Into the Forest I Go

If you were driving along Telephone Road this afternoon, and looked south, you would have seen magnificent clouds in the distance rising off of Lake Ontario.

If you looked north, you would have seen this group of people standing in a parking lot next to a forest. You may have wondered, "What the heck are those people doing?"

Well, let me tell you! Somewhere around 30 folks all managed to carve two hours out of their afternoon to be toured through the Laurie Lawson Outdoor Education Centre. This 100 acres of forest was donated to the Northumberland Land Trust 20 years ago by Mary Bedford-Jones. For many years, students from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board have been enjoying outdoor educational experiences in this wooded area.

For the past year or so, this reserve has been closed to the public and the students because of the many dead ash trees on the property. Our good news today was hearing that arborists from The Tree Medic have been cutting down those dangerous dead ashes by the hundreds. I was sad seeing this huge ash stump. The arborist who cut it down was on today's walk and he said that it was 134 years old.

I always enjoy Land Trust walks. Everyone is friendly. And, how could you not have a smile on your face in the midst of all that beauty?

There is a board walk that goes into the middle of a vernal pond. Just think of the kids who will do their pond research projects on this boardwalk in future years.

Even though the trees were only cut down in the past few weeks, animals were already finding new ways to use them. Hmmmm.... what a nice little highway. A little difficult to balance on, but the view is lovely.

There were interesting lichen on dead branches...

.... and the odd burst of colour from a few Tamarack trees.

And, there's the evidence of the culprits behind the devastation we were viewing: Emerald Ash Borers' tunnels, just under the tree's bark.

Such a small larvae causing so much destruction.

As we neared the end of our tour, I imagined future walkers enjoying this place. They will learn about Cobourg Creek which flows through the reserve and wends its way to Lake Ontario. Who knows what else they will learn about and who knows how they will feel having spent a day surrounded by nature? Who knows how their experience in the Laurie Lawson Centre will change the trajectory of their lives? I imagine that some of them will stop and quietly thank Mary Bedford-Jones for having the foresight to donate this woods for their enjoyment.

And, the clouds above Lake Ontario were still there to say goodbye to us as we headed home.

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”

John Muir