Join our November Webinar! Date: Wednesday November 27, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Location: Zoom platform (link sent after registration) To register, email Franceska at info@muskokaconservancy.org 

Join our November Bird Box Nature Quest!  Date : Thursday, November 28th, 2024 Time : 2:00PM – 4:00PM (approx.) Location : Pen Lake Farms Nature Reserve, North Lake of Bays (Exact location and parking information will be provided with registration) Looking for a hands-on nature excursion? Join Conservation Coordinator, Amanda, at Muskoka Conservancy’s Pen Lake Farms Nature Reserve for a fun afternoon of bird box cleaning and preparation for next years bird residents! Take a turn cleaning out the boxes or spend some time looking at the feathers left behind to identify what this past summer’s residents might have been! What to bring : Appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather, areas along the road may be wet and boots are recommended Water and a snack Allergy or other emergency medicine if needed Binoculars or a camera are recommended To Register: Email or call Franceska at info@muskokaconservancy.org or (705) 645-7393 ext. 200

Dyer Memorial Nature Reserve Open House Date: Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Location: Partners Hall at the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville If you are interested in having input on the future of Dyer Memorial, this is the event for you. We will have a short information session followed by time for the public to ask any questions and share their thoughts with staff. All are welcome to attend this event.

Join our September, Fun & Funky Fungi Nature Quest! Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024 Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (approx.) Location: Upjohn Nature Reserve, Bracebridge Al Sinclair will be leading a mushroom walk at the Upjohn Nature Reserve to look at the beauty and diversity of Muskoka mushrooms and maybe add some new species to the nature reserve list. You will be learning how to identify the different species and the important role of fungi in the ecosystem. Al's hobby for 50 years has been finding and photographing all the plants and animals in Muskoka. He was a founding member of the Muskoka Field Naturalists in 1982, has been a member of the Muskoka Conservancy Technical Advisory Group (Tag Team) for more than 30 years and received the Conservancy's Wayland Drew Natural Heritage Award in 2002. Al learned how to identify fungi with confidence by attending the Mycological Society of Toronto's Cain Forays that have been held annually in Muskoka for many decades. Email Camryn at info@muskokaconservancy.org to register!

Our upcoming Paddle Quest will take us to our Sage Creek Nature Reserve, where we will explore the delta where the creek meets the North Branch Muskoka River. We will start our journey at High Falls and paddle up the River to Sage Creek. We will make a stop along the way where we can get out to stretch our legs and walk the Nature Reserve, the bank is steep in areas. When: · Thursday, August 29th, 2024 (Rain Day: Friday, August 30th, 2024) · Arrive by 9:00am to get organized and sign the waiver · On the water by 9:30am Where: · Start and finish at the High Falls Picnic Area · Paddle time: approximately 2 hours · Stop and hike time: approximately 30 minutes · There is a washroom at the High Falls Picnic Area Bring your own: · Canoe or kayak. This is NOT suitable for stand-up paddleboards, · Paddles (including a spare), 15 m of floating rope, Lifejacket/PFD for each participant, whistle or other sound device, bailer. · Hat, sunscreen, rain gear, lunch and snacks, water, shoes you can get wet. Safety: · All participants must be comfortable in the water and paddling in a current. · PFD’s must always be worn and done up, even if it is a scorcher of a day. · All children under the age of 16 require an adult Paddle Quest Leaders: · Sue Sedgwick and Amanda Porter Registration: · Please call or email Holly Bennett at the Muskoka Conservancy office 705 645-7393 ext. 207 or program@muskokaconservancy.org . Please read the waiver which you will sign when you arrive. Cost: · A Muskoka Conservancy Membership is not required to participate, however donations will be accepted! Please visit muskokaconservancy.org to donate or become a member! Maximum Number of Participants: 10

Join our August, Bugs in the Mud Nature Quest! Date: Thursday, August 22, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (approx.) Location: Upjohn Nature Reserve, Bracebridge The District Municipality of Muskoka’s “Bugs in the Mud” or Benthic Monitoring Program is in its 20 th year! For the past two summers, it has been run by Maggie Dechert, a summer student pursuing her diploma as an Ecosystem Management Technician at Sir Sandford Fleming College. Maggie is a long-time resident of Muskoka and is having a lot of fun discovering many new lakes in the area and meeting the dedicated volunteers who have kept the benthic program running over the years. She is honoured to be a guide for the August Nature Quest and is looking forward to meeting more members of the Muskoka Conservancy. The Benthic Monitoring Program was created as an accessible way for citizens to monitor potential changes over time in their lake quality. The idea is to collect baseline data over a number of years to gain a better understanding of the normal range and diversity of species in a given lake. This is done by counting the number and type of species present in a collected sample. A technician such as Maggie uses a “D-net” (worth a Google) and a pair of waders to collect the benthic macroinvertebrates that live at the bottom of the lake. This collection method is known as the “Travelling-Kick-and-Sweep”. Those who participate in the August Nature Quest will get the opportunity to hear about how we select sites for the benthic program and witness a collection that will occur on the Beaver Pond Trail at Upjohn Nature Reserve. Afterwards, we will look at the benthic macroinvertebrates as a group, and Maggie can help to identify the bugs by describing some of their unique features. Maggie will also go into further detail about why this data is important to collect and how it can be interpreted to support water quality data. You do not need to know how to identify these bugs – nor will you be getting wet (unless it rains!). Maggie has plenty of supplies to help investigate the samples, including laminated keys for proper field identification. This is a unique opportunity to investigate organisms that we do not get to see every day – at least in their larval stage. Some of these organisms include Dragonflies, Damselflies, Mayflies and Caddisflies, which are born in the water before metamorphosis into their adult stage. Some of these organisms include Dragonflies, Damselflies, Mayflies and Caddisflies, which are born in the water before metamorphosis into their adult stage. Maggie suggests wearing long pants and sleeves and being prepared for mosquitos and black flies. Rubber boots are not required but may be a better choice depending on the weather. A camp chair may be useful during the counting portion of the Nature Quest. Email Camryn at info@muskokaconservancy.org to register!

Our upcoming Paddle Quest will explore two properties protected by Muskoka Conservancy, we will paddle around the Muskoka River Delta Nature Reserve where the Muskoka River enters Lake Muskoka, and go for a short hike on the J.P. McVittie Nature Reserve, located on Eilean Gowan. When: · Thursday, July 18th, 2024 (Rain Day: Friday, July 19th, 2024) · Arrive by 9:00am to get organized and sign the waiver · On the water by 9:30am Where: · Start and finish at the George Road Boat Launch · Address is: 1041 George Rd, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1W8 · Paddle time: approximately 3 hours · Stop and hike time: approximately 1 hours · There are picnic tables and a porta potty on Eilean Gowan Bring your own: · Canoe or kayak. This is NOT suitable for stand-up paddleboards, · Paddles (including a spare), 15 m of floating rope, Lifejacket/PFD for each participant, whistle or other sound device, bailer. · Hat, sunscreen, rain gear, lunch and snacks, water, shoes you can get wet. Safety: · All participants must be comfortable in the water and paddling in wind and waves. · PFD’s must always be worn and done up, even if it is a scorcher of a day. · All children under the age of 16 require an adult Paddle Quest Leaders: · Sue Sedgwick and Amanda Porter Registration: · Please call or email Camryn Williams at the Muskoka Conservancy office 705 645-7393 ext. 200 or info@muskokaconservancy.org . Please read the waiver which you will sign when you arrive. Cost: · A Muskoka Conservancy Membership is not required to participate, however donations will be accepted! Please visit muskokaconservancy.org to donate or become a member! Maximum Number of Participants: 10

Ripple 2024 was a HUGE success! We are so thankful for everyone who made this event possible; the sponsors, the auction donors, the organizers and volunteers, Jamie Williams, Muskoka Lakes Golf and Country Club, and all those who attended! We raised over $90,000 to help conserve nature in Muskoka! We hope to see everyone again next year!

Early Birder Nature Quest Date – Thursday, May 23 rd , 2024 Time – 6:00-7:30AM Where – Upjohn Nature Reserve: Wetland Access Trail - Trailhead - Google Maps Join us for an early morning of birding at Upjohn Nature Reserve! Many bird species begin their songs at first light. Listen to the chorus and learn more about the breeding birds found here in Muskoka. To Register: Email or call Camryn at info@muskokaconservancy.org or (705) 645-7393 ext. 200 What to bring – - Appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather, parts of the trail may be wet/mucky - Water and a snack - Allergy or other emergency medicine if needed - Binoculars or a camera