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Fifth Annual Community Skate and Bonfire

Due to the unseasonably warm weather, we are rescheduling the Community Skate and Bonfire from the 14th to the 21st.

Join us on Saturday February 21st for our Fifth Annual Community Skate and Bonfire at the Marsh. We'll have have hot chocolate, coffee and marshmallows to keep our spirits up.

Normally held on the second Saturday of February (but rescheduled due to the warm weather to Saturday February 21st), it promises to be a wonderful afternoon in the "out of doors". Join us between 3 and 6 pm.

Hotdogs and marshmallows will be available for roasting over the fire and warm drinks will be served. Our delicious coffee is provided by Grackle Coffee Company (208 Main Street, Schomberg). Dress warmly and bring your skates. We hope to see you there.

Skating is subject to safe ice conditions. Remember, even if skating is not possible, we will still have the bonfire in the evening!

As with all skating events in the Marsh, the event will be dependent on safe ice conditions.

Hockey Day at the Marsh

Due to the rescheduling of the Community Skate from the 14th to the 21st, we will be restricting the hockey to the east arm of the Dufferin Marsh pond. We will provide a couple of hockey nets for your use. Hockey starts at 1:00, and the main Community Skate starts at 3:00pm

Fall Potluck Party and Hike (aka the Annual General Meeting)

On Sunday November 9th, we're having what's officially known as our Annual General Meeting. Of course, this is really a chance to go for a hike and have a potluck party... The Party and Hike will be at the Cold Creek Conservation Area.

So join us for a hike through the Conservation Area (Cold Creek is located 3.5 Km north of the King Road on the 11th Concession and south of the 16th Sideroad Township of King - click here for a map) at 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 9th. The meeting starts at 4:30 pm , and the potluck dinner starts at 5:00 or so (possibly earlier, as we do try to get the AGM over quickly!).

New and non-members are welcome to attend!

For more information, call contact Mary Asselstine at 905-939-7544.

Special note regarding the potluck dinner...
We'd like to focus on using ingredients that are locally sourced where ever possible.

Here's what we'd like to see:

• prepared foods should be home made
• all fresh food to be seasonal and grown/raised in Ontario
• canned, dried or frozen food should be from Ontario
• all dairy products must be from Ontario (really, not a hard one!)

Come on out and find out why!

Geocaching

We'll also be doing a spot of Geocaching during the hike.

What's Geocaching? Think of a treasure hunt using a GPS to find the treasure, rather than an old moth eaten map. It's a great way to enjoy yourself on a walk, and for those of us who need a destination, rather than a ramble, it's the perfect excuse.

For those who are interested, join David Kempton as he shows us how to 'Geocache'. If you have a GPS, feel free to bring it along. If you'd rather just go on a hike, and leave the technology behind - that's OK too.

2007 AGM minutes

A copy of the minutes from the 2007 AGM can be found here.

Environmental Movie Series - Hurricane Hugo As part of the ongoing Environmental Movie Series, we bring you the behind the scenes story of Hurricane Hugo. Hurricane Hugo was a destructive Category 5 hurricane that struck in September 1989, killing over 100 people and leaving more than 50,000 homeless. It caused $10 billion in damages, making it the most damaging hurricane recorded up to that time. Jim Scott, the Director, now a resident of Nobleton, lived through the onslaught of Hugo. As senior search and rescue coordinator in the tiny British Virgin Islands, he found himself working through the monstrous storm with a valiant marine community in their desperate fight for survival as Hugo scored a massive direct hit covering many islands. Join Director, Jim Scott as he presents his documentary that shows first hand the destruction wrought on the local community by the storm, and shows how they responded by joining together to fight for the survival of all rather than self. There will be time for discussion after the screening. Wednesday September 24th 7:00 pm Nobleton Public Library. The Environmental Movie Series is presented by the Dufferin Marsh Committee, Arts Society King, Cold Creek Forest and Wildlife Area and the King Township Public Library.

Cold Creek Conservation Area - Tree Planting A tree planting is taking place at the Cold Creek Conservation Area on Saturday September 27th. The planting starts at 10:00 am. Do your part to help fight climate change and restore our natural habitats. If you want to help, bring gloves and a shovel. Dress for the weather - the trees are being planted come rain or shine! Cold Creek Conservation Area is located on the east of the 11th Concession south of the 17th Sideroad.

Community Spirit and Bonfire Night/Scarecrow Competition On the last Saturday of October the Schomberg Agricultural Society invites everyone to join them at the Annual Community Spirit and Bonfire Nught. There's food and entertainment. Dancing, singing and a lot of laughter are par for the course. Join us on Saturday September 27th in the Agricultural Fairgrounds behind the Community Centre on Main St. The 'gates open' at 6:30 pm.

Sustainable Economy Workshop The Concerned Citizens of King Township (CCKT) are sponsoring a workshop entitled "Opportunities & Alternatives For Individuals & Communities To Contribute to Ontario's Sustainable Economy". It is being held on Thursday September 18th at 7:30 p.m. in Ansnorveldt - Holland Marsh District Christian School at 18955 Dufferin St. The speakers are from the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association. More information is available at the CCKT website.

Swift Night Out

Join us at the Grackle Coffee Co. on Main St. in Schomberg for our Swift Night Out! Our evening will be part of a North American wide initiative called “Swift Night Out” which is hosted by the Driftwood Wildlife Association of Texas. They are co-ordinating an effort to increase interest and local concern in these aerial acrobats. Although small, these birds are extremely efficient feeders - and they eat mosquitoes! A family of swifts can consume as many as 12,000 insects in a single day. Unfortunately their numbers are in decline, as both their natural habitat (standing hollow trees) and their adopted habitat (broad chimneys and air shafts) are becoming rarer. Please come out to the meeting and learn about swifts, and enjoy some fine coffee. The evening starts at 6:45. Our special thanks to the James Baillie Memorial Fund for their financial assistance with this project.

Loosestrife Removal

Loosestrife, that beautiful purple flower that seems to grow without any tender loving care has invaded the Marsh. Despite it's attractiveness, it's a serious problem that, left unchecked, will cause disruption in the Marsh. Since its introduction to North America in the 1800’s, it has spread from the east all the way across the continent. When it gets a foothold in an area, the wetland habitat where fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, reproduce and rear young quickly becomes choked under a sea of purple flowers. On Saturday, August 9th, at 9:00 am a number of volunteers will be in the Marsh removing the early blooms of this years crop. If you'd like to help, we'd love to see you there!

Bugs, Bees and Butterflies Our friends at Arts Society King are sponsoring a walk entitled "Bugs, Bees and Butterflies" on Sunday July 27th, at the Koffler Scientific Reserve. There is no charge and there are two scheduled walks - 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m The Koffler Scientific Reserve is part of the University of Toronto and is on Dufferin St. south of Highway 9. For more information about the Reserve, please feel free to visit their website, or download/view the background brochure available there. Please click on the map to the right for a larger printable version.

Chimney Swift Monitoring - Update We're delighted to say that there are a number chimneys in town that are currently harbouring swifts. Interestingly enough, one of the chimneys in question was not one that we had identified as a likely candidate. It's on a older house, and rather than having a visibly large chimney, it has two flues in one masonry chimney, and one of which is filled with a flue liner. Our guess is that the chimney is not lined all the way down, but simply has a large hollow masonry stack, and two ceramic flues on top. It probably opens out inside, and that gives the birds enough room to manoeuvre. We have see a number of birds flying in and out of the chimney, so we know it's usable!

Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch The Frogwatch is underway. So far this year we've identified chorus frogs, peepers, leopard frogs, toads and wood frogs. Once the data is collected and analysed (how many frogs, what type and if there was an increase or decrease from previous years) we'll post the information here.

Bird Box Building for Kids On Saturday April 19th (after the cleanup at the Marsh) we worked with the Schomberg Lions to build and mount a number of bird boxes in the Marsh. The Lions provided the wood and tools, as well as help mounting the boxes when the kids were finished. We were delighted to see that less than a hour after mounting the first boxes, birds were already investigating them! A wonderful set of images (taken by Lion Steve Fisher) can be found on the Schomberg Lions website.

Dufferin Marsh Cleanup It's astonishing how much garbage collects on the roads that traverse the Marsh during the winter. This spring was the worst in memory, with huge piles of garbage and (worse) material that could have easily been recyled. We pulled coffee cups, plastic bags, cardboard and many, many 'water bottles' from the ditches and in the Marsh area. We recycled as much as possible, and collected the pop cans for donation to the Lions Club pop can drive. Thanks to everyone who participated, including Mayor Margaret Black, and Councillor Bill Cober. Of course, we offer our special thanks to Grackle Coffee for providing the coffee.

Bird Banding Workshop Despite worrying indications of rain on Friday night, Saturday morning dawned bright and dry, so the bird banding was able to take place. Chris Risley (from the MNR, Peterborough) and Erica Nol (Biology Professor, Trent University) drove in from Peterborough on Friday and were up in the Marsh bright and early on Saturday morning. They set up three nets and over the course of a few hours, caught and banded four different birds.

Movie Series and Panel Discussions Once again, the Dufferin Marsh Committee, Arts Society King, Cold Creek Forest and Wildlife Area and the King Township Public Library are working together and sponsoring a series of films and panel discussions related to the environment. Our next movie is Aftermath: The World After Humans. Please join us on Thursday, June 19th, 7:00 pm at the King City Library for our screening of "Aftermath: The World After Humans". After thousands of years supporting humankind, what would happen to the world if we all suddenly disappeared? Not dead, just gone. Cars on the streets without drivers, no one to fix the bridges, no one to water the lawns... Using animation and CGI, Aftermath shows us a world no human being will ever see. By exploring how the world would get along without us, we discover surprising insights into how the world works with us - and what keeps it from falling apart. The Director, Christopher Rowley, will be on hand to introduce the movie, and answer questions afterwards. Click here, or on the image to the right to download a printable poster. There is no charge for any of the evenings.

Wine Tasting 2008 Our thanks to Hugh Sutherland of Carriage Trade Wines and Spirits of Orangeville who led us through a tasting of 5 wines from Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile and France. In addition, thanks to one and all who came out to enjoy the wine and companionship, and to support the work of the Dufferin Marsh Committee in our local community.

Wine Tasting 2008 Our annual wine tasting will be held at Sheena's Kitchen, 357 Main St, at 8pm on Saturday, June 14th at 8:00 pm. This year our wines will be introduced by Hugh Sutherland of Carriage Trade Wines and Spirits of Orangeville. We will be sampling and comparing both reds and whites from Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile and France. $35 per person includes admission to the wine tasting and one year membership to the Dufferin Marsh Committee. Tickets are available in advance at: Sheena’s Kitchen Grackle Coffee Company from a Marsh member or at the door

Dufferin Marsh - Oak Ridges Trail Opening On Saturday June 7th (on what seemed like one of the hottest days in human history), we opened the new Schomberg Side Trail from the Oak Ridges Trail. We hiked from the Oak Ridges trail entrance on the 10th, through a woodlot, across a field and through the Lloydtown Rebel Trail, into Schomberg and to the Marsh. The entire hike took approximately two hours, after which we enjoyed sausages and hanburgers at the Marsh. Our thanks to all those who attened the opening, and especially to ORTA members Bruce Chambers and Ed Millar who were crucial in talking to local landowners (to secure their permission to cross their land). We hope to have updated information regarding the trail and Schomberg in general in the next printing of the ORTA handbook.

ORTA Trail Link - Opening scheduled for June 7th We have been working with The Oak Ridges Trail Association and The Town of King (through the Parks, Trails and Culture Committee) to bring a "side trail" from the Oak Ridges Trail (south of Lloydtown) through Schomberg, into the Marsh. The Trail Link will have it's official opening on Saturday June 7th. Meet at the Water Pumping station on Dr. Kay Drive in Schomberg. A bus will transport you to the new trailhead, where you can either walk back or take the bus back to the Dufferin Marsh. There will be a BBQ at the Marsh at 3:00pm. More information is available on the poster (click on the image to the right to view/download a poster) or by calling the Dufferin Marsh Co-ordinator at the King Township Park, Recreation and Culture department. Call Mary Asselstine at 905-859-0056 x 5226. Our thanks to everyone who helped on this project, and in particular Bruce Chambers of The Oak Ridges Trail Association for his efforts to get the side trail in place! A description of the route, and maps will be available shortly. This will link the Marsh to a well recognised and respected organisation. We hope it will increase visits to the Marsh, recognising that: Trail members are likely to be considerate visitors Marsh visitors are likely to patronise local business Enable us to improve our efforts in education Provide a link to the Village in the ORTA guidebook Increase the visibility of the Village to potential visitors

Bird Walk On Sunday May 25th (in the midst of the Schomberg Agricultural Fair) at 6:30am we will be conducting a bird/nature walk around Schomberg. Each year we try to go to a different habitat close to the Dufferin Marsh. If you would like to join us, meet us at the pump house on Dr. Kay Drive. We'll go to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast after the walk. Bring binoculars or your camera!

Bird Banding Workshop We will be presenting a Bird Banding Workshop in the Marsh on Saturday April 26th from 8:00 am to noon. Join Chris Risley (from the MNR, Peterborough) and Erica Nol (Biology Professor, Trent University) as they show us how it's done. Learn how birds are captured, identified, measured, recorded and banded, and how this information is used to study bird behaviour and population dynamics. Meet at the Shelter in the Dufferin Marsh off Dr. Kay Dr. Schomberg at 8:00 am   Dufferin Marsh Cleanup Saturday April 19th, 9am Join members and friends of the Dufferin Marsh Committee as we cleanup the Marsh area along Dr. Kay and Cooper Drives. Vinyl gloves and plastic bags will be provided. We recommend you bring work gloves and wear rubber boots. Remember students, this activity is good for high school Community Service Credits so bring your forms! Meet at the Pumphouse on Dr. Kay Drive at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday April 19th.   Bird Box Building for Kids Hey Kids! We are hosting a Bird Box Building Workshop and You're Invited! It's on the afternoon of Saturday April 19th (after the Marsh Cleanup). And it's Free! All the finished Bird Boxes will be placed in the Dufferin Marsh. You'll be able to watch the busy birds raising their young in the box you made for them. Speak to your parents and have them call Mary, the Dufferin Marsh Coordinator, at 905-859-0056 x 5226. Hurry as spaces are limited. The materials have been paid for by the Schomberg Lions Club and the building will be supervised by members of the Schomberg Lions Club and the Dufferin Marsh Committee.   Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch Now in its fifth year of operation, the Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch is getting underway. Monitoring begins in mid April when the frogs first start to sing and lasts until the end of May (depending on the weather). This is great way for high school kids to accumulate community hours. It is also a great way to bond with younger children by accompanying them on the monitoring which is scheduled for early evening twice a week. If you're interested in coming out, we'll be holding a training and information session at the Grackle Coffee Company (on Main St Schomberg) on Tuesday April 8th, at 8:00 pm. The Frog Watch programme provides important information to us as we continue to monitor the overall health of the Marsh and involves students from the Schomberg Public School in the life of the Marsh. Students collect data during their excursions to the Marsh, and this information is used in a number of classroom situations, including biology, math and health. A zipped file containing all of the frog calls (for reference) is available here. It's about 4.3 MB. Unzip the file and burn the audio tracks to a CD or download them to your iPod. If you go the iPod route, the frog sounds will show up under the Artist 'Dufferin Marsh'.   Chimney Swift Monitoring We've started to monitor the chimney swift population in the Schomberg area and we'd like to tell you about it. Often mistaken for for Barn Swallows (which they resemble) Chimney Swifts are small sooty-coloured cigar-shaped birds with long thin wings. They are heard and seen high in the air over Schomberg feeding on flying insects. They build their nests almost exclusively in chimneys. Once common, their numbers are dropping rapidly and they are now considered threatened. We are looking for volunteers to help identify the number of Swifts living in Schomberg and where they nest and roost. Please join us Tuesday April 15th at 7:30 pm at the Schomberg Public Library to learn about this fascinating bird and to become involved in their protection.   March Star Party - Earth Hour Celebration The weather finally co-operated and we managed to get clear skies for an evening! Thanks to all who drove or walked to the Marsh on March 29th for our Earth Hour Stargazing party. We had more than 80 people there, 6 telescopes and various sets of binoculars. We were able to see various star formations, and Saturn was visible in all it's glory. We hope you enjoyed the evening, and look forward to seeing you all again!   March Star Party - Earth Hour Celebration We've decided to dedicate our Stargazing Party to Earth Hour this year. If you've ever looked up into the night sky and wondered at the stars, or if you've ever wanted to see the moon close up - without having to spend 20 years studying and training to become an astronaut, this is the night to come out and have your chance. A star party is an informal gathering of people with an interest in the heavens. There will be telescopes to peer through and people there who can explain what you're looking at. If you have your own telescope and you'd like to share your enthusiasm with others, please bring it along. Join us at 8:30 pm, Saturday March 29th at the Pavillion at Dufferin Marsh (SW corner of Main St, and Dr Kay Drive in Schomberg). We should be able to see two planets; Mars and Saturn. As well, we should see a number of interesting galaxies, clusters, double stars and nebulae. Specifically, we hope to see: the Andromeda galaxy - our nearest neighbour galaxy the Orion nebula the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters (also called Subaru in Japan) the Double Cluster in Perseus and several others There's no Moon that night, so it should be as dark as it can get in Schomberg. Please don't bring flashlights, unless you've painted the glass with red nail polish. Dress warmly (like it's 10 degrees colder than the thermometer says) and you'll have a great evening!   Goose Control At 10 am on March 22nd we'll be installing the Goose Control tape over the storm pond in Nieuwland Park (adjacent to the Marsh). Why would we want to control the number of geese in the pond? There are a number of reasons. During the nesting period, geese can become agressive and chase (and injure) small children in the park area. A mature goose can produce as much as a kilo (over two pounds) of fecal matter in a single day. This makes the park a less attractive place for our children and can be a problem in run-off water. And yes, as can be seen from the photo above (taken on march 12th), the geese are here already! For more information about goose control, visit our web page on the subject. Wood Duck Nesting Boxes - Installed! On Saturday March 15th a number of volunteers braved the rapidly thinning ice on the Marsh to mount the two Wood Duck nesting boxes that were provided by Ducks Unlimied Canada. Although they don't look much like the traditional hollow tree that Wood Ducks nest in, they should take to these new boxes without any difficulty. The boxes are mounted just past the waters edge (to help keep the birds safe from raccoons and other predators), and one of them is visible from Cooper Drive. We hope that the ducks will find the boxes and take up residence in them soon!   Environmental Movie Series 2008 Once again, the Dufferin Marsh Committee is collaborating with the Arts Society King, Cold Creek Forest and Wildlife Area and the King Township Public Library system to present a series of public screenings and discussions of movies with an environmental bent. Please join us on Tuedsay, March 18th, 7:00 pm at the Schomberg Library for our screening of "The End of Suburbia". It's a frank look at how our rising use of oil and other fossil fuels is putting our current way of life at risk - and how the environment we have built for ourselves to live in, the suburb - is significant contributor to the problem. David Kempton, a key volunteer for the Sierra Club of Canada's "Challenge to Sprawl" programme will host a post movie discussion. We're still working on a complete roster of films, and determining the schedule, but further films in the series for this year will include: Aftermath A look at the world without us. After thousands of years supporting humankind, what would happen to the world if we all suddenly disappeared? Not dead, just gone. Cars on the streets without drivers, no one to fix the bridges, no one to water the lawns... Using animation and CGI, Aftermath shows you a world no human being will ever see. By exploring how the world would get along without us, we discover surprising insights into how the world works with us - and what keeps it from falling apart. Hurricane Hugo in the Virgin Islands In 1989 Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm, crashed into the British Virgin Islands. Join filmmaker Jim Scott as he presents his documentary that shows first hand the destruction wrought on the local community by the storm, and shows how they responded by joining together to fight for the survival of all rather than self. Wood Duck Nesting Boxes Ducks Unlimited has provided us with two Wood Duck nesting boxes, which we will be installing in the Marsh on March 15th. Wood Ducks nest in hollow trees and similar cavities, but since such spaces are rare (and they can't make their own), they happily adapt to man-made nesting boxes. The boxes are installed in the water about a metre off shore and a metre or two above the water's surface to discourage predation by raccoons. The male Wood Duck (see the picture at right) is Canada's most brightly coloured duck, and is an impressive sight. We hope that we'll soon have 'our own' Wood Ducks in the Marsh.   Community Skate 2008 - Report Thanks to the many people who came out on March 16th for our 4th Annual Community Skate on the Marsh. We had over 50 people out on the Marsh, many of whom enjoyed hotdogs, marshmallows, coffee and hot chocolate. Despite that at the end of the day we had produced almost no garbage! The bulk of the refuse were the coffee cups from Grackle Coffee, but because Grackle uses only compostable cups, none of them are going to landfill. The only real garbage was the plastic bages from the hot dogs and marshmallows. We'll have to see if there's anything we can do about that next year! Once again, we were happy to see so many people out enjoying the skating. Community Skate and Bonfire on the Marsh Join us on Saturday February 16th for our Fourth Annual Community Skate and Bonfire at the Marsh. We'll have have hot chocolate, coffee and marshmallows to keep our spirits up. Usually held on the second Saturday of February (this year, postponed to the third Saturday due to the unseasonably warm weather last week) it promises to be a wonderful afternoon in the "out of doors". Join us between 3 and 6 pm at the Marsh! As with all skating events in the Marsh, the event will be dependent on safe ice conditions.     Regular meetings in our 'new clubhouse' Staring in February, we will be holding our regular meetings in a more public location than we have in the past. The Grackle Coffee Co. (at 208 Main Street, Schomberg) have generously agreed to allow us to hold our meetings there. Meetings will be held on the second Tuedsay of each month. They start at 8:00 and generally run an hour to an hour and a half, depending on what's on our plate at the moment. The first meeting will be February 12th. All are welcome!     Community Skate and Bonfire on the Marsh Join us on Saturday February 9th for our Fourth Annual Community Skate and Bonfire at the Marsh. We'll have have hot chocolate, coffee and marshmallows to keep our spirits up. Held on the second Saturday of February it promises to be a wonderful afternoon in the "out of doors". Join us between 3 and 6 pm at the Marsh!     Pond Hockey Tournament Now that we have the ice cleared, we may as well use it for more than just one day! The First Annual Dufferin Marsh Pond Hockey Tournamnet will be held on February 16th and 17th at the Marsh Watch your email or check the Dufferin Marsh website for more information early in the New Year.     A Main Street Christmas Celebration Thanks to all who joined us at the Schomberg "A Main Street Christmas Celebration" on December 1st. It was a very cold and blustery day, but the parades were fun, and the chestnuts sold well. This was the 14th year for the Celebration, but only our second year selling chestnuts. This year we were located between The Grackle Coffee Company and Country Lane Treasures. We had 30 pounds of nuts and sold everything we had by 6:30 pm. We look forward to selling even more next year!   Fall Hike and Potluck Dinner Report We had a great time at our annual Fall Hike and Potluck Dinner on Sunday November 4th. Despite a brief shower just after noon, and threatening skies for the rest of the day, we managed to get in a good walk without being rained on. As it turned out, the weather was perfect for a leisurely hike through the Happy Valley forest area. Although we did tend to split up into a couple of groups (notice the teenagers waaay out in front in the rightmost photo) we all got together for a delicious dinner at the Pottageville Pavillion in the late afternoon. After the hike we had a short meeting, where we dispensed with the business of the AGM, and then proceeded to dinner. As is typical of potluck dinners, it was a varied affair, including (but not limited to) warm squash soup and onion soup, cold lentil salad and a delicious apple and cabbage salad. Unlike most potluck dinners, there weren't five tossed salads and happliy there were no 'peas and beets in aspic' to be found. Instead, we all partook of a delicious and locally based meal, perfectly suited to an early fall evening. In addition, we used the fireplace in the pavillion as a place to cook marsmallows. It doesn't get much better than that! For those desperate to know what happened during the AGM portion of the day we reviewed the activities that we were involved with over the past year, and outlined some of the new programmes and activites we are planning for next year. Specifically, we'll be working with other local groups by participating in A Main Street Christmas, Cold Creek Days and Schomberg Fair. We'll be holding our Fourth Annual Community Skate and Bonfire on the Marsh on the second Saturday in February (that's February 9th this year) and our Wine Tasting on June 14th. We're also looking a organising a Star Gazing Night, building another lookout, running our Frog Monitoring programme and our now traditional cleanups and "invasive species removal" days. We're also working closely with the Township to monitor the health of the Marsh and surrounding area as well as create and mount new bird nesting habitats. More on that later. Our thanks to all those who came out, either for the walk, dinner or both. We look forward to seeing you this year at the Schomberg "A Main Street Christmas" Celebration. Once again, we will be selling (for a nominal "cover the expenses" fee) fresh roasted chestnuts on Main St.   Fall Potluck Party and Hike (aka the Annual General Meeting) On Sunday November 4th, we're having what's officially known as our Annual General Meeting. Of course, this is really a chance to go for a hike and have a potluck party... The Party will be at the Pottageville Pavillion, and the hike will take place a few km south on the Happy Valley Trail. So join us for a hike through the Happy Valley Trail (south of Pottageville, on the heights of the Oak Ridges Moraine) at 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 4th. The meeting starts at 4:30 pm in the Pottageville Pavillion, and the potluck dinner starts at 5:00 or so (possibly earlier, as we do try to get the AGM over quickly!). New and non-members are welcome to attend! For more information, call contact Mary Asselstine at 905-939-7544. Special note regarding the potluck dinner... We'd like to focus on using ingredients that are locally sourced where ever possible. Here's what we'd like to see: prepared foods should be home made all fresh food to be seasonal and grown/raised in Ontario canned, dried or frozen food should be from Ontario all dairy products must be from Ontario (really, not a hard one!) Come on out and find out why! Summary Fall hike: 2:30 pm at the trail head to Happy Valley Meeting: 4:30 pm at the Pavillion in Pottageville Park Potluck dinner: 5:00 pm at the Pavillion   Planting Day Report Thanks to the almost 30 people who came out on Oct 13th to plant trees in Nieuwland Park (adjacent to the Marsh). In a three hour time period we planted 300 trees (!), mostly around the hill and pond edge. The planting was performed in conjuncion with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and King Township and was supported by the Shell Environmental Fund. We also offer our special thanks to Grackle Coffee Company on Main St in Schomberg for supplying us with delicious hot coffee!   Planting Day! On October 13th we'll be doing a planting around the storm pond in Nieuwland Park (adjacent to the Marsh). It will help renaturalise the fringes of the park, provide erosion protection on the slopes, reduce maintenance requirements and help control the Canada Goose population in the storm pond. Why would we want to control the number of geese in the pond? There are a number of reasons. During the nesting period, geese can become agressive and chase (and injure) small children in the park area. A mature goose can produce as much as a kilo (over two pounds) of fecal matter in a single day. This makes the park a less attractive place for our children and can be a problem in run-off water. For more information about goose control, visit our web page on the subject. The planting is being performed in conjuncion with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and King Township and is being supported by the Shell Environmental Fund. Our thanks to all.   August - Cleanup in support of the Communities in Bloom and Purple Loosestrife Removal Communities in Bloom Cleanup In support of Communities in Bloom we are doing a clean up at the Marsh on August 4th. This should not take much time as there has not been a lot of trash since our clean up in the spring. However, we're planning on spreading out onto Main St to ensure that the neighbourhood looks presentable and welcoming for Communities in Bloom. Details: Saturday August 4 9:30 am Bags and gloves provided Cold drinks and coffee Meet at bulletin board on Dr. Kay Drive As always, the time spent on this activity can be credited towards high-school volunteer hours.   Purple Loosestrife Removal The week after the cleanup, we will be removing this year's crop of Purple Loosestrife. We're looking for 10 volunteers. We'll gather at the Learining Center (in the Marsh). For more information about why we go through the effort of removing Purple Loosestrife, click here. Details: Saturday August 11 8:30 am We'll provide Bags, cold drinks and coffee Please bring good work gloves, hand pruner and boots We recommend wearing long pants and long sleeved shirt As always, the time spent on this activity can be credited towards high-school volunteer hours.   Wine tasting 2007 Our annual Wine Tasting was held on Saturday, June 16th at Sheena's Kitchen in Shcomberg, just 'across the road' from the Marsh. Richard Johnston (seen at the right of the photo - above) of "By Chadsey's Cairns", a high quality, boutique winery in Prince Edward County, provided a selection of delicious wines and enjoyable (and enlightening) commentary for each wine. Sheena provided an excellent matching selection of nibblies and deserts. Thanks to both! In addition, thanks to one and all who came out to enjoy the wine and companionship, and to support the work of the Dufferin Marsh Committee in our local community.   Wine tasting 2007 Our annual wine tasting will be held at Sheena's Kitchen, 357 Main St, at 8pm on Saturday, June 16th at 8:00 pm. This year our wines will be from "By Chadsey's Cairns", a high quality, boutique winery in Prince Edward County (approximately 2 hours drive east of Toronto). They specialize in growing cool-climate wines at their small cottage winery and vineyard. These include wines that range from bold, energizing, refreshing Riesling to something more contemplative and mellow, like a barrel-aged Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. $35 per person includes admission to the wine tasting and one year membership to the Dufferin Marsh Committee. Tickets are available in advance at: Sheena’s Kitchen our booth at Cold Creek Day from a Marsh member or at the door   Cold Creek Day We had a great time at Cold Creek Day. The weather was perfect, there was lots to do and see, and we had a large number of attentive visitors to our tent. We spoke to a wide variety of people, including "local people" from King township, and to those from farther afield - downtown Toronto. It was particularly interesting to hear what the "out of towners" had to say about the importance of places like Cold Creek and The Dufferin Marsh. They felt that it was important to have places where they could connect with nature, and walk on something other than concrete and pavement. We agree! We hope to see you at next year's Cold Creek Day.   Cold Creek Day Join us on Saturday June 9th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Cold Creek Forest and Wildlife Area as we help them celebrate the re-opening and re-invogouration of Cold Creek. There will be a retriever exhibit, birds of prey, agility and cart dogs and guided tours of the trails. For more information about Cold Creek Day, and directions to Cold Creek Forest and Wildlife Area, visit their website. If you would be interested in spending an hour "manning" the Dufferin Marsh booth, please call 905-939-2315 or email Jill Kelly for more information.   Bird Walk On Sunday May 27th a number of us went for an early morning birdwalk in and around the Marsh and Schomberg area. Despite the small area, we identified a remarkable number of birds: American Gold Finch American Robin Baltimore Oriole Barn Swallow Blue Jay Brown-headed Cowbird Canada Goose Catbird Cedar Waxwing Chicadee Chipping sparrow Common Crow Common Grackle Common Yellowthroat Hairy Woodpecker House Sparrow Killdeer Mallard Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Red-eyed Vireo Red-winged Blackbird Rock Dove Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Tree Swallow Warbling Vireo White-breasted Nuthatch Yellow Warbler Other birds that have been identifed this spring (although, not on the morning of the walk) include: Chimney Swift Green Heron Nighthawk Rough-winged Swallow Solitary Sandpiper Sora Spotted Sandpiper Turkey Vulture Wood Duck   Thanks to those who came out!   Bird Walk On Sunday May 27th (in the midst of the Schomberg Agricultural Fair) at 6:30am we will be conducting a bird/nature walk around Schomberg. Each year we try to go to a different habitat close to the Dufferin Marsh. If you would like to join us, meet us at the pump house on Dr. Kay Drive. We'll go to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast after the walk. Bring binoculars or your camera!   Tree Planting Our thanks to those who came out on Saturday, May 5th to plant trees around the storm water pond between the children's playground on Cooper Drive, and the Dufferin Marsh. Over a period of an hour, 18 enthuiastic volunteers planted 100 trees around the pond and up the hill towards the homes on Willard Hunt Drive. We enjoyed delicious coffee from The Grackle Coffee Company on Main St, and Timbits from Tim Horton's in the plaza. Nothing like caffeine and sugar to start a Saturday morning! During the planting, a number of Canada Geese were seen on the pond, however the number of birds was down significantly when compared to the same time last year, indicating that the recent goose control measures are having the desired effect.   Tree Planting Please join us on Saturday, May 5th at 9:30am at the entrance to Nieuland Park, just south of Dufferin Marsh on Cooper Drive. We're planting trees! We have 100 white pine saplings to plant around the stormwater pond (located between the children's playground and the Dufferin Marsh). Come on out, and have some fun. Bring gloves and shovels - coffee and juice will be available. Many of the trees will be planted on the hill between the homes on Willard Hunt Drive and the stormwater pond in the park. Although it will take years for them to have a significant effect, eventually they will help stabalise the hill. Over the intervening years, they will, as do all growing trees, store carbon in their trunks, each doing their part in the struggle against global warming. Come on out, give the trees a helping hand, and add your shovel to the effort! If you have any questions, please call Linda Jessop at 905-939-2069.   Clean up Day - Thank You! Thanks to everyone who came out to the Dufferin Marsh Cleanup at the end of April. We collected "tons" of garbage and glass, aluminium and cardboard for recycling. The picture at the top left showns only about a third of the garbage collected, and we didn't even take pictures of the recyclables... Thanks again to all who participated.   Movie Series and Panel Discussions Following the success of our initial film "An Inconvenient Truth", we are pleased to announce the remaining four films in our series for movie and panel discussions! Join us to view and discuss"Why We Fight (2005)", "The Corporation", "Who Killed The Electric Car" and "Darwin's Nightmare". Once again our panelists will be environmental toxicologist Gordon Craig, Skid Crease from the Kortright Centre for Conservation and meteorologist Phil Chadwick. For information about each of the movies, along with dates and presentation times, please click here or on the movie posters. If you would like to be notified about these presentations, or about other "Marsh Events", please join our mailing list by sending an email to Charles Cooper.     Clean up Day - New Date! Saturday April 28th, 9am Join members and friends of the Dufferin Marsh Committee as we cleanup the Marsh area along Dr. Kay and Cooper Drives. Vinyl gloves and plastic bags will be provided. We recommend you bring work gloves and wear rubber boots. Remember students, this activity is good for high school Community Service Credits so bring your forms! Meet at the Pumphouse on Dr. Kay Drive at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday April 28th. Tree Seedling Care & Planting Workshop Join Chris Gynan, (from Silvi-Econ Ltd.) and Bob Baker, (from Baker Forestry Services) and learn how to successfully plant trees on you property. Learn how to chose the right trees, care and plant them, and keep the trees healthy and growing strong. Topics include: Site requirements of trees to be planted How to care and plant the trees Post-planting tree care Insects and diseases that can affect your planted trees Sat. April 14th, 2007 - 9:00 am to noon Caledon Community Complex, 6215 Old Church Road Caledon East, Ontario Please pre-register to ensure your attendance at this FREE workshop For more info or to register please contact: Todd Smith at Town of Caledon, 905-584-2272 Ext. 4186, todd.smith@caledon.ca or Greg Bales with the HPWWS at 905 713-7410, greg.bales@ontario.ca Movie Series and Panel Discussions - An Inconvenient Truth Thanks to all who attended the Schomberg presentation and discussion session of the movie "An Inconvenient Truth". Almost 40 people squeezed into the meeting room at the Schomberg Library to watch the movie and roughly half stayed for the discussion afterwards. Our thanks to the Library staff and our presenters (pictured here, from left to right, environmental toxicologist Gordon Craig,Skid Crease from the Kortright Centre for Conservation and meteorologist Phil Chadwick). Future movies in the series include "Why We Fight (2005)", "Who Killed The Electric Car" and "Darwin's Nightmare". Further information regarding dates and times for these presentations will be posted here and on the Nobleton and Schomberg District Chamber of Commerce websites (among others). If you would like to be notified about these presentations, or about other "Marsh Events", please join our mailing list by sending an email to Charles Cooper. Movie Series and Panel Discussions The Dufferin Marsh Committee, in conjunction with Arts Society King, Cold Creek Forest and Wildife Area and the King Township Public Library, is sponsoring a series of films and panel discussions related to the environment. The first film will be the most recent - An Inconvenient Truth with Al Gore. There will be two showings: Wednesday, March 21st King City Library 1970 King Road, King City 7:00 pm Thursday, March 29th Schomberg Library 77 Main St., Schomberg 7:00 pm Panel members include meteorologist Phil Chadwick, environmental toxicologist Gordon Craig and Skid Crease from the Kortright Centre for Conservation in Kleinburg. There is no charge for the evening. Future movies in the series include "Why We Fight (2005)", "Who Killed The Electric Car" and "Darwin's Nightmare". Community Skate on the Marsh Thanks to all who turned out for our third annual "Skate on the Marsh" on Sunday February 11th. This year we cleared more of the pond than we have in previous years, allowing for both "skating" and "hockey" areas. We also moved the bonfire (including the food and refreshments) and gathering area to the ice surface, allowing the kids and their parents to stay close together for the afternoon. Once again, we were blessed with perfect weather. After the -15 degree temperatures of the previous two weeks, we were delighted to discover that the temperature had risen to -5 on Sunday. We hope to see you all again next year! Community Skate on the Marsh Welcome to our third annual Community Skate and Bonfire at the Marsh! Held on the second Saturday of February (this year it's February 10th), it promises to be a wonderful afternoon in the "out of doors". Join us between 3 and 6 pm. Hotdogs and marsh mallows will be available for roasting over the fire and warm drinks will be served. Dress warmly and bring your skates. We hope to see you there. Skating is subject to safe ice conditions. Remember, even if skating is not possible, we will still have the bonfire in the evening! York-Simcoe Naturalists - Six degrees of Green A networking event for grassroots environmentalists north of the city. Use this opportunity to network with other environmentalists working on important stewardship, environmental assessment and development issues in the region, share ideas and information and gain new members. Sunday February 4, 2007 6:30 PM Seneca King Campus 13990 Dufferin St. King City, Ontario Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to ysnclub@yahoo.ca by January 25th for directions. We ask that if you represent a club or organization you bring flyers and newsletters for our handout table to share with others. More information about the York-Simcoe Naturalists is available from their website.   Energy Workshop At the Kortright Centre for Conservation in Kleinburg Are you interested in where your electricity comes from? Are you curious as to how you can reduce the energy you use, or draw from the power grid? Interested in creating your own? If you answered "yes" (or even "maybe") to any of the questions above, you owe it to yourself to join us on Sunday January 21st 10am to 4pm at the Kortright Centre for Conservation. This is a one-day session that gives an overview of general concepts, resources, technologies and practices on Green Energy topics. This Green Energy programme covers solar, wind and other resources that utilize renewable forms of energy for day to day use such as domestic solar hot water systems and other "real world" applications. The motivations of energy independence, energy security, environmental impact and economic investment for using each technology will be discussed. To register contact Mary Asselstine at 905-939-7544. Cost is only $45. Full information is available on the printable flyer, here. Open House - Schomberg Water Supply and Treatment There will be a public open house at the Schomberg Community Hall on Tuesday December 5th concerning the water supply and the new sewage treatment plant for Schomberg. This is the third in a series of public consultations aimed at incorporating public comment into the design and implementation of the expanded water supply and treatment facilities in Schomberg. Date:  Tuesday, December 5, 2006 Time:  5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Location:   Schomberg Community Hall 325 Main Street, Schomberg A copy of the official notice for the public meeting can be viewed or printed from here. Fall Hike, Annual General Meeting and Potluck Dinner Join us for a hike through the Happy Valley Trail (south of Pottageville, on the heights of the Oak Ridges Moraine) at 2:00pm on Sunday, November 12th. The AGM starts at 4:30 pm in the Pottageville Pavillion (see the map to the Pavillion in the Archives section of the website), and the potluck dinner starts at 5:30 (or earlier if the AGM is over quickly!). New and non-members are welcome to attend! For more information, call contact Mary Asselstine at 905-939-7544 or download and printout the flyer.     Loosestrife Removal - Part two Yes it can be done! Less than an hour of work resulted in the change you see here. Four giant, well stuffed garbage bags of plants were removed from the meadow on the west side of Cooper Drive. Although attractive, Purple Loosestrive is an invasive plant that is quickly damaging local wetlands. Since its introduction to North America in the 1800’s, it has spread from the east all the way across the continent. When it gets a foothold in an area, the wetland habitat where fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, reproduce and rear young quickly becomes choked under a sea of purple flowers.    Laurier Homes Committee of Adjustment Meeting Laurier Homes is planning on building a new development of approximately 228 "housing units" on the southwest corner of Highway 9 and RR 27, immediately north of the Dufferin Marsh. On Wednesday August 16th, 2006 a meeting of the Committee of Adjustment will be held at the King City Arena (25 Doctor's Lane, King City), to discuss this and other local applications. If you are interested in learning about this proposal, please come to the meeting. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm. Communities in Bloom On August 9th, Mary Asseltine and Charles Cooper spent almost an hour in the Marsh with two judges from the Communities in Bloom competition. We discussed the history of the Marsh, community and current events and our hopes for the future of the Marsh. When it's all added up, you can see that a lot has been accomplished: Trillium Grant Other grants Marsh management plan Pond lookout Learning Shelter Trail building and upkeep School Programmes Curriclum based programmes Local school involvement Public Outreach Skating Hikes Wine tasting Schomberg Fair booth Marsh and road cleanup Restoration Projects Deep water pool Purple Loosetrife removal Frog monitoring programme Pollution and run-off investigation and remediation    From left: Communities in Bloom judges and Mary Asseltine - Dufferin Marsh Chairperson Photo Credit - Jeff Laidlaw Loosestrife Removal Loosestrife, that beautiful purple flower that seems to grow without any tender loving care has invaded the Marsh. Despite it's attractiveness, it's a serious problem that, left unchecked, will cause disruption in the Marsh. Since its introduction to North America in the 1800’s, it has spread from the east all the way across the continent. When it gets a foothold in an area, the wetland habitat where fish and wildlife feed, seek shelter, reproduce and rear young quickly becomes choked under a sea of purple flowers. Three years ago there was no Purple Loosestrife in the Dufferin Marsh, however this year we have been "harvesting" what we find and have removed over 40 plants. We expect to remove a few dozen more over the next few weeks before they go to seed and set us back a season or two.    Organic Gardening and Lawn Care On Wednesday, July 5th, Janet May of the York Environmental Alliance discussed Organic Gardening and Lawn Care – at the Learning Shelter in the Marsh at 7:00 pm. Wine tasting 2006 Our annual wine tasting will be held at Sheena's Kitchen, 357 Main St, at 8pm on Saturday, June 17th at 8:00 pm. $35 donation per person includes admission to the wine tasting and one year membership to the Dufferin Marsh Committee. Tickets are available in advance at: Sheena’s Kitchen our fair booth at the Schomberg fair from a Marsh member or at the door Please watch your email, or check back here for more information. A downloadable/printable poster is available here.   Bird Walk On Sunday May 28th (in the midst of the Schomberg Agricultural Fair) at 6:30am we will be conducting a bird/nature walk around Schomberg. Each year we try to go a different habitat close to the Dufferin Marsh. If you would like to join us, meet us at the pump house on Dr. Kay Drive. We'll go to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast after the walk. Bring binoculars or your camera! A downloadable/printable poster is available here. Clean up Day Saturday April 29th, 9am The Dufferin Marsh Committe is spearheading the local clean-up day this year. Join us at the Pumphouse on Dr. Kay Drive at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday April 29th. We'll be cleaning up along Dr. Kay and Cooper Drives. Vinyl gloves and plastic bags will be provided. We recommend you bring work gloves and wear rubber boots. Remember students, this activity is good for high school Community Service Credits so bring your forms! Listen to the Night Overnight Camp for children 8-10 in the Marsh. The children will experience an little taste of nature in their "own backyard". They will listen to frog calls and birds, learn how to identify them and learn about their habitat. The camp will be held Saturday May 6 to Sunday May 7, and the cost is $25.00. For more information, or to register, call Pam Fulford at the King Township office - 905-833-5321 Ext 236. Pam can also be reached via email.   Water free landscaping Wed May 10, 7:00 - 8:00 pm Join Lorraine Mennen of Pathways to Perennials (located in Pottageville) as she discusses how you can reduce the use of water in your garden. Save money and save the earth! To register call, 1-888-967-5426 or register on-line www.water4tomorrow.com/smrwrkshp.html. Planning for Tomorrow – York Region Growth Management We attended the Planning for Tomorrow – York Region Growth Management meeting in Newmarket on April 12th. The meeting hall, while not full, contained prople with a broad range of interests. John Waller (Director, Long Range & Strategic Planning, York Region), pictured at right gave a presentation that outlined the state of the region, and what the Region saw when it looked down the road. This was followed by a lively question and answer period. The questions and responses were collected by the Region staffers and will form part of the recommendation report, due in late 2007. York Region has set up a central webpage containing information related to "growth management and sustainability". Some of the notable links are highlighted, below: A copy of the presentation (in PDF format) is available here. Related reports and presentations are available from this York Region webpage. If you would like to offer feedback, or have a question please feel send an email to futureyork@york.ca.   Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch Now in its third year of operation, the Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch is gearing up for a new season. It provides important information to Pam Fulford as she continues to monitor the overall health of the Marsh and involves students from the Schomberg Public School in the life of the Marsh. Students collect data during their excursions to the Marsh, and this information is used in a number of classroom situations, including biology, math and health. This programme is run by Pam Fulford, our Marsh co-ordinator at the Township, and is assisted by volunteers from the Marsh Committee. So... Its frog monitoring time again and we are looking for volunteers to spend a few evenings in the Marsh counting frogs. The monitoring will start April 17 and continue through June 5. If you are interested, please let us know as soon as possible so we can start setting up a schedule. Training will be available - both for first time volunteers and veterans. Please note that there are a number of nights when the monitoring will be done in conjunction with the kids from the grade six class from the Schomberg Public School. Volunteers working these nights must have a current volunteer police clearance certificate. If you have this clearance (required for anyone working with children) please let us know. For more information, please call Mary at 905-939-7544, or via email. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Planning for Tomorrow – York Region Growth Management York Region is holding an open house regarding growth in the Region. They want to get input on various issues (see below). If you have time this would be a good method of learning about what the Region has "in store" for us in the next few years... Wednesday April 12th 5 to 9 p.m Regional Administration Centre, 17250 Yonge St., Newmarket Seminar Room 5 to 7 – open house 7 to 7:30 – presentation 7:30 to 9 p.m. – facilitated discussion. Issues under consideration: Protecting our natural heritage Maintaining our high quality of life Accommodating significant population and employment growth Addressing traffic congestion Ensuring that human services keep pace with growth Maintaining a vibrant economy and attracting employment Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch Now in its third year of operation, the Dufferin Marsh Frog Watch is gearing up for a new season. It provides important information to Pam Fulford as she continues to monitor the overall health of the Marsh and involves students from the Schomberg Public School in the life of the Marsh. Students collect data during their excursions to the Marsh, and this information is used in a number of classroom situations, including biology, math and health. This programme is run by Pam Fulford, our Marsh co-ordinator at the Township, and is assisted by volunteers from the Marsh Committee. So... Its frog monitoring time again and we are looking for volunteers to spend a few evenings in the Marsh counting frogs. The monitoring will start April 17 and continue through June 5. If you are interested, please let us know as soon as possible so we can start setting up a schedule. Training will be available - both for first time volunteers and veterans. Please note that there are a number of nights when the monitoring will be done in conjunction with the kids from the grade six class from the Schomberg Public School. Volunteers working these nights must have a current volunteer police clearance certificate. If you have this clearance (required for anyone working with children) please let us know. For more information, please call Mary at 905-939-7544, or via email. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Strategies for Successful Communities In conjunction with the Chamber Of Commerce the Agricultural Society and the Lions Club, the Dufferin Marsh Committee is sponsoring a public meeting on April 4th, at the Schomberg Community Hall. It's entitled "Strategies for Successful Communities" and will be presented by Jim Dyment of Meridian Planning. Jim is a Planner and a local resident who is interested in ensuring that our community thrives in the future - but not at the expense of our environment or our lifestyle. A printable copy of the poster (shown at right) is available. There will be a Question and Answer period and a roundtable discussion after the presentation. Come out and share your ideas and views about how our community can grow and prosper!      Community Skate on the Marsh We had our second annual Community Skate on the Marsh on the afternoon of February 11th. The weather was perfect - bright, cold and clear, without any wind. Despite the unseasonable warmth during the previous week, the cold snap caused the surface of the pond to freeze in just a few days to a thickness of over 6 inches. The cold, in conjunction with our volunteers clearing the ice of it's insulating blanket of snow allowed us to enjoy hours of skating. In addition, we had marshmallows, hotdogs and hot chocolate beside our bonfire... and, with the cold, that bonfire was more than welcome. We look forward to seeing you (and your friends and neighbours) next year. Once again, it will be held on the second Saturday of February (February 10th, 2007).      Annual General Meeting We also held our AGM the same day as our skate. We quickly got the business of the AGM out of the way (election of officers, budget report, etc.), and then proceeded to break apart into groups to discuss "Sustainability" and the future of our Village. We discussed what we would like to see in Schomberg in the future in terms of services, lifestyle, population, infrastructure, energy efficiency (and many others). Mayor Margaret Black was in attendance, and she enthusiasticly participated in the workshop process. One of the interesting things that came out of the workshop process was the level of similarity between wishes of those in the room, the current state of the "Village Design Guidelines" currently being developed by King Township and by some of the thoughts currently being discussed by the Schomberg and District Chamber of Commerce executive (see the January 2006 minutes on the Chamber website). We hope to work with the both the Township, the Chamber and other groups within the area to ensure that our Village grows in such a manner that we still all want to live here in 10 years! As you can see from the notice below, the Region of York is interested in this as well. Towards a Sustainable Region Symposium - York Region The Region is embarking on an extensive public consultation on growth and sustainability in 2006. The growth management choices we make over the next few years will affect our communities for generations. The Regional Official Plan contains the three values of sustainable natural environmant, economic viability and healthy communities. An inportant part of moving towards a more sustainable Region is hearing from our stakeholders. Please join us at the Kortright Centre for Conservation on March 3rd, from 8:00 am to 1 pm. Registration is via fax only. For more information, or a registration form, call Dawn Seetaram at 905-830-4444 x 1570 Conservation Award of Merit Earlier this winter we were notified by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority that the Dufferin Marsh Committee had been nominated for the Conservation Award of Merit by the Township of King. The awards night was held November 24, and although the Committee did not win the top award, we were honoured to receive the recognition from both the Township and the Conservation Authority. Thank you everyone for all your hard work and dedication. Small things do not go unnoticed. The top award was won by John McCallum who has reduced phosphorus loading to Lake Simcoe by 25.2 kg/year by upgrading his Milkhouse Wastewater Management System. Our congratulations to John in his efforts to improve the environment.    Laurier Homes Meeting Thanks to all who attended the Laurier Homes Development meeting on Tuesday January 24th. We will follow the "developments" as they happen, and will post notices regarding any future changes or meetings. Community Skate on the Marsh and Annual General Meeting On Saturday February 11 between 4 and 7 pm we will be holding our 2nd Annual Community Skate and Bonfire at the Marsh. Hotdogs and marsh mallows will be available for roasting over the fire and drinks will be served. Dress warmly and bring your skates. This event is being held in co-operation with the Schomberg and District Chamber of Commerce. The whole community is invited. We hope to see you there. Skating subject to safe ice conditions. Remember, even if skating is not possible, we will still have the bonfire in the evening. Prior to the skate, the Annual Members Meeting will be held from 2 to 3 pm at the Schomberg Public Library. We encourage all members to attend to discuss our new program on sustainability (for more details, please see our recent newsletter).      Laurier Homes Development Meeting Laurier Homes is planning on building a new development of approximately 228 "housing units" on the southwest corner of Highway 9 and RR 27, immediately north of the Dufferin Marsh. Representatives from Laurier Homes will be on hand to discuss components of the plan, outline the future process and receive input from those in attendance. This informal session will provide interested community members with the opportunity to meet with consultants retained by Laurier Homes and discuss any issues that are of interest to the community. Laurier Homes representatives will be available from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. If you are interested in seeing how our community will expand over the next few years, please come to the meeting. Where: Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main Street When: Tuesday, January 24th Time: 6:30 to 8:00 pm      Dufferin Marsh Greenways Seminar Greenways - The Way of the Future On Monday, October 24th, Steve Housell, President of Ontario Nature and Director of The Natural Step - Canada spoke to us at the Schomberg Public Library. Steve delivered a passionate, articulate and well reasoned presentation about the importance of maintaining and protecting greenspaces in our environment. For more information about the Greenways programme, visit the Ontario nature website.    Dufferin Marsh Greenways Seminar Greenways - The Way of the Future Have you heard of Greenways? It’s a new way of looking at our surrounding green spaces and how we can better protect them... from ourselves! Marshes, forests, trails, meadows - they all deserve our protection - especially considering our hunger for new housing, transportation and services. You can contribute to their survival and help ensure that our valuable green spaces have a future. Come learn about Greenways and how we can plan for a sustainable future. The Dufferin Marsh Committee is proud to have Mr. Steve Housell, President of Ontario Nature and Director of The Natural Step - Canada speak to all those interested at the Schomberg Public Library on Monday, October 24th at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.    Learning Shelter completion and BBQ In mid September the Learning Shelter was completed, and we held a BBQ to celebrate. About 30 people came out for burgers and roasted corn, spread new mulch on the path and enjoyed a bit of a social. Our special thanks to the township staff and local politicians for their help and of course, to our Learning Centre Sponsors. Learning Shelter under Construction Construction has begun on the new Learning Shelter. Built by local contractor Geoff Layne of Layne Woodworks, it will be ready in time for the new school term in September. The construction of the Learning Shelter or Outdoor Classroom is one more step in the implemenation of the Dufferin Marsh Management Plan. It will help us develop our main focus on nature appreciation, interpretation and protection. Local schools, youth, families and residents will benefit from the educational lessons that we hold in the Marsh. Already, wetland lesson plans based on the Ontario Curriculum are available for local schools across King Township to use in this natural, outdoor classroom. Thanks to our Learning Shelter Sponsors TD Canada Trust Friends of the Environment York Environmental Stewardship Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters The Evergreen Foundation Corn Roast and BBQ On Tuesday September 13th starting at about 5 pm, the Dufferin Marsh Collaborative is hosting a Corn Roast and Barbecue at the Marsh. This event is to recognize the on-going support from our funding partners and to dedicate the installation of the lookout, trail and learning shelter. The event will start with a brief work session to spread new woodchips along the trail, so bring your rakes. Following the work, we can enjoy corn, hotdogs and burgers around the fire. For more information contact Mary at (905) 939-7544 or Pam Fulford at (905) 833-5321. Mark this date on your calendar. Dufferin Marsh Wine Tasting Our annual wine tasting and social evening went off without a hitch on Saturday June 11th. Almost fifty members and guests gathered to listen to Jens Gemmrich and Heike Koch from Frogpond winery (Ontario's only certified organic winery) discuss wine and lead us on a tasting. Our thanks to Jens and Heike for making the trek from Niagra to Schomberg on such a hot and muggy evening. Also out thanks goes to Sheena Henderson from Sheena's Kitchen for the wonderful finger foods and sweets. We hope to see you all again next year! Images of the Marsh Sometimes it's hard to remember that the Marsh can a place for relaxation and reflection (not just cleaning and picking up garbage). Stop by the Marsh some evening as the sun is going down. Visit the observation deck, listen to the frogs and watch the ducks and geese return to the pond for the night. The view from the observation deck overlooking the pond. Wine tasting - Update! Our annual wine tasting will be held at Sheena's Kitchen, 357 Main St, at 8pm on Saturday, June 11th. The tasting will be hosted by Jens Gemmrich and Heike Koch of Frogpond Farm, Ontario's only Certified Organic winery. $35 donation per person includes admission to the wine tasting and one year membership to the Dufferin Marsh Committee. Tickets are available at Sheena's Kitchen. Please watch your email, or check back here for more information. Bird Walk On Sunday May 29th (in the midst of the Schomberg Agricultural Fair) at 6:30am we will be conducting a bird/nature walk around Schomberg. Each year we try to go a different habitat close to the Dufferin Marsh. If you would like to join us, meet us at the pump house on Dr. Kay Drive. We'll go to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast after the walk. Bring binoculars or your camera! Township Cleanup Day Once again, thanks to many volunteers we had a successful cleanup along Dr. Kay and Cooper Drives this past Saturday. Over 25 people participated on a cold, wet and rainy day. About 20 bags of garbage were collected - this is lower than last springs "collection". Much of this was probably due to the fact that we had a Fall collection as well. During the cleanup, one of the volunteers found a $50 bill at the side of the road. In the true spirit of volunteerism, she donated it to the Dufferin Marsh. Township Cleanup Day This year we will be doing our spring cleanup as part of the Township Cleanup Day. Join us at the Pumphouse on Dr. Kay Drive at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. We'll be cleaning up along Dr. Kay and Cooper Drives. Vinyl gloves and plastic bags will be provided. We recommend you bring work gloves and wear rubber boots. Remember students, this activity is good for high school Community Service Credits so bring your forms! Also, this year, the Township of King will be selling composters at cost, and will be collecting old cell phones, cell phone batteries and used ink jet printer cartridges. Oak Ridges Trail Association Annual General Meeting On Saturday, April 16th we attended the ORTA Annual General Meeting at the Seneca College, King Campus. We were invited to set up a table and meet the attendees. Father Leo Cameron from Marylake Monastery gave a very informative and entertaining talk about the history of Marylake Monastery. Presentation to the Schomberg Horticultural Society On Tuesday, March 22nd, Mary Asseltine and Charles Cooper were the featured speakers at the first meeting of 2005 of the Schomberg Horticultural Society. Mary spoke about the origins of the Marsh, it's importance to Schomberg and the remediation and educational efforts that are currently underway. Charles spoke about the agreement between the Oak Ridges Trail Association and the Dufferin Marsh Committee to connect the Dufferin Marsh to the Oak Ridges Trail via a Side Trail. The Schomberg Horticultural Society presented the DMC with a cheque for $50. We wish to thank them for this donation, and ensure them that the money will be spent to ensure the continued maintenance of the Marsh. Skating party! Thanks to all who joined us at the Marsh pond on Saturday Feburary 12th. We had a large number of participants throughout the afternoon and into the evening. We went through gallons of hot chocolate, piles of hotdogs and buns and bags of marshmallows. We hope the kids appreciated their 'sugar high', and hope the parents forgive us! We hope to see you all again soon. Dufferin Marsh AGM (and hike) This year the AGM was held at the Pottageville Park Pavillion on Sunday November 14th, from 1 to 4pm. No, the meeting didn't take three hours. We spent the first couple of hours walking in the woods south of Pottageville. We were on part of the Oak Ridges Trail as it runs through King Township. After the walk we settled into the "meeting part" of the AGM, where we discussed upcoming activities and future directions for the Marsh and the Dufferin Marsh Committee. We'll have more details here soon. Fall Cleanup Thanks to all who came out to the Fall Cleanup on October 23rd. There were over 30 people who came out to lend a hand. It was good to see so many people, and especially good to meet new ones! Jillian Stambolich of Nobelton Public School brought a number of students who serenaded us with a rousing and enthusiastic round of "Bucket Drumming". The Trail has been narrowed slightly, and we picked up an impressive (if somewhat depressing) pile of garbage from the roadsides adjacent to the Marsh. On the positive side, this is garbage that we won't have to pick up in the spring! Observation Deck The new Observation Deck has been installed at the Marsh. It is off the new trail where it meets the large pond. In addition to simply being a nice place to relax and enjoy the Marsh, it will also be used as an observation point and meeting place by students during school trips. Annual General Meeting This year the Annual General Meeting will be held at the Pottageville Park Pavillion on Sunday November 14th, from 1 to 4pm. The park is located south of the Lloydtown/Aurora road, off Concession 7, just north of the 18th Sideroad. We will start out with a hike at 1pm and return to the Pavillion for the AGM about 3pm. We plan on having the actual AGM at the Pavillion after the hike. There will be food, but it will be "pot-luck", so please feel free to bring something! If you have any questions, please call our Social/Activity co-ordinator Leah Werry, at 905-939-2238. She can also be reached via email. Summer Newsletter The Summer Newsletter has been released. Please click on the Newsletter link in the menu at the left, or here to link directly to the latest newsletter. New Path and Bulletin Board There is a new path through the Dufferin Marsh. It's a loop that starts near the pumphouse on Dr. Kay Drive, wends it's way to the main pond in the Marsh and then back to the entrance. Please take a few minutes and enjoy the walk. Beside the entrance to the new path you can see the new bulletin board. Marsh enhancement The new pond that was constructed this spring (see the Archives) has done very well over the summer. Immediately after it was constructed, various waterfowl including ducks and geese began using it. It is now well on it way to becoming an established part of the Marsh. Our thanks to all who participated in creating this new pond. Marsh Enhancement, Pond Planting (late spring, 2004) Our thanks to all who came out to the Dufferin Marsh planting on May 1st. Under the supervision of Ecological Outlook Consulting, we planted dozens of native trees and bushes around the new pond and along Cooper St. Marsh Enhancement, Pond Creation (early spring, 2004) If you have had a chance to visit the marsh in the last few months you will notice that a new pond has been constructed adjacent to Cooper Drive. This pond construction was funded by a portion of the grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Ecological Outlook Consulting, a consulting firm based in Schomberg, was retained to design the pond and it was constructed by Gord Sloan. The pond will provide deep water refuge for aquatic animals, contributing to the habitat diversity of the Marsh. Maple Syrup On Saturday May 10th, 2004 we spent the day at the Marsh, and boiled approximately 100 litres of sap into syrup. The weather was great, and it ended up being a nice way to spend a Saturday. Spring Cleanup 2004 Thanks to everyone who was involved in the spring cleanup. In the morning of April 24th, we cleaned up the roadsides at the Marsh, and along with members of Main St. Revitalisation Committee, we extended the cleanup into the Schomberg river at the Area, and down Main St. to the Library. Prize finds this year included a child's bicycle and a computer monitor! Once again, thanks to all who participated. Dufferin Marsh Sign (November 2003) Three new signs have been erected at the Marsh. There is one at the corner of Dr. Kay Drive and Cooper Street, one on Cooper St near the entrance to the new subdivision and one on Dr. Kay Drive near the pumphouse. The signs provide passersby with a bit of background information about the Marsh. Spring Cleanup 2003 Thanks to all who participated in the Spring Cleanup along Dr. Kay Dr. on April 26th. The turnout was very good, and a lot of junk was collected. We collected over a dozen bags of litter and various material (what do you call an uneaten hamburger, still in it's wrapper?), from Dr. Kay and the Marsh portion of Cooper St. Thanks to all who attended. Trillium Foundation Grant, "The Big Cheque" On Thursday June 26th 2003, the The Dufferin Marsh Collaborative grant was made public with the official announcement of the Trillium funding. The cheque presentation was made at the Marsh. The funding will be used to implement recommendations that were made in the management plan for the Marsh. The plan includes developing region wide, curriculum based education plans (aimed at kindergarden to grade 8 audiences), restoring portions of the Marsh, and developing monitoring plans to ensure the future health of the Marsh.