Brant Chapter: AGM and Woodlot Tour

AGM and Woodlot Tour

This year’s AGM and woodlot tour will be held at Ruthven Park just north of the town of Cayuga in Haldimand County. We have reserved the meeting hall from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. so we will be able to meet rain or shine. Ruthven Park is an old Ontario estate founded by the Thompson family from Scotland and held by them until the 1990s. The buildings and 1476 acre property was donated by the family to be managed by The Lower Grand River Land Trust and is now the Ruthven Park National Historic Site.

At 10:30 join the woodland tour when staff will lead a walking tour of a section of the extensive Slough Forest. For those who wish to see the house we have arranged for an 11:00 guided tour of the main floor of the mansion. In keeping with the theme of Hallowe’en the mansion will be decorated for a Victorian funeral.

Following the tours a beef on the bun lunch will be served at about noon. Please bring a suggested donation of $5.00 to help cover costs.

The AGM will begin at 12:45 p.m. Our featured speaker will be Shelby Grohn of Bluebird Environmental. Shelby will speak on fluvial geomorphology of urbanized watersheds and will make connections between her stream-based research and vegetation, particularly trees, focussing on their role in stream restoration and management of such watersheds. This topic easily translates to a rural environment. Bring your thoughts and questions for Shelby.

Other speakers will include Haldimand County Forester Adam Chamberlin on Haldimand County forests as well as reports on timber markets and on tree health.

10:00 a.m.— Coffee

10:30 a.m. — Woodland tour option

11:00 a.m. — Mansion tour option

Noon — Beef on a bun lunch

12:45 p.m. — Guest speakers and AGM

2:00 p.m. — Adjournment

We hope to see you for some good old woodlot networking and fellowship.