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A Day in the Woods to Celebrate May | Ken Reid Conservation Area

May 1, 2018 By Brittany 1 Comment

Happy May & Beltane!

It’s such a relief to be at the midway point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. Now, as the year is unfolding, nature becomes more magical and warm and blooming with life. Warm summer nights are around the corner, and adventures await.

We had an especially lovely First of May because it was very warm out, like a summer day, but without the uncomfortable heat. It was just perfect. Here in Ontario, our landscape has not become green and lively yet but that will all happen this month.

I spent the day with my mother and we decided to go hiking in the Ken Reid Conservation area in the Kawartha Lakes region. We were out for the whole afternoon in the woods which flew by so quickly. It was such a nice way to bring in the new season and spend quality time together.

This is the map of the trails in the park, and we wanted to get to the very point on the blue trail so we could look out at the lake.

The Point Trail is mostly a cedar-wooded area.

We arrived at the point of the peninsula, where there is a little resting shelter facing the lake.

The view of the lake was so pretty, especially on a day like today.

Being here reminded me of going to our cottage which we longer have, when my sisters and I were children. The sound of the lake, the warm breeze, scent of cedar and the sounds of the ducks and fish in the water … very nostalgic.

On our way back, we stopped at the beach area on the other side of the peninsula. It is a natural beach and there is a children’s park there. It was beautiful, truly what a Canadian summer feels like.

I would definitely come back.

Cheers to summertime fun <3

The Arrival of Spring

April 26, 2018 By Brittany Leave a Comment

Finally Spring has arrived here in Southern Ontario.

I’ve been eagerly waiting for things to start popping up, as this is the first year I set out on a mission to catch some new plant growth as it happens.

We had an especially long winter this year, with a snowfall and ice storm in April. For the first time in my life it was cold, wet and snowy on my birthday, April 17th. So it has been an especially long wait!

I’ve deliberately walked along the same trails since the Fall in order to observe changes in nature and the plants. February, March and the beginning of April were a very long wait for anything interesting to happen. But then suddenly, I would say within 24 hours of our very first warm day, young sprouts are coming up everywhere as if by magic.

I have never noticed before how quickly these things happen! It’s really so delightful.

The violets and nettles that I have been dreaming about are here. These are both edible plants, and if I was in an area that wasn’t a popular dog-walking trail in the city, then I would forage some to eat.

Also Coltsfoot is one of the very first signs of Spring. They resemble dandelions. It’s so nice to see them finally appearing along the river.

I also saw bees among the scilla flowers! These flowers are a garden-escape species and they actually come up pretty early, before the last frost.

Life has regenerated and nature is alive again with new energy.

“The coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.” – Thoreau

Petroglyphs Provincial Park Hiking Trail

June 20, 2017 By Brittany Leave a Comment

The Petroglyphs Provincial Park is located in Woodview Ontario. It is named such because it contains ancient Native American rock carvings believed to have been created before the arrival of Europeans to what is now Canada. It is believed that the carvers were from Algonquian speaking groups.

Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures of the rock carvings. The images depict animals, people and boats. The rock carving site and park is considered a spiritually sacred location.

The hiking trails pass through forests that are beautiful and wild with such a diversity of flora and fauna. The latter I didn’t see much of except for a large snake and huge broken turtle shell.

They warn you to keep chatting and making noise while on your hike, because if you’re quiet you might run into a bear who didn’t hear you coming. And they do not like surprises!

If you come to this park, bring bug spray! You will need it. I was also glad I wore full length leggings.

We hiked along the Nanabush trail which passes through mixed forests and wetland and around a lake with stunning views.

Some interesting looking plant growth …

A large broken turtle shell …

On our way out, we stopped to see McGinnis Lake – one of the only meromictic lakes in Canada, meaning that the thermal layers of water do not mix, resulting in a beautiful coloration. I was really glad we stopped to see this lake even though I was tired.

I really recommend going to see it if you visit this park. If you pack a light snack to have after hiking, this would be a nice place to enjoy it and rest up after the hike.

Have you been to Petroglyph Park? Where are your favorite places to hike in Ontario?

Forage + Tea

May 15, 2017 By Brittany Leave a Comment

This past Sunday my mom, sister and I attended a Mother’s Day “Forage & Tea” event hosted at Headwaters Farm, a permaculture cooperative and education centre located in the beautiful rolling hills of Northumberland County.

We were taken on a tour of the property and shown various wild plants that can be used for nutritional, medicinal and utilitarian purposes and then afterwards we were served a tea.

The foraging portion was led by Erin and Tyler, founders of Foragers Farm, who partner with Headwaters on the their eco-friendly and sustainable farm.

We had a great time to say the least, even though the weather was very temperamental. All day there were intermittent rain showers, but luckily it was quite mild out. Personally, I love rain on warm days as it always makes the natural world seem mystical.

The farm was certainly stunning to see in that kind of weather.

We walked around the 120 acre property for about two hours but it seemed much shorter since there was consistently something new to learn.

It was an excellent introduction to wild plants in this area. Just enough to get a taste about how much more there is to learn, because there is definitely so much. It’s funny that we are surrounded by potential food and medicine right in our backyards but most of us are oblivious to it.

We identified many different plants, but here are just a few pictures. Please note that none of this is meant to be taken as advice to forage. Always consult with an expert on safe harvesting, preparation and use of wild plants.

This here is Colt’s Foot, one of the first spring flowers to bloom.

Wild grape.

The young leaves of a Basswood tree.

Most people recognize pine trees but may not know that White Pine needles can be boiled for a tea.

We walked through a beautiful grove.

When we arrived back at the house there was a tea ready for us. It was so good and exceeded our expectations. The dandelion fritters and wild leek scones were exceptional. This was the best tea I have had so far, as it was like a healthy version of the standard high tea. Instead of orange pekoe, we had stinging nettle tea or mint tea. The stinging nettle was amazing and I hope to make it myself sometime soon.

If you’re looking for something nice to do this Summer in Southern Ontario, Headwaters Farm is definitely a nice visit.

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