Preserving The Legacy For Generations

As a land trust, one of our responsibilities is to monitor and document the various species on the Marsh’s Falls property. We recently started using motion-sensor wildlife cameras, an amazing tool to discover what animals are present, what they do, and where they go. This past winter we used two wildlife cameras for the first time and got great results. Finding the right locations for the cameras took some time, but eventually we discovered a few good places and set the cameras to take 10-second video clips. From December 2023 to April 2024, the cameras recorded over 3,000 video clips! Unfortunately, many clips were triggered by wind moving branches in front of the sensors. But we documented twelve species of mammals and ten species of birds. We also filmed a Painted Turtle basking on a log in early spring while there was still ice on the pond. We’ve shared the best of these results in a nine-minute video on our YouTube channel. Check it out here! Some species are easy to document, such as surveying the plant community which just requires time and expertise to walk the property and document the species. Other creatures, like butterflies and dragonflies, require observers to conduct surveys at specific times of the year when these species are flying. Birds can be seen and heard year-round, but surveys are usually conducted during the late spring when male birds are singing to establish their breeding territory. The Foundation has been conducting these surveys for several years. Another technique used is observing tracks. Some species, like White-tailed Deer or Moose, can be hard to find but their tracks are unmistakable. Other animals, like fox, fisher, otter and martens are very difficult to detect. But now, thanks to our wildlife cameras, we and you can observe these species in the wild! 

Join us for our annual Dr. Cathy Charles Bird Count at the Marsh's Falls Nature Reserve on Saturday, May 18, 8:00AM to noon. Rick and Kelly Stronks have been conducting our bird counts for years and will lead us in documenting the species of birds at the Marsh's Falls property during the spring migration. P lease email registration@lakeofbaysheritage.ca if you plan to join us or have any questions. B ring rubber boots, cameras, binoculars (a few extras will be available to borrow), bug spray, and a sense of adventure. No experience required. The purpose of the count is to document all birds present and especially any bird species potentially breeding on the property. The month of May is when many male birds, primarily through song, are trying to establish territories to attract females. Although we try to locate and see the birds, sometimes we can only hear them. For example, Pine Siskins (see photo above by Rick Stronks) have been very common in our area this winter due to the availability of cones from coniferous trees. Normally this species moves north in the spring but when there is abundant food, Pine Siskins may stay and breed. We will be paying close attention to try to find evidence of this breeding on the property. The count involves walking much of the property while watching, listening and documenting all species. The data will be tabulated and submitted to eBird , a citizen science website used throughout the world to track birds. Check it out to see what’s been observed so far. Not able to join us? If you are not available to join us in person, we are also interested in the species you observe around your property on this weekend. Send your list of species to info@lakeofbaysheritage.ca . We will add it to our summary for the Lake of Bays area. And if you are unsure about what you are seeing or hearing, record it and send it to us. Our team of naturalists will try to identify it! Who is Dr. Cathy Charles Our annual spring bird count now carries the name of Dr. Cathy Charles. Cathy enjoyed a long career as a Professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University. She was also a lifelong cottager on Kerrimuir Road. Unfortunately, she died in November 2015. Her love of Lake of Bays was expressed in her will: she left the Foundation a very generous bequest. It was indeed the first bequest of several that the Foundation has since received. To recognize these generous donors, the Foundation has established the Legacy Circle . In Cathy’s instance, the Foundation also decided to name the spring bird count in her memory to honour her love of nature.

The Foundation will host five nature events this year. They are led by local naturalists, open to everyone and suitable of all ages. All events take place on weekend mornings and finish by mid-day. Dr. Cathy Charles Bird Count - May 18 Butterfly Count - June 29 Silent Boat Rally - July 27 Mushroom Forays - August 18 and August 31