This will be a very interesting tour. Fellow member Bert Brouwer is a retired tobacco farmer who manages 150 ac of woodlot near Aylmer, Ontario for timber and firewood production. He has produced maple syrup in the past and planted a plantation of hard maple many years ago with the aim of eventually using it for maple syrup production. He is struggling to control spice bush as it has become invasive in his woodlot.
Please join us!
Organized by: Westwind Forest Stewardship
Participants will meet at the Lake of Bays Community Centre Arena at 10 AM on Thursday, May 28 for introductions, overview, and handouts. We will then carpool, leaving extra vehicles at the Lake of Bays Community Centre, then travel to the site to learn about silviculture systems, hawk nest protection, and basal area measurement. Afterwards, we'll drive to Dorset Beach Park for a washroom break and lunch (pack your own lunch). After lunch, we'll visit a beech study site to discuss Beech Bark Disease and management strategies. The day concludes at the final field site, with a return to Baysville for those that carpooled.
This field tour follows up on the March 2026 presentation by Javier Cappella, RPF, Silviculture on Crown Land in Muskoka, during Woodlands Appreciation Week.
Things to note:
Detailed Agenda:
Meet at the Lake of Bays Community Centre Arena, 10AM, Thursday May 28
Address: 10 University St, Baysville, ON P0B 1A0
Drive to Harvest Block, RIDMTM1a
Silviculture in forest management. (RIDMTM1a)
Drive to Dorset Beach Park
Dorset Beach Park
Drive to Beech Study Site
Beech Study Site
Drive to Baysville
FOREST HEALTH MEETING
Our annual Forest Health meeting will be held on the evening of Wednesday JUNE 03, 2026 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Oro Guthrie arena/community centre (Line 4 Oro-Medonte at Hwy 11 southbound intersection).
CALEB SUROWIAK will do an awareness presentation about Oak Wilt and Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, two invasive species that are an imminent threat to our woodlots.
DAVID HAWKEwill host a panel discussion about the OWA’s “Forest Climate Resilience course”, an extremely informative offering that has been attended by several Huronia members. Doug Frost, Sandy Agnew, Ruth Henderson and David have taken this course and will share some of their resulting plans to manage their woodlots in a climate changing era.
Chainsaw Safety and Cutting Techniques
Do you operate a chainsaw as part of your work, or as a hobby?
Chainsaws are one of the most useful tools in a woodlot owner’s toolbox, but chainsaws are also one of the most dangerous tools a worker can use.
This one-day course is being offered in partnership between Norfolk Woodlot Owners Association and Norfolk County. The course is designed to educate personnel who use a chainsaw about safety, maintenance, use and handling. Participants will gain an understanding of what contributes to accidents and how to avoid them.
Hands on and practical work, including bucking and limbing, understanding compression and tension and dealing with spring poles will be coached and practiced in this course. Notching and back cutting will be introduced for small tree felling of 6" dbh or smaller trees. There is a strong focus on personal safety, risk assessment and accident prevention.
Training and developing skills that reduce variables and mitigate risks associated with chainsaws and cutting techniques is the focus of this training.
Course Outline:
Date: Saturday June 6, 2026
Time: 9am to 4pm with working lunch (Bring your own lunch.)
Venue: Norfolk County Shop, 8 Schellburg Ave, Simcoe, ON N3Y 2J4
Cost: $100 for NWOA members and $130 for non NWOA members. This includes coffee and snacks for the day but no lunch. Please bring your own lunch.
RSVP: Be sure to reserve your place (There is a maximum limit of 15 participants and a minimum of 6) by emailing jdewitt2025@outlook.com if you wish to attend. We will confirm receiving your email upon receiving it and notify you at the beginning of May with any updates or as they happen.
Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) Gathering of Friends
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
08:00 - 9:00 - Arrive and mingle 09:00 - 12:30 - Program 12:30 - Lunch
08:00 - 9:00 - Arrive and mingle
09:00 - 12:30 - Program
12:30 - Lunch
The agenda is similar to previous years and will be shared closer to the event.
Pre-registration is required by June 11, 2026. Contact us at info@ontariowoodlot.com or (613) 713-1525 if you need assistance.
FALL FIELD DAY
Tentatively set for Saturday September 26 (confirmations will be sent out in August).
Ruth Henderson has offered her property in Oro-Medonte as a possible site to visit. She and her partner have been actively managing their property and can share some experiences and insights.
Also (tentatively) will be a demonstration about bio-char production. This is a newer method that is gaining popularity amongst woodlot managers as brush and limbs too small for firewood can be converted to “black gold” as charcoal fertilizer.
WHITE PINE AWARD
Mark your calendars for the evening of Thursday November 12th to attend the annual White Pine Award presentation. Please submit nominations to any Huronia Board member! More info to come.
Ontario Woodlot Association
10 Campus Dr., Unit 4
Kemptville, Ontario
K0G 1J0
Phone: 613-713-1525 Email: info@ontariowoodlot.com
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