FALL 2020

President's Message LISA ETIENNE It was my great pleasure to be able to present the Lifetime Volunteer Award to Margaret Kalogeropoulos in her beautiful backyard on Sunday July 5th and the Volunteer of the Year Award to Rick Waters after a Thursday hike in Jordan on July 23rd. Certainly, I would have preferred to present the awards at our AGM in April, but we all know nothing is proceeding as planned this year. I was also able to give a small gift of appreciation from the club to Margaret Northfield for setting up the AGM online. Continued on Page 2

| The Grapevine Fall 2020 2020-2021 NBTC From Page One Board of Directors What a relief when we • PRESIDENT Lisa Etienne received the great news on • PAST PRESIDENT June 2nd that most of the Trail Debbie Demizio had reopened. It didn’t take • VICE-PRESIDENT Alicia Aitchison long for word to spread and • CLUB SECRETARY to see groups of five hiking Janet Davey regularly. In July, when the • CLUB TREASURER Marinus Koole province moved into Stage 2 • PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PUBLICITY and groups of ten were DIRECTOR permitted, the BTC got to Margaret Northfield • LAND STEWARDSHIP DIRECTOR work immediately to update Vince Zvonar the hiking calendar with an • TRAIL MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR online waiver. Huge thank Rick Waters • LAND SECUREMENT SECRETARIAT you to Alan Laver for setting DIRECTOR the example for how to Craig Church schedule a hike so that • LANDOWNER RELATIONS/LSS ALTERNATE everyone who wanted to hike Klari Kalkman was accommodated. They • BTC BOARD REPRESENTATIVE were scheduled into Corrie Kellestine • MEMBERSHIP/VOLUNTEER staggered groups of ten with a leader for each group, sometimes with COORDINATOR different start locations. A difficult task that he made look easy. George Prins • HIKE COORDINATOR Things are still going to be different for a while. Bruce Trail Day has Alan Laver been moved online and our Annual Landowners Appreciation Dinner • NEWSLETTER EDITOR Kathleen Orth has been cancelled. We will still be reaching out to our Landowners to • ARCHIVIST deliver their beautiful 2021 BTC Wall Calendar and to say thank you for Jean Stephenson-Lucente letting everyone hike the section of the trail that passes through their • SOCIAL CONVENER Diane Marlatt property. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Klari • DIRECTOR AT LARGE Kalkman for volunteering to serve as the Landowners Relations Rhys D. Beak Director. I would also like to thank Kathleen Orth, Wendy NIAGARA BRUCE TRAIL CLUB Larman, and Margaret Northfield for representing our club on EAIL the BTC Membership Task Force. Their EBITE responses were incredibly detailed and ACEB provided vital information and TITTER direction to the task INTAGRA force. 

| The Grapevine Fall 2020 Introducing NBTC’s Landowner Relations Director A GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP Hello fellow BTC members! I’m honoured to contribute to the Club in the A Gift Membership is a great way capacity of Landowner Relations Director, following in the able footsteps of to introduce a friend or family Koosje Stassen. member to the Bruce Trail and the wonders of the Niagara A resident of Niagara for 25 years, I joined the BTC about five years ago, while Escarpment. transitioning from marathons to hikes. Since then, I’ve started notching end- Your gift recipient will receive: to-ends and other badges, as well as multi-day walks, such as Hadrian’s Wall • a welcome package and the Camino de Santiago. I’m hooked! • a personalized card letting I recently retired from the Ministry of Transportation, having served them know of your gift in various areas including operations, finance, HR, communications, strategic • all the benefits of BTC planning and change management. Earlier work includes owning a membership. communications and design business and lecturing in microbiology and • any products you purchase in applied communications at Guelph and Brock. Key volunteer experience the same order as part of the includes chairing the Board of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. gift membership I wish to acknowledge the significant challenges we are living through these You will receive: days. We in Niagara, along with so many other communities across our • a charitable donation tax country and elsewhere, are struggling to keep ourselves and others safe from receipt for the full amount of the scourge of Covid-19. Through collective action, determination, and the gift membership consideration for others, we will persevere. Especially now, the treasure and To order a gift membership, see gift from the past that is the Bruce Trail affords us the enjoyment of nature https://brucetrail.org/membershi while maintaining our mental and physical health. May we keep it so for ps/gift  future generations. 

Klari Kalkman BENEFITS OF NBTC MEMBERSHIP For a membership fee of $50 Spain 2018, annually, you get the quarterly February 2020, at Machu Picchu walking the Camino Frances Bruce Trail Conservancy magazine, NBTC’s quarterly newsletter The Grapevine and unlimited access to the regular hikes. (Special event hikes are an extra charge.) You get a tax receipt for $50, an invitation to special BTC and NBTC events, membership access to the BTC website and voting privileges. NBTC offers opportunities to assist at events, such as Bruce Trail Day. Check out the Niagara Bruce Trail Club’s online Calendar at http://niagarabrucetrail.club/ wp/calendar/ You are welcome to come out on a couple of hikes of your choice to help you decide if NBTC is the group for you. 

T G The night hikes on the Monday closest to the full moon have restarted and you can earn the night hike badge Welcome back to the trails! by participating in two organized night hikes and three independent night hikes in the Niagara region. ALAN LAVER HIKE COORDINATOR Watch out for those hikes that follow some of the side A big welcome back to all! After months of road walking trails, as again this will assist in the completion of the and hiking in small groups, the trails are at last fully Niagara Side Trails Badge. open and the province has moved to Stage 3, which Car Pooling is unlikely to be sanctioned in the allows of 100 or less whilst social distancing. immediate future and therefore we are offering a series The hiking program has been immensely challenging of ten in and out independent end to end hikes which during recent months with unofficial hikes starting will allow hikers to complete the full Niagara section with five people in May and increasing to ten in June. and collect an end to end badge. Most people were desperate to hike on the trail again, Thank you all for your patience and understanding as well as meet up with old friends, and with a lot of during these trying times. Maintain Social Distancing patience and coordination, we were ale to introduce protocols, stay safe, and enjoy our wonderful trails.  multiple unofficial hikes that ensured social distancing practices were followed and hiking buddies were reunited. ~ ~ ~ We have now reached the new normal for the hiking Bruce Trail Reference Guide - Edition 30 program with all hikers required to register online for https://brucetrail.org/store/view/274-bruce-trail-reference- hikes. This replaces the paper sign-up sheet. Changes guide-edition-30 have been made to the online system and hikers are required to include their membership number, an email $34.95 for members, addresses and emergency contact info. In addition, they non-members $39.95 are required to read the BTC Covid guidelines and agree to them. Guests of members are allowed to register; however, they should use the member’s number and their own name. Whilst the provincial guidelines allow us to have up to 100 hikers, we will initially cap hikes to 20 people. This will be at the complete discretion of the hike leader, and, if they are only comfortable with a lower number, then it will be adjusted accordingly. Featuring:  42 topographic maps of the Bruce Trail from The weather in July has been extreme and the hottest to Tobermory (including parking and on record. Hiking the trail does offer some shade but access points, camping locations). unless hikers are adequately prepared with water,  Trail descriptions, kilometre-by-kilometre, for the snack, bug spray and sunscreen, then there is a risk of main Bruce Trail and Side Trails dehydration or heatstroke. Expect the unexpected and  Index Map of the entire Bruce Trail ensure that you are prepared as this will take some of  Introductory sections on the Bruce Trail Conservancy, the burden and responsibility from the hike leader. geology, flora and fauna, Carry a mask and hand sanitizer to give you that extra Indigenous Culture, Trail Safety, Map Information, protection should the need arise. and more The hiking program is beginning to take shape and  Field Guide to Niagara Escarpment Species there are weekly hikes on Tuesday's and Thursdays. The (laminated fold-out) longer hikes start at 8:00am and the shorter hikes at  NEW: Indigenous Cultural Landmarks (identified in 9:00am. For these weekly hikes, you do not need to partnership with Plenty Canada register each week as a single registration should https://www.plentycanada.com/ ) suffice. The hikes will leave on time after the names are  Packaged in a durable six-ring binder. Comes with a checked against the waiver sheet and the hike leader convenient vinyl sleeve that lets you hike with just the will make note of the hikers attending should the need map you need for the day.  for contact tracing arise.

| 4 The Grapevine Fall 2020 Youth Head to the Trail Looking for ways to engage your Hiking: What’s New children or grandchildren with Margaret Northfield nature? Head to the trail and help them to earn a badge at the same PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PUBLICITY DIRECTOR time. We have two youth badges. New Resources on our Hiking Page The Young Trail Blazer badge can Calendar Updates, Badges, General Hike Information, Trail Changes and Trail be earned by completing one hike Safety are resources you will find on our revised Hiking page. Many thanks along the Bruce Trail which is at to Karen Couch for helping with this detailed work. least 3km in length or about 1.5 http://niagarabrucetrail.club/wp/hiking/ hrs. The Young Nature Blazers Badge requires a 90-minute hike New Neck Scarves along the Niagara Bruce Trail. The youth must submit a write-up Keep the sweat from running down your face while using this scarf as a head describing how they used one of band or a cap to keep the sun from beating on your head. In winter it is a their five senses on the hike. We great additional scarf to brave the cold. The black background of the new have recently revamped our neck scarf is adorned with images of the five coveted Niagara Event Badges. Youth Hiking page to include Scarves are only $17 online (includes shipping). You can find the information badge details, hiking logs, on our badges and our donation page. suggested hiking routes and http://niagarabrucetrail.club/wp/badges/ activity resources. Check it out at: http://niagarabrucetrail.club/wp/ youth-hiking/

| The Grapevine Fall 2020

Update on Trail Captains R ATER TRAI AINTENANCE AND DEEOENT Trail Captains, Trail Monitors and Trail Workers are the reason we are able to keep a safe, clean and enjoyable hiking trail for everyone. Our group works hard to keep the Trail in good shape. These Trail Captains that have recently moved out of their positions: Robert Howieson, Victoria Steele, Margaret Northfield, Bill and Jan Sward. We have added New Trail Captains: • Team Diane Marlatt and Lynn Menger - Bradley

Street to Sanitarium Hill • Dave Wilson - Woodend Conservation area • Philip Beale - 19th St to Balls Falls • Brian Welch - Taylor Rd to Glendale Bridge • Marion Hanover - Four Mile Creek to Dorchester

Welcome to new Trail Monitor Stuart Forbes. Thanks to everyone for all the things you do. 

Parking (Trail Access)

Along the length of the Bruce Trail, the re are over 300 access points where the Bruce Trail crosses a road, marked with a Bruce Trail Access Sign. Parking is often nearby. These parking / access points are indicated in the Bruce Trail Reference Guide, Downloadable Maps, and the Bruce Trail App.

Two symbols indicate parking lots or roadside parking: • Red "P" = Parking Lot (at which fees may be charged by landowner, e.g. Provincial Parks, etc.) • Black "P" = Roadside Parking • Places where parking is forbidden are listed in the Reference Guide and Downloadable Maps. Please comply with these warnings. Wherever you park, please use good judgment and park with care. On the roadside, make sure to park where the car is easily visible to vehicles traveling in either direction, and make sure not to obstruct any public or private access routes.

NOTE: • Trail Angel service has been suspended. • Parking at Morningstar Mill or on DeCew Rd has been suspended until further notice. (Map 3, km 33.5, 29 th Ed Reference Guide) 

| The Grapevine Fall 2020 Supporting the Bruce Trail! Marinus Koole NBTC TREASURER As I write this in July, we are starting to get back on the trail in larger groups. I want to take this opportunity to thank those people who made a special donation to support the Trail. In Niagara,, we annually raise $15-20,000 through organized event hikes and activities, most of which were cancelled due to Covid this spring. To continue to maintain and preserve our section of trail so everyone can have access to this beautiful piece of our world, we requested special support and have received over $2500 in donations direct to our Club while others have donated directly to the BTC. Thank you for that! We could not do any of this without your support and encouragement, both as active volunteers and in various other ways. We thank all of those renewing their memberships throughout the year and encourage all of you to invite their friends and neighbours to join our club. We also invite those who have not yet done so, to donate or purchase a tube scarf, directly on From The Grapevine, Winter 2015:: our website at Donate to NBTC. You can also explore other ways to support the Bruce Trail Conservancy directly through various options on their website at Donate BTC direct as we continue preserving Niagara Escarpment land, maintaining our Trail, and making it available for all to explore. 

| The Grapevine Fall 2020 UNESCO Global Geoparks “Celebrating Earth heritage, sustaining local communities” In 1990, the Niagara escarpment achieved the designation of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) world biosphere reserve. It is one of 701 UNESCO designated world biospheres. UNESCO defines a world biosphere as, “a strictly protected area that contributes to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation.” Thirty years on, the Niagara escarpment is well positioned to be considered for the additional designation of UNESCO Global Geopark. Since the inception of the Global Geopark program, UNESCO has designated 161 global geoparks in 44 countries. Most recently in Canada, the Cliffs of Fundy in Nova Scotia was awarded this prestigious Remembering designation. David Waller On July 24 th , Aspiring Global Geopark presented an Submitted by Trudy Senesi online webinar with Professor Patrick McKeever, founder of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network, to speak about global geoparks. David and Barbara Waller became members in 2006 and Professor McKellar simply states that a geopark is, “a place where we joined the NBTC board in 2007 enjoy what the planet has given us.” remaining until 2016. We knew Geoparks have no regulatory authority to restrict development, but we had quite the team! David Professor McKellar outlined the advantages of having the geopark became NBTC Appointee to the designation – prestigious branding, worldwide brand recognition, and BTC Board of Directors, and promotion. Many travellers seek out UNESCO sites when making travel then followed up with Land plans. The aim is that visitors to Niagara would come for more than Stewardship Director, Trail just a day visit to see the , and to experience the beauty of Maintenance (Acting) Director the Niagara escarpment and learn about the local heritage and culture. and Editor of The Grapevine There are four essentials of a UNESCO Global Geopark: newsletter from Summer 2012 to Winter 2015. Just to make sure 1) Geological heritage of international value time was not heavy on his hands, 2) A management plan that provides for the social and economic he was also a Trail Captain, Land needs of the local populations, protects the landscape in which Steward and Hike Leader. On they live, and conserves their cultural identity the social side, he assisted with 3) Visibility – mainly through geo-tourism our Trivia Night fundraisers…. 4) Networking – cooperation with locals and networking with even providing the questions and other geoparks ignoring comments of “too Professor McKellar reminisced about his visit to Niagara last year and hard!” A great sense of humor marveled at some of the local sites, including Balls Falls, the Welland and keen wit made him a joy to Canal, and stories shared by local historians and indigenous people. be with. When asked by friends how he was, he usually replied, For more information about UNESCO Global Geoparks, visit “all the better for seeing you.” https://en.unesco.org/news/geopark-2020 He will be missed by many. Our condolences go out to Barbara https://niagarapeninsulageopark.com/ and his family. 

| The Grapevine Fall 2020 Fall Wildflowers

By Margaret Northfield Photos by Margaret Northfield Hiking has so many benefits. Staying fit by exercising our muscles. Improving our moods when we breathe cleaner air. Sharpening our minds while we watch out for rocks and tree stumps. Social interaction when hiking with a group. Hiking also provides a changing Bull Thistle canvas for our eyes. We often hike in the same areas but there is always something new to find on those same trails. The fall brings a new set of flowers to enjoy.

By the end of a season, I can usually name all the flowers that we see but by the following year, I forget them all. That is why I use the inaturalist app . There are plenty of great plant identifying apps around. I use inaturalist because I can also help the Bruce Trail

Conservancy by uploading my treasures to their Citizen Science project of collecting biodiversity data along the trail.

Each observation from our Bruce Trail community will help to • Catalogue species along the Trail Grass -leaved Goldenrod • Build a map of sightings • Create a visual tool to look for distribution patterns & species movement • Track invasive species, rare species, and native species

You simply need to download the inaturalist app and then contact the BTC to sign up for their Citizen Science project. Go to the link below for more details. https://brucetrail.org/pages/get- involved/volunteering/citizen-science

Here are a few fall wildflowers you can look out for on your next trek down the trail.

Brown Knapweed

Brown-eyed Susan

| The Grapevine Fall 2020

The Grapevine is the newsletter of the Niagara Bruce Club, one of the nine member clubs of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. The Grapevine appears four times a year. NBTC Members are invited to submit stories and photos. Copy due date for the Winter 2020 issue is October 31, 2020. For editorial guidelines and for rates to advertise, contact [email protected]

BROWN RABBIT CABINS PHONE: 1 (709) 334-2208 BRUCE TRAIL CONSERVANCY MISSION [email protected] WWW.BROWNRABBIT.NL.CA Preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.

| The Grapevine Fall 2020