Local Organizations Recognize 13 Watershed Stewards in 2024!

The Bracebridge Horticultural Society acknowledges the dedication of this year’s winners as good watershed stewards.

Composting is the backbone of every gardening endeavor. If you owned this large flower and vegetable garden, every scrap of compost would be and is used. Erosion control for river bank and raised beds is done with thought and experimentation for best results. Pathways and stone walls are likewise given consideration for best sustainable options. Native vegetation is planted for pollinators and requires less watering. No chemicals are used for garden pests. Hand weeding is deemed to give best success in weed eradication efforts. Rain water is collected for watering. Lessons learned from managing a large garden is shared with everyone.

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Greg and Shelley Mierle are this year’s winner of the Doug Cross Recognition Award.

Stan was presented the Doug Cross Stewardship Recognition Award at the LTLCA AGM in recognition of his efforts to maintain a sustainable waterfront buffer on his
property.

The Lindsay family on Hawkes Road have consistently maintained their aquatic area, shoreline, as well as the entire terrestrial vegetation on their property in a completely natural fashion with almost no alterations over the years. Their shoreline, however, consists of a very steep clay bank, and while it is well vegetated with mature trees, there has been erosion over the years. In fact, the mature trees have made it difficult for ground cover and shrubs to re-establish.

Members of the family recently worked with the Muskoka Watershed Council to draft and adopt a site plan to use native vegetation and natural materials to provide stabilization to the slumping bank, and prevent further erosion from runoff and the buffeting of wave action from high water levels. One of the owners, Carol Baker, took the initiative and responsibility for maintaining all the plantings by making sure that they were adequately watered for the first two seasons.

These new plantings have taken off and with their addition to the bank and shoreline, it looks like the Baker and Lindsay family’s stewardship of their property on Mary Lake has been a great success.

Jill Perry leads the Mary Lake Association’s Water Quality Committee and consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to preserving and enhancing the ecological health of our local watershed through a myriad of commendable initiatives.

One of the standout achievements is Jill’s exemplary stewardship of her own property. She actively employs sustainable practices, such as utilizing native vegetation and natural materials in plantings, paths, and landscaping. This not only contributes to the biodiversity of the area but also sets a positive example for fellow community members. Additionally, Jill is meticulous in maintaining aquatic, shoreline, and terrestrial vegetation, effectively controlling erosion, and employing best practices to treat stormwater runoff. She has also worked with MWC to provide educational opportunities to all our members on these points.

Beyond personal initiatives, Jill has played a pivotal role in promoting and encouraging good stewardship practices within the Mary Lake community. Through educational outreach and community engagement initiatives such as the one mentioned above, she has inspired others to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors. Jill actively participates in citizen science programs and community-driven environmental monitoring, providing valuable data for the betterment of our local ecosystem.

Furthermore, Jill has been a proponent of implementing Best Management Practices in development and redevelopment projects, emphasizing Low Impact Development features to minimize environmental impact.

Jill embodies the spirit of a true watershed steward, consistently surpassing the criteria set for the award. Her unwavering dedication to environmental sustainability, both on a personal and community level, makes Jill an exceptional candidate for recognition. Her efforts not only enhance our local environment but serve as an inspiration for others to follow suit.

Barry is on the Board of Directors for the Moon River Property Owners’ Association. Barry has done a fantastic job being responsible for coordinating our water testing efforts for a number of years now. Barry has been excellent in communicating to our membership the importance of the testing, the effort involved and subsequent results at our bi-annual meetings. Barry delivers this information in a fun, spirited way that keeps our membership engaged and up to date. A survey of our membership has the water testing as a top priority for our Board on an ongoing basis. We are thankful for his ongoing commitment and efforts!

Eleanor and Jim were water samplers for the MLA Water Quality program in the Acton Island area for over 12 years just resigning in 2023. Eleanor was a director of the MLA for nine years, Environment Committee Chair for two years and continued on the committee until 2022 assisting with training new samplers and educating members with webinars.

Jim led the Minett Joint Policy Steering Committee formed by the District of Muskoka and Township of Muskoka Lakes to review and revise the outdated and overly generous official plan policy regime in a very compressed time frame for the Resort Village of Minett.

Pete is also a familiar face in Gravenhurst, volunteering his time with Gravenhurst Against Poverty, where he fills in any where he is needed, from packaging food, loading carts and cars, delivering food, and even mopping floors. He served as a member of the Gravenhurst Environmental Advisory Committee and a director of the Parry Sound Muskoka Community Network.

Pete joined MWC in 2017, where his business background complements the ecology and science expertise of the other members. He very quickly became an invaluable volunteer, holding a variety of roles including chair of the Communications Committee, Co-chair of the Membership Committee, organizing events, presenting to municipal councils, developing the strategic plan, and, until recently, being a director. Pete has been described as “humble, hard-working and wears his kind heart on his sleeve for all to see,” and everyone who has met him will agree. MWC is incredibly lucky to count Pete as a member we wanted to recognize his good work with this award.

Frank has been instrumental in overseeing several water quality initiatives on Six Mile Lake, including the Eurasian Water Milfoil mapping study, the shoreline algae study, and Love Your Lake program, carried out in 2023.