Huron-Perth Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association

On September 23rd, 2023, we toured the Schoelier property near St. Mary’s. We lucked out with the weather and were treated to a beautiful day for a walk around the property, and an excellent tour led by Nathan Schoelier.

Nathan showed the group forest reforestation  projects including trees that were planted 20 years ago. We also got the opportunity to see a recent wetland restoration project, and learned about ways to control invasive species including dog-strangling vine and buckthorn. To finish off the tour, we saw the sawmill and kiln-dried hardwood though the Pine Acres Custom Milling, also located at the Schoelier property, where they produce beautiful live-edge, and dimensional hardwood lumber.

Thank you to Nathan, and the Schoelier family for this wonderful tour!

This tour explored some exciting new improvements in Huron County’s second largest County forest. Starting about 75 years ago, Huron County farmers, local Councils
and the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests worked together to identify and to reforest marginal farmland to protect soils and water quality. The 200 acre Stevenson
Tract is a great example of those efforts. We saw an arborist demonstration courtesy of Tim Prentice, and took a short hike on a new trail along the historic “Sunshine Creek”.

Fall Tour 1: Celebrating 75 years of the Huron County Forest program and small-scale timber harvest

Saturday, September 24th, 9:30 am – Noon,  41580 Morris Line (County Road #16), Stevenson Tract, west of Brussels

This tour will explore some exciting new improvements in Huron County’s second largest County forest. Starting about 75 years ago, Huron County farmers, local Councils and the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests worked together to identify and to reforest marginal farmland to protect soils and water quality. The 200 acre Stevenson Tract is a great example of those efforts. We will have some fun with a demonstration of small scale log skidding devices and take a short hike on a new trail along the historic “Sunshine Creek”. Email hpwoodlot@gmail.com to register.

Fall Tour 2: Successful tree planting and Fall Colour Tour

Saturday, October 22nd, 9:30 am – Noon,  36823 Londesborough Road,          Ross Property and Morris Tract, west of Benmiller

Andy Ross is now several years into a very successful forest restoration project, with additional mature forest on his property backing onto the Maitland River, The neighbouring Morris Tract is a provincial nature reserve with 58 ha of upland forest, valleys, and a river valley, with a microclimate that supports trees typical of more southern climates. If the weather cooperates, we hope to see some beautiful fall colours on this tour. Email hpwoodlot@gmail.com to register.

Small tour at the Haak Woodlot – November 21st 2020 – 10:00 am

Like so many other groups, the Huron-Perth Woodlot Association has been limited this year by the COVID situation with regard to our popular tours.  Our President, John Haak, has kindly offered to host a small outdoor gathering at his place on Saturday November 21^st at 10am.  As per Ontario COVID protocols, numbers will be limited by appointment on a “first come, first serve” basis. You can RSVP directly to John by email: janethaak@hotmail.com.

As usual, John has been busy in his woodlands, and points of interest will include biodiverse tree planting, invasive species management and
management of both hardwoods and softwoods.

Learn about this event and more in our November newsletter: H-P Woodlot November 2020.

Much has changed in the past few weeks. The rapid progression of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Canada has led to the cancellation of public events and closure of most public places. While these changes have certainly been necessary, isolation from friends and family can quickly lead to feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety.

In these uncertain times, forests can be places of comfort that support both our physical and our mental health. There is no question about it; time spent in nature has been shown to improve mood, and relieve anxiety, stress, and symptoms of depression. Forest bathing, also called shinrin-yoku, is the act of being in nature and connecting with it through our senses. Soaking up the forest in this way and finding a sense of calm can be a powerful way to care for your health. While keeping some precautions in mind (see the list below for some advice), a walk through the woods can be a very safe–and often much-needed–activity at this time.

An autumn walk through the woods. Photo by: Katie Wintersgill.

A budding branch in the springtime.

Now perhaps more than ever, it is important to do what we can to maintain good health. Spring is the season when everything is coming back to life, and a walk through the woods can be a rejuvenating experience. If you go for a walk today, you will probably see fresh buds on the trees, new growth bursting through the soil, and birds and other wildlife going about their normal lives. Making time for a daily walk outdoors–while maintaining physical distance from others–should be a priority. In a time when it feels like everything has changed, signs of spring are a reminder of better times to come.

Here are some important tips for spending time outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Practice social distancing. This means keeping a distance from others of 2 metres (6 feet) or greater. If you are hiking on a trail, you may need to briefly step off the trail to let others pass safely.
2. Do not go out if you feel ill or are under quarantine. Refer to current guidelines for self-isolation from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
3. Do not congregate in groups, and minimize your interactions with individuals outside of your household.
4. Pay attention to local restrictions that have been implemented in the past couple of weeks. Several Conservation Areas in Ontario and all Provincial Parks are closed at this time. National Parks are currently closed to motorized vehicles, and public facilities are closed.

Now is the time to appreciate our woodlands for what they do to help us cope. It is my hope that when all of this has passed, everyone will come to appreciate our forests a little more for all that they have done for us.

On October 26, 2019, Mr. Whyte showed us his efforts in rehabilitating a degraded woodlot in an effort to provide a family maple syrup operation for enjoyment by the various generations of the Whyte family. View the event flyer.

Mr. Whyte has carried out intensive removal of the invasive buckthorn plant, thinning to release young hard maple trees, establishment of a trail system, and erection of a maple syrup processing building, etc.