Recently I came across a book called THE LAND BETWEEN. My examination of the book led to a kind of epiphany for me, and since epiphanies don’t come to me every day of the week, I thought I would share this one in an email with a few of my friends and family, despite my concern that our kids would email Mummy wondering if Daddy was OK. And I was certain that my skeptical friends would see an epiphany as evidence  of old Eric finally having gone round the bend. Despite these misgivings I went ahead, and what you see here is a dressed up version of the original rambling and chaotic text.

As ‘Land Between’ insiders know, in some 40 short essays by different authors, the book deals with that stretch of land in Ontario between the Great Lakes Lowlands in the south and the Precambrian Shield to the north. This ‘land between’ is book-ended roughly by Georgian Bay in the west and Kingston and the end of Lake Ontario in the east. It is sometimes described as a transition zone, or as an ecotone by my geographer colleagues – using recondite vocabulary to show the rest of us that they know a thing or two. But if you want to get an on-the-ground sense of the thing just jump into your car in one of those little towns along the shore of Lake Ontario and head north – it won’t do to head south.  You know that you are getting into the zone when the large farms with those huge tractors with double wheels as big as the ones you see out on the tar sands begin to thin out and are replaced by farms – or what used to be farms – whose faces are pockmarked with outcroppings of limestone and whose barns and houses (if they are still there at all) seem to be full of nothing but ghosts. Then, as you continue north, you know you are leaving the zone behind when the landscape becomes a Thompson painting, with rock and trees – and lakes, of course – trees and rocks ! Then you know you are entering the relentless and forbidding Shield.

The book, then, paints a picture of the complex character of the region: the flora and fauna, the topography, its history and culture, and the human impact on the landscape. The more I read, the more I realized how familiar it all sounded – except, perhaps, for the story of the eels. I was utterly surprised that the females ( doing the heavy lifting again!) swim all the way from the Sargasso Sea to Baxter Creek, or Indian River, or Kinmount where they fatten up for fifteen years, then turn around and swim all the way back to the Sargasso Sea where they mate, spawn and then die. Not surprising that this story would be a discovery for someone who is a male and who also has a biological science deficit. In any event, I found myself time and time again muttering “I’ve done that … I’ve been there …I’ve seen that … I know what she’s talking about!”

Thus, of the Land Between and me I can say: I was born there; grew up there (although many say that it is questionable that I ever grew up – anywhere!); settled down there – equidistant from each end; fathered and helped to raise two families there; worked there; walked, motored, hiked, cycled, jogged and skied over its roads and trails; have flown through its skies, and swum through, canoed and rowed over its waters; and as friends know, for close to sixty years I have sailed those waters from Georgian Bay at the west end to Kingston’s harbour in the east ; for over thirty of those years I/we have been carried in the yawl, “Anemone” (and before her in “Duet”) to anchor with the ghosts of the naval establishment in Penetang Harbour, and with the spirits still hovering over Fort Henry at the other end; I have followed the paddle strokes of Champlain and his indigenous companions and wondered what he/they would have thought of the Berlin Wall of “No Tresspassing” signs that now lines the shores of the Bay screaming “Ours”, “Not Yours” – not the land, not the water, not the view ; and at this western watery boundary of The Land Between I have known the glassy surfaces of the countless inlets of the eastern shore, as well as the gut-roiling rumbustiousness of a gale coming ashore from “The Open”, south of O’Donnel Point.

Throughout the land I have kept company with squirrels, will-of-the-wisp chipmunks, skunks, raccoons, beavers, otters, loons, geese, ducks, cormorants, squealing ospreys, snappers, rattlers, deer, moose, bears and the monarchs collecting out on the Pancakes off Parry Sound’s North Channel in late August. But I have never seen the dwindling Shrike despite countless journeys across the Carden Plain. And everywhere, of course, we are hounded by the triple curse of the mosquito and the black and deer flies. If pressed for a fourth curse I could add the ubiquitous and ever-so-innocent poison ivy. Yet, in its never-ending balancing act, nature offers us too the pleasure of the subtle pastels of the water lilies and the assertive, brilliant red of the cardinal flowers hugging the shorelines.

I have seen countless miles of disintegrating snake fences that enclosed the fields of the pitiable families who once tried to farm the often intractable surface of The Land Between. Yet there are areas, or perhaps “pockets”, within the larger landscape that are productive, such as the river bottom where I spent two or three years of my long-gone youth  on my knees in a market garden weeding endless rows of carrots. I am still at it in my own little two-by-four garden with its few inches of topsoil over who knows how many yards of glacial debris. Although never a lumber baron, I have used the zone’s forest resources, employing local species to build all my boats – sturdy white oak, fragrant cherry, white cedar, locust and pine. And like thousands of others, as a cottager I have drawn in the cooling air of one of the many lakes that dot the landscape of The Land Between.

Like my fellow octogenarians I have seen the changes that transformed both The Land Between and the larger world: from horse and buggy to car, truck and tractor; the end of steam; and at the zone’s western limit the disappearance of the Great Lakes’ freighters from inshore service; and gone too are the steersman’s ‘toots’ to the kids as we crossed courses on our way up the Bay.

There it is, then! With the reading of a slim volume over the space of a few hours, I suddenly saw anew a landscape which hitherto had consisted of disparate elements : this birthplace, that heritage site, this colonization road, that wetland, this secluded anchorage. But THE LAND BETWEEN gives form to a large integrated landscape in which for me there is embedded a lifetime of experiences, perceptions, memories, impressions; a landscape with which I have had a complex, enduring relationship and in which I have invested so much of my time and my physical, emotional and intellectual energy. When people speak of roots and a sense of belonging it is this sort of relationship they must be talking about.

So the next time I meet a stranger and he asks me who I am, what are my roots, where I am from, I will answer, “I am from The Land Between. I am a ‘Tweener’ .”

Eric Jackson is the former head of History at Kenner Collegiate and Former
Director of the Laurentian Project (Canada Studies Foundation) He has given
me permission to send this to you and I have copied him above. He was born
in Warsaw On. and lives in Peterborough. I think his work captures a “sense of place” and the heart of the Land Between region. Trust you will think so as well. (Sumbitted by Wayne and Linda)

What’s “woolly” Cool About the Caterpillars Crossing the Road? 

Have you noticed those hairy caterpillars crossing roads recently and wondered, what are they and why are they crossing the road?

These hairy caterpillars are known as woolly bear caterpillars and average to be about 2 inches in length and consist of rust-and-black bands.

Well it’s that time of year! Like many species, woolly bears are inching across the road or your driveway to locate a spot to overwinter. But to survive winters, Woolly Bears have a unique adaptation: they spend most of their lives frozen! They are found in places like Canada and Greenland, and they survive here by freezing for the winter. That’s right! Woolly’s have a type of an antifreeze in their blood and they slow their hearts down enough that they almost stop pumping.  But in order to survive in these extremes, the caterpillar needs to gather enough food by eating leaf litter during the autumn months.  Then these caterpillars look for places under rocks, rotting logs and the existing leaf litter to freeze; one of many reasons not to rake your leaves this fall!  (For more reasons not to rake the lawn, check out our blog “Leave the Leaves”).

In the spring, these guys emerge again and “defrost”. While they look warm and cozy, they actually need to bask in order to grow enough to enter chrysalis and they spend a lot of their time on roads and rocks soaking up the sun.

Also, while these insects appear to look almost cuddly soft and woolly, as the name suggests, this is a species you’re not going to want to touch! Woolly bears have tiny barbs (stinging hairs used as a common defense mechanism to dissuade predators) at the tips of their coat that can break off and irritate your skin, thus inducing a rash.

Another interesting thing about the species, is that they live longer than any other caterpillar; up to 14 years, but once they reach adulthood/turn into a moth, they only live 24 hours in order to lay eggs, before they die.

Fun fact! The woolly bear is the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth.

 

Myths, Demystified

 There are many myths surrounding our woolly friends that seem to appear everywhere in the fall, whether you see them taking over roadways, your lawns, the trees in your yard or even your front doorstep. If you ask around you may hear funny stories; such as that these furry friends predict the severity of upcoming winters through the amount of black ‘fur’ they have or even their direction of travel. This myth came about in 1948 from a small study completed by Dr. Howard Curran in which he traveled (with reporters I may add) to Bear Mountain, New York, where he counted the bands on a mere 15 specimens and made a prediction about the upcoming winter which happened to go “1948-style viral” and was picked up by New York Herald Tribune and later by national press.

 

The fact of the matter is that these cute critters do not actually predict the weather for the upcoming winter. The changes and differences in their coat are really an indicator of the previous season’s growth, their age, and how well they have been feeding. The better the season, the more the caterpillars will grow, which then leads to narrower rust-coloured banding and more black throughout their body!

 

Are you a lover of the woolly bear? Then check out a woolly bear festival near you!

• Vermilion, Ohio, in October, begun in 1973, the woolly bear Festival features woolly bear costume contests for children and pets and the woolly bear 500 caterpillar races.
• Banner Elk, North Carolina, begun in 1977, features crafts, food, and races. The winning woolly bear predicts the winter weather for the following winter.
• Beattyville, Kentucky, begun 1987, called the Woolly Worm Festival, features food, vendors, live music, and a Woolly Worm Race in which people race the woolly bear caterpillar up vertical strings.
• Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in early fall, begun in 1997, featuring crafts for kids, food, games, a pet parade, and a Weather Prognostication Ceremony.
• Oil City, Pennsylvania, Woolly Bear Jamboree, begun in 2008, features Oil Valley Vick to predict the winter weather. Though some may have hoped he could someday draw a crowd similar to Punxsutawney Phil, Oil Valley Vick made his first and only prognostication in 2008.
• Lion’s Head, Ontario, it has been held for two years now to rival Wiarton Willie.
• Little Valley, New York has held a Woolly Bear Weekend since 2012.

WE hope to hold a Woolly Bear Bonanza in 2020! If you’d like to participate or have woolly cool ideas, contact us at The Land Between info@thelandbetween.ca

 

References:

https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/wild-profile-meet-the-woolly-bear-caterpillar/

 

https://www.weather.gov/arx/woollybear

 

https://extension.purdue.edu/article/30712

 

https://ccswoollybearcaterpillarbaum1.weebly.com/information.html

Bracebridge – On Friday September 27, the same day as the Climate strikes, another topical meeting took place. Local MPP Norman Miller, and Muskoka District Chair John Klinck, with OTF Grant Review Team member Patricia Arney stopped in to a local venue in Muskoka to hear about the direction that will be taken for a new ecolabel program, called Blue Lakes. The Blue Lakes project aims to award landowners and lake associations who demonstrate excellence in stewarding our precious and limited aquatic resources.

A 12-month SEED grant was awarded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2018, which allowed a collaborative group to shape and test the program. The pilot year concludes in October and with some promising results.

MPP Norman Miller said “Muskoka’ s lakes are the heart and soul of Muskoka.  While many of us greatly enjoy them, it is important that we recognize that our presence on these lakes has an impact on the whole ecosystem.  By being conscious of our actions and making responsible decisions surrounding our use and enjoyment of these lakes, we can make sure that their inherent value is protected, ensuring that many generations to come will also be able to enjoy them.  I am pleased to see this collaborative effort, headed by The Land Between charity and Watersheds Canada, actively engaging residents and visitors alike in environmental stewardship.  I commend everyone for their hard work and dedication.”

The Blue Lakes steering committee represents 50 lakes from Muskoka and municipalities across the region, as well as experts from the lead agency of The Land Between charity, and also Watersheds Canada, University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Trent University. The group lead the development of many program features, provided review, and helped to pilot the program across the region. The group sample more than 350 lake community landowners across the region to estimate the need and desire for the program and to find out how the program may fare if launched fully.

“The result of this year’s research and experience has shown us that there is a strong need and desire for the program across most lake associations. This is because the Blue Lakes program has the potential to create shared values across lake communities and protect the environment and resources that we love, and all while buttressing property values,” said Leora Berman, COO and Founder of The Land Between charity and The Blue Lakes Program.

The program is based on the well-established Blue Flag Program, which is an ecolabel provided to marinas and beaches around the world to recognize their environmental stewardship. An ecolabel is a “seal” or label that assists the market to identify products or services as being less harmful to the environment than others. Ecolabels help consumers make environmentally responsible choices and encourages improvements and sets standards. The Blue Flag program began 1987 and fourty years later it has been adopted by more than 3000 beaches and marinas in 36 countries.

Blue Lakes, like Blue Flag, is a voluntary program that seeks to balance recreation with conservation. The Blue Lakes, however focuses entirely on behaviours and creates a standard of excellence for individuals to strive for.

The Blue Lakes ecolabel program provides a template for action and education. It is a label and a portfolio of tools, resources, and activities that can be tailored to each lake’s needs. For instance, the program provides educational opportunities, forums, and in-kind support for naturalization or lake-wide projects to improve lake health. The program also provides access to a comprehensive database and app that tracks lake health.

Lakes are the source of our wealth and our health. Our actions determine whether lakes will thrive or even rebound from Climate Change effects. Individual actions make a difference, but as a community, we can protect our most precious resource. The Blue Lakes program, creates the platform for community and cooperation.

Check out www.bluelakes.ca for more details about the program and to find out how to enroll.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $108 million to 629 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.

 

Quick Facts:

 

• The Land Between bioregion, is a distinct and important landscape that stretches from Georgian Bay to the Ottawa Valley
• There are over 2700 lakes in this region, and 10% of these are cold water sensitive lake trout lakes
• More than 15% of all lake trout lakes have over 75% shoreline development
• Development is increasing rapidly meanwhile controls/legal protection is primarily left to municipalities with limited resources, through their site plan controls and bylaw enforcement.
• Few standards exist to manage and protect lake health across Ontario.
• Approximately 75% of natural process (spawning, fish and wildlife foraging, fish nursery habitats, water filtration etc.) within a lake occur at the shoreline
• Ecolabels are known to raise awareness of all stakeholders involved; improve environmental performance in areas where improvement is most needed; minimize potential for environmental infractions and fines; increase confidence with government, community, residents etc.; provide environmental information so informed choices can be made

The Land Between bioregion is virtually the last intact wilderness left in southern Ontario, and as such is a final refuge for many common species in Ontario such as the black bear, moose, river otter, osprey and ruby throated hummingbird. And it is the last stronghold for 57 Federally listed species at risk and an additional 30 listed provincially, including the Blanding’s turtle, Loggerhead Shrike, Common Nighthawk, Little Brown Bat, Western Chorus Frog, Eastern Ribbon snake, Five Lined Skink and more…

Because of its diversity, richness, but also it’s physiographic features, the Land Between provides a wealth of ecosystem services that support the health and vitality of both southern Ontario and northern Ontario, and especially during Climate Change. “This region is a land of hope. It has buffering capacity against Climate Change that no other area in Ontario can match, and it will support our well-being and that of our children into the future, but only if it remains intact” explains Leora Berman, Founder and Chief Officer of the Land Between charity, a non-government organization that bears the same name as the region it cares for.

Both The Land Between bioregion and the charity received due recognition and also support in a grant awarded by Environment Canada, as one of only 15 areas across Canada chosen under the Community-Nominated Priority Places program. The Land Between, however, received special attention in the media release:

From the Environment Canada website (https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canada-funds-52-new-projects-to-protect-and-recover-species-at-risk-880076738.html):

Canada is working closely with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, and other partners on a new approach to species conservation. Through partnership, we will achieve long-lasting and sustainable protection and recovery of species at risk.

Funded projects include 15 community-nominated priority places. In each community, multiple partners will take action together to protect and recover species at risk. These projects will complement ongoing species at risk conservation in 11 priority places already identified by federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

One of the projects under the Community-Nominated Priority Places program targets The Land Between bioregion. It covers almost 3 million hectares, from Georgian Bay to the Ottawa Valley. This project (in collaboration with 10 partners) is expected to benefit 57 species at risk, including the little brown bat, the eastern (Algonquin) wolf, and the golden-winged warbler. Details on other projects will be released over the coming months, as agreements with local partners are finalized.

“As a grassroots and non-government charity, we are very honoured to be awarded this capacity. We take this opportunity seriously and will work to ensure it translates into meaningful solutions and protection of our natural capital-wildlife and biodiversity to benefit all,” said Leora. “We will be using agile, innovative mapping and integrative and strategic planning, but equally importantly, we will use a collaborative and community approach to achieve many of our goals under this grant, working directly with landowners for all species, but especially when it comes to Algonquin Wolf.”

Leora has expressed that both herself, and her Board of Directors which is made up of local landowners, seasonal cottage owners, and First Nations, have trepidation about the approach taken within the Algonquin Wolf Recovery strategy. “While what has been done so far is the best available science, there are outstanding questions. More attempts to gather local knowledge could be made. The strategy also does not seem to sufficiently explore the behavior, biology and impact of the hybrid species, the coy-wolf.” Leora goes on to explain that she has heard many concerns expressed by hunters and trappers throughout the region and even to the north, that the hybrid coy-wolf may be negatively affecting beaver populations and other food sources, on which wolves depend. And this may be significant because, if true, the coy-wolf may not only impact wolves in this way but wildlife species at all levels of the food chain. Leora says she has also heard many other accounts to be heeded and concerns over wetland habitat in general that need to be considered. “We would like to get a picture of what is happening on the landscape from those that live on the landscape and then we can compare notes with the science and see where it may complement, and where it may inform the science.”

The Land Between will therefore be calling for and convening local “Talking Circles” to focus on the wolf issue. Talking Circles are an ancient and democratic way of dialogue and decision-making that ensures that everyone has a chance to be heard. Talking Circles have been used effectively by the charity in past projects to understand the state of the resource across the region, and according to Leora, they are needed more and more; “Community meetings, public engagement, and listening to local knowledge seem to be falling by the wayside in our modern and fast-paced arenas”. These circle-meetings will be held across the region for landowners to share accounts of what they are witnessing on the land. “Most biologists that we have consulted with recognize that the largest limiting factor for an apex predator such as the wolf is habitat. Therefore, we will be focusing on habitat restoration and conservation in corridor and buffer areas, but, we will explore all facets of the equation in order to move forward with other meaningful actions.”

In addition to strategic mapping, planning, and “wolf-circles”, Leora says that landowners can expect opportunities to emerge from the effort including ways in which people can become involved in Citizen Science or habitat management, from turtle road surveys, to bird bio-blitzes, angler diaries and invasive species control teams. She also says to expect some direct support in the form of site visits as well as habitat monitoring, stewardship and restoration plans for individual landowners. Berman expresses however, the need for patience because, “there is a ton of work to do and in a very little time!”  The Federal grant extends until March 2021.

Join us for our Annual General Meeting on August 27th from 2 to 5 pm at the new Land Between Field Office and Turtle Guardian Headquarters in Haliburton. Located at 6712 Gelert Road, next to the Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association and Hatchery.

The Annual General Meeting will review all the work and achievements of 2018, will include presentations from field staff on our Turtle Reasearch, and will employ a Traditional Talking Circle to help decipher and choose the road ahead.

This event is open to the public. Please RSVP to Leora by calling 705-457-1222 or emailing info@thelandbetween.ca