Monthly Archive

Plan ahead to avoid fall colour crowds at Foley Mountain

WESTPORT, Sept. 22, 2021 – Foley Mountain’s Spy Rock lookout is a popular fall destination at the best of times, but this year staff are preparing for record crowds as pandemic-weary residents search for safe ways to enjoy the season’s splendour. 

Staff will be monitoring the volume of cars at peak times and turning vehicles away if necessary to manage crowds and line-ups. Spy Rock lookout will be limited to 25 people at a time, and visitors will be encouraged to use auxiliary parking at the Interpretive Centre and other areas of the park to ease congestion.

Site supervisor Rebecca Whitman said Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest time of the year, with weekends on either side of the holiday also attracting large crowds. 

She said guests can help ensure their visit goes smoothly by following these tips: 

• Arrive during off-peak times (ex. early morning, mid-week)
• Bring coins instead of credit cards for the pay machine, or use PayByPhone.com (location code 5204)
• Be prepared to hike to the lookout from auxiliary parking
• Have a backup plan if you’re turned away, especially if you’re coming from out of town
• Pack a picnic and enjoy other parts of the park, not just the lookout (read up on three alternative fall hikes here: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/beyond-spy-rock-three-fabulous-fall-hikes-at-foley-mountain)
• Bring a mask for crowded areas and stay home if you’re feeling unwell. 

For fall colour maps and park information visit www.rvca.ca/foley-fall-colours. For the most up-to-date information follow our Facebook pages at @FoleyMountain and @RideauValleyConservationAuthority or follow RVCA on Twitter at @RideauValleyCA.

You can also contact  with specific questions. 

-30-

Lanark County giveaway offers triple the trees

LANARK COUNTY, Sept. 15, 2021 — After a long wait, Lanark County is once again hosting a free tree giveaway this fall – with nearly three times as many trees available. 

The county will offer 3,000 free trees on Sat. Sept. 25 at the Lanark County Perth Garage on Christie Lake Road. The drive-through event will allow residents to take home up to 10 native trees including red pine, white pine, tamarack, white birch, yellow birch and white cedar. Trees will be available from 9 am to 12 p.m. while supplies last.

Event organizer Michelle Vala from the county’s Public Works department said the giveaway is an important part of Lanark County’s goal to plant one million trees over 10 years as part of its climate action plan.

“We’re using these trees to store more carbon, to help the county become more resilient to climate change,” Vala said.  

The effort dovetails perfectly with the RVCA’s commitment to watershed resiliency through tree planting and other stewardship efforts. Along with carbon sequestration, trees can help reduce floods and droughts, manage erosion, create wildlife habitat and contribute to more vibrant communities. 

The county first partnered with RVCA for the giveaway in June 2020, but due to pandemic restrictions had not been able to host other events until now. A spring giveaway in May 2021 was cancelled due to the provincial stay-at-home order.

“I think this will be a very popular event,” Vala said. “The last event in 2020 was well-attended and people have been waiting a long time to come back.”

While ten trees is more than enough for most residents, those with bigger dreams (and bigger properties) may be eligible for the RVCA’s landowner tree planting program, which offers large-scale planting at a fraction of the cost. The RVCA plants about 90,000 trees in Lanark County each year through this program, helping to transform idle or marginal land into thriving forests. 

To participate, landowners need a minimum of 1.25 acres and must be willing to plant at least 1,000 trees. This type of work would usually cost an average of $3/tree, but the RVCA’s program only costs $0.15/tree thanks to its generous funding partners. These include Forests Ontario, One Tree Planted, the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation and more. 

The Spring 2022 planting season is booking up fast, so contact our forestry team today to schedule your free site visit. Learn more at www.rvca.ca/stewardship-grants/tree-planting.

-end-

New plaque honours Joe Slater, caretaker of Meisel Woods

CROW LAKE, Sept. 7, 2021 – A new plaque at Meisel Woods Conservation Area pays homage to one of the park’s earliest and most earnest caretakers: Joe Slater. 

Joe and his wife Sandi moved to the village of Crow Lake around 1999 to enjoy a quiet retirement outside the big city. They quickly became good friends with their neighbour, Dr. John Meisel, who owned 130 acres of pristine Precambrian Shield surrounding a small lake.

John graciously welcomed the couple to enjoy walks on his informal trails that followed the lake (called Bass or Beaver Lake depending who you ask), which they embraced as part of their new daily routine.

Even after the property was donated to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation in 2000, in those early years few outsiders visited the property. The Slaters often had it to themselves and cared for it as though it was their own. 

But tragedy struck in May 2003 when Sandi died suddenly, leaving Joe to walk the paths alone. In her memory, John and Joe worked with the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to create the Sandi Slater Memorial Trail later that fall, which Joe diligently maintained until his death in November 2019. 

“Staff from the conservation authority would show up to do some work and find that my dad had already done it,” said Sheryl Slater, Joe’s daughter. 

Joe expanded and formalized the trails around the lake. He used his background in civil engineering and called on old colleagues, including family friend Graydon Knights, to help design the 40-foot bridge at the south end of the lake. His put his son Jeff’s University of Waterloo swim team to work clearing paths and building rock cribs while they were up to train in the lake each summer. 

“My dad really committed himself to it,” Jeff said. “They wanted to give something back to the community and this was the best way he saw that he could do that.” 

Volunteers like Joe are key to making sure such pristine properties can be enjoyed by all watershed residents for decades to come, said RVCA’s Conservation Lands manager Chelsey Ellis. 

“We are delighted to support the installation of this plaque," Ellis said. "It is our small way of thanking Joe for all his hard work – hard work that can never truly be repaid."

But the out-and-back trails are still unfinished. A 3.5-km rugged trail heads south around the lake, while another 1.5-km trail heads north. But due to a wetland at the north end of the lake, they don't connect. Adding a bridge would be a difficult and costly endeavour, but Jeff and Sheryl hope someday to complete the loop so visitors can enjoy more of the beautiful bluffs and lakeshore that their parents came to love. 

For more information about Meisel Woods Conservation Area visit www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas/no-fee-required/meisel-woods-ca. To learn more about donating land or supporting land maintenance through Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation, visit www.rvcf.ca. 

-30-