The NewsleTTer of The IroquoIa Bruce TraIl cluB Summer 2011 Vol. 46 No. 2 The Iroquoianwww.iroquoia.on.ca Hello nature lovers, hikers and walkers! Group leaders are needed! What: 15th annual Earth Day Eco-Festival When: May 18, 19, 20, 2011 Are you interested in passing your love of the outdoors down to a new generation? For the 5th year our Eco- festival is offering guided nature walks for grade 4, 5, and 6 classes that attend our event. These hikes are the highlight of the day for students attending our Eco-festival, which consists of scheduled sessions of workshops, exhibits and our guided nature hikes. The Hamilton - Burlington Earth Day Eco-Festival is dedicated to providing area youth with the inspiration, innovation, activities and information to set these students out on the path to a green life. It also gives them the opportunity to experience nature first hand in the outdoors. www.earthdayhamilton.ca Details: Volunteer group leaders will do a series of 3 walks in a day, which are about 60 minutes each (depending on the trail). For each walk you will guide a class of 30 students accompanied by their teacher, an Eco-festival volunteer, and several parent chaperones, who will help with crowd control. Along your trail you can point out wildlife, geographic formations, or whatever interests you. Each leader will receive a mini-guide and map. It is a rewarding day when you see the excitement in the children when they experience the natural world. Expectations: You will go on one or two Orientation walks. The annual terrain is easy and trails are well maintained. You will be given Iroquoia suggestions for remarks you can make along the route and a map. meeting If you have volunteered with us before you may not need to do the Orientation hike(s). he club’s annual meeting was held Sat- Location: Royal Botanical Gardens trails, both out of the Main urday, April 16 at the Anglican Church Centre on Plains Road West (Hendrie Valley) and out of the camp “Canterbury Hills’ in the beautiful Nature Interpretive Centre (North Shore of Cootes Paradise). TDundas Valley. About 70 people didn’t let the Time Commitment: 9am-2pm (on 1 or more days, it is your day-long, off-on rain deter them from attend- choice as to how many days you would like to help) ing, although only 11 ’diehards’ showed up for Duration: Walks are about 60 minutes long. the morning hikes which preceding the meet- Register Now: Please email [email protected] or call ing. As it was, only one hike took place. Paul Toffoletti at 905-634-2642 for more information. He’ll be Continued on page 3 glad to talk to you about it. page 2 iroquoia bruce trail club Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club The Iroquoia Email list Board of Directors 2011/2012 ave you registered to be on our Eldon Spurrell, President—905-827-5570 email list? Hundreds of others have Cathie Mills, Vice President—905-538-1583 E: cathiemills@ and they don’t regret it. The list is shaw.ca. Hused to send out updates, changes, remind- Gary Wrathall, Past President—905-681-6167 ers, corrections, and other news of interest Gary Beaudoin, Land Stewardship, 905-335-8076 to our members on an “as need to know” John Farquharson, Landowner Relations Director, 905-639-3092 basis. Charlotte Stewart, Secretary Your address shall be for Club use only and Anne Armstrong, Hike Management Director—905-337-3937 will not given out to any third party. E-mails E:—[email protected] will be sent as a group or BCC, meaning Ron Simpkin, Volunteer Director— 416-503-9944 E: ron- that nobody else can see your email address. [email protected] Send an e-mail to [email protected], and Don Corrigan, Events Director, 905-664-5489 use “Iroquoia email” in the subject line. Linda Tiley, Membership Director, 905-627-4150 You will get a confirmed reply. We will also Paul Toffoletti, Club rep on the BT board—905-634-2642 need your name, membership number, and Martin Hazelden, Treasurer—905-336-0550 optional phone number, just in case we have Ken Lawday, Trail Director, 905-876-2527 email problems and need to contact you. Margaret Lee, Publicity and Public Education, 905 331-7508 The Bruce Trail Conservancy is a charitable organization committed to establishing a conservation corridor containing a public footpath along the Niagara Escarpment, in order to protect its natural ecosystems and to promote environmentally responsible public access to this UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Visit club websites for more in- formation on the Iroquoia club’s The Iroquoian is published quarterly by the activities and the Bruce Trail: Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club, one of nine member clubs Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club www. of The Bruce Trail Conservancy, a registered non-profit iroquoia.on.ca organization. Bruce Trail Conservancy www. Contact: P.O. Box 71057 Burlington ON, L7T 4J8. brucetrail.org [email protected], 905-529-6821 or 800-665-hike. This number can also be used is you did not receive your newsletter, to changeFor your questions address or aboutany other the hike schedule, or to submit club business. hike listings, contact hike management director Anne Armstrong at 905-337-3937. For advertising submissions, inquiries and issues, contact Kathy Boyce at [email protected] The Iroquoian welcomes the submission Advertising rates, per issue, are as follows: of articles and photographs for publication 1/4 page - 3.5 x 5: $55 without payment. NEWSLETTER STUFF 1/2 page - 7.5 x 5: $80 Please send all letters, photographs, sub- Full page - 8 x 10: $130 missions, and comments through email Ads MUST be sent print ready as either a PDF or in Microsoft Word format. PDF is preferred. to Chris McGregor: editors.iroquoian@ gmail.com. Iroquoia bruce trail club page 3 Board representatives named at Iroquoia AGM Continued from cover suddenly from illness in May of while Ron Simpkin takes on the 2010. At the time, Bob was co- task of Volunteer Director. Retiring president Gary chair of the Iroquoia club com- Long-time treasurer Eldon Wrathall chaired the business mittee planning the details of the Spurrell takes on the job of meeting following a lunch pre- Bruce Trail Conservancy annual president, with Martin Hazelden pared by camp staff and volun- meeting. filling in as treasurer. Anne teers. Gary also thanked long-time Armstrong, former vice president In his report to the members, member Bill Fulton, who served and volunteer director, becomes he highlighted some of the initia- on the club’s board for the past hike director, and Paul Toffoletti, tives and accomplishments the several years, most recently as former hike director, takes on the club had made the past year in past president and club represen- job of representing the club on the areas of building member- tative to the BTC board of direc- the BTC board of directors. ship, public education, trail tors. Now that Gary has become Incumbent directors Ken Law- maintenance and improvements. past president, Bill gets to enjoy day (Trail Director), Charlotte Of special note was the club’s a full retirement from the board. Stewart (Secretary), Linda Tiley hosting of the annual meeting The members elected the (Membership), Gary Beaudoin of the Bruce Trail Conservancy board of directors for the com- (Land Stewardship), Margaret (BTC) last September. ing year, with only one new face, Lee (Publicity and Public Educa- Gary also noted the passing and one new but familiar face. tion), Don Corrigan (Events) and of Bob Ellison, a former presi- Cathie Mills, a former club John Farquharson (Landowner dent of the Iroquoia Club and the president, comes back to the Relations) remain in their re- Conservancy, who passed away board this year as Vice President, spective positions. MEC PADDLEFEST EUREKA TENT EVENT SUN MAY 29 10:00 - 4:00 SAT JUNE 11 9:00 – 4:00 TACKLE ANY TRAIL 401 BRANT ST BURLINGTON 905 639-8713 www.tumblehome.ca Visit our website to sign up for our e-mail newsletters Iroquoia bruce trail club page 5 For the past three years, I’ve been your club A retiree’s message... president. Somewhere in all of these tasks, I’ve also been janitor, dishwasher, chauffeur, and court jester. Except for a two-year break almost a decade ago, I’ve been on the Iroquoia Club board of directors I’ve welcomed the opportunity to undertake all these almost tasks. If I didn’t think I had some small contribution to continuously make, I would not have volunteered. for 12 years. I’ve served I’ve been most fortunate, that for all of these activities for one or over all these years, I’ve been joined, aided, abetted and more years as in many cases ‘bailed out’ by a wonderful collection of the director fellow volunteers. Each and every one of them has been of social & a joy to work with. I sincerely hope they have had as fundraising much fun and satisfaction with what we have contributed activities, and achieved as I have. membership, publicity But now I’m going to retire — somewhat. I remain and public on the board of directors as past president. Blissfully, education, this title carries with it no specific functions or hike responsibilities. I’ll help out as needed, and will continue management, to lead hikes. vice president, and Cheers to all. representingAC_TravelTalk_Ad042011_8.pdf us on the BTC board 1 of11-04-20 directors. 7:35 PM Gary Wrathall page 6 iroquoia bruce trail club The Iroquoian joins the digital age This may be your last paper copy of The Iroquoian.