator Partnership)
– Pollinisateurs (Fondation David Suzuki)

 

Open Garden Days - Glen Villa

Open Garden Days at Glen Villa

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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 an expert for 75-90 minutes. Additional Fee $40

Ornithological Tour of the Glen Villa Gardens,  Jean-Paul Morin and Camille Dufresne (Bilingual)                                                          Identification Walk of Wild and Edible Plants Patrick Garcia (French)
Landscape Photography and the Art of Seeing Karl Forrest Ehrlich (Bilingual)
Art in the Landscape: What, Where and Why? Myke Hodgins or Tracey Hesse (Bilingual)
Discovering Native Trees and their Role in the Ecology of the Site, Alain Carignan (French)
Trees in the Garden: their Identification, Adaptations & their Ecological Roles, Justin Manasc (Bilingual)                                            Discovery Walk of Medicinal Plants in Nature, Marie-Josée Vivier (Bilingual)

FOR TICKETS OR INFORMATION
glenvillaartgarden.org

Glen Villa Art Garden (Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley) is open to the general public only on Open Garden Days.

Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Members

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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.

  1. To receive the Corporation’s financial statements and the report of the President for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022;
  2. To elect directors for 2023.
  3. To transact such other business of the Corporation as may properly come before the meeting.

Dated at North Hatley this 17th day of April, 2023

Jane Meagher
Secretary
Fondation Massawippi Foundation

 

AGENDA

Annual General Meeting of Members

10:00 am – Saturday, May 6, 2023

St. Elizabeth Community Hall, North Hatley

  1. Opening of meeting by Chair – Jane Meagher
  2. Constitution of Meeting – Quorum
  3. Approval of Previous Minutes – June 18, 2022
  4. Report of the President – Margot Heyerhoff
  5. Presentation & Acceptance of 2022 Financial Statements – Claude Séguin
  6. Election of Directors for 2023
  7. Adjournment

 

Photo de groupe

Nature Education Program : Part 2/3 completed

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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 to these changes
  • Noticing signs of life in winter

 

As an example of the activities 

– Black-Capped Chickadee

The point: Some animals carry on with their daily activities and have certain adaptations to manage their energy (find food, stay warm, etc.)

Activity: Do you have a chickadee memory?
– Divide the students into 4-5 groups
– Each group gets a specific set of 5 symbols
-They have to remember the symbols and the sequence at the end of the hike

 

 

 

 

A parent said : 

“In summary, Ugo is curious like many children his age and he really enjoys this kind of activity. He is looking forward to going back in the spring.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can help us push this program forward
Click below to make a donation:


Open Garden Days at Glen Villa Gardens

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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 raised over $50,000. Thank you so much, Pat, for your generosity and time.

This year’s dates are Saturday, June 17, July 15, and August 12. 
Ticket sales will begin next month, and we will announce the date in our April newsletter. Sales will also be announced on Pat’s website, Glen Villa Art Garden.

The cost is still $25 per person. All proceeds benefit the Massawippi Foundation, which works to conserve land, build public trails, and fund projects that benefit communities around Lake Massawippi.

NEW this year! Pat is planning special events, available by reservation for a limited group of visitors: bird walks, garden planning, and design workshops, native plant identification, and more.

Stay tuned!

Once it is gone, it is gone forever! COP15

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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

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.

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

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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: