MAPLE has changed in the past year…

Since 1987, MAPLE has taken fall cuttings of the best indigenous shoreline shrubs such as Red Osier Dogwood, Virginia Creeper, Meadowsweet and Shrubby Willow. Year after year, hundreds of new cuttings were kept in cold storage for the winter and planted each spring. Tender loving care and Mother Nature turned them into tens of thousands of new shrubs that were distributed and replanted on lake and river shorelines across Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec from our nursery operation on Christie Lake near Perth, Ontario.

The owner of the nursery land needed the property for other purposes and we were obliged to reduce the scale of the operation and eventually, in the spring of 2008, to stop producing and distributing shoreline shrubs. We are hoping to reopen and restart the shrub nursery at some point in the future on a new piece of watershed property depending on the wishes and energy of MAPLE volunteers. At the moment, we’re all taking a bit of a breather….

Unfortunately, we cannot supply the necessary shrubs and shoreline plants that riparian landowners have come to expect and want. It makes lake protection just a little more challenging than in past years when the shrubs were so easily available for shoreline planting and naturalization.

The closest nursery that supplies native Canadian shrubs of similar quality is Ferguson Forest Centre, Kemptville, Ontario — 613-258-0110.

In the meantime, we invite you to browse through the good information available on this website including information on programs, plant species and conducting a shoreline inventory or classification on your own lake.

And, this summer in time for fall cutting season, watch for publication of Your Own Personal Guide to Taking Fall Cuttings and turning them into your own little nursery of shoreline shrubs for use on your own lake or river shore. Watch for announcements of availability.

   

What is MAPLE Inc.?

MAPLE, the Mutual Association for the Protection of Lake Environment in Ontario, is a non-profit environmental organization incorporated in 1987 to promote the preservation of the natural lake environments. Through the maintenance of existing natural shorelands and wetlands, it promotes the restoration and enhancement of waterfronts by encouraging natural regeneration and initiating revegetation of shoreland.

MAPLE is funded through membership fees, private and public donations and special project funding through local and provincial government for surveys and individual planting programs. MAPLE works with individuals, lake associations, environmental groups, business and government agencies primarily through the following three interdependent programs;

a) Shoreland Inventory and Classification
b) Shoreland Restoration (temporarily unavailable)
c) Nursery Operation (temporarily unavailable)
d) MAPLE 10

 
a) Shoreland Inventory and Classification
The purpose of the Shoreland Classification Program is to survey the present state of a lake shoreland and outline the corrective action required on a property by property basis. This is achieved by mapping and photographing the shoreline, classifying it into homogenous zones, and recommending restorative action. Recommendations will vary from “total revegetation required,” to “leave in present natural state,” to “recommend enhancement of the existing vegetative cover.” Click here for Shoreline Classification Survey Manual.		 b) Shoreland Restoration
MAPLE makes native shrubs and plants available to participating associations and groups for pick-up from its Nursery.Assistance from MAPLE (and from associated Conservation Authorities for required plantings through “development” applications) is free of charge to members for regeneration of shoreland environments. Currently, red osier dogwood, meadowsweet, willow (shrubby variety) and virginia creeper are provided to participating Lake Associations and property owners who volunteer at the nursery or take part in the inventory and regeneration programs.
   
c) Nursery Opeation
MAPLE cultivates indigenous plants and shrubs at it’s Christie Lake Shoreland Restoration Nursery in the Perth/Rideau lakes area of Eastern Ontario. Volunteers assist in the operation of the nursery propagating plant cuttings from mature shrubs. Shrubs are available free of cost (in exchange for “time donated”) to participating member lake associations and individuals for planting along devegetated sections of shoreland. In some circumstances, monetary donations are made in lieu of time donations.

d) MAPLE 10
An immediate start to shoreline restoration, for more information, click here!

MAPLE 10 Program: an immediate start to shoreline restoration, for more information, click here!

MAPLE Also continues to develop an ongoing public awareness program to educate citizens of practical, common sense ways to protect, maintain and restore natural shoreland environments.

Septic system surveys, fisheries and wetlands management schemes, municipal land use plans (Official Plans and Zoning By-laws), provincial and even federal planning and policy initiatives complement the "hands-on" MAPLE work.

Retaining natural vegetation on the shoreline, or restoring degraded shorelines is still the most important fundamental first step toward maintaining and conserving a healthy natural lake.

Ontario is blessed with a great number of beautiful lake areas. People are drawn to lakeshore environments to live, for leisure and for sport. Lake and river shorelines also provide the most important base of habitat for land and water based flora and fauna. The lake provides people with the opportunity to get in touch with nature. However, pollution of lake waters is a widespread and increasing problem. In addition, the removal of natural vegetation from the shoreland and the filling-in of shore waters by waterfront owners has played a significant role in the deterioration of our lake environments.