ASHMuskoka

Together, we can save Muskoka

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A note regarding FMW and our COVID-19 response

Announcements, FMW, News

Doug Clark

Doug Clark

Vice-Chairman, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed

    COVID-19

    Over the last 48 hours, much of the global response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has focused on strategies to avoid overburdening healthcare systems that don’t have the infrastructure to handle a sudden surge of cases all at once. It’s called flattening the curve, and the best way to do this is through “social distancing” — measures designed to limit social interaction.

    That is why Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is announcing that effective Wednesday, March 18 our offices will be closed until further notice, and all ash collection has been put on hold, including the canceling of our Ash Drives scheduled for March 21st and April 18th.

    In the short term, nothing is more important than reducing the spread and transmission of COVID-19. That being said, our important work will continue so please keep following us online and feel free to contact us as usual through our office number (705-640-0948) or our e-mail ids (friends@fotmw.org or use ashmuskoka@fotmw.org if you need a new ash can).

    Stay healthy,

    Doug Clark, Vice-Chair

    Friends of the Muskoka Watershed

    Our ASHMuskoka promotional video

    News, Program Updates

    During the summer months this year (2019), Ian Black, a Master of Science Communication student from Laurentian University, expertly crafted a video on the ASHMuskoka program for Friends of the Muskoka Watershed. This effort was part of the commitment we made when we received the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.

    The purpose of the video is to bring public awareness to, and inspire willingness to act on, the issue of calcium decline, emphasizing how recycling wood ash could help solve the problem while also fostering community involvement in preserving and protecting Muskoka’s forest and freshwater ecosystems.

    We encourage individuals and groups to share this video, as we want to reach as many people in Ontario as possible. Even if you are not a wood burner or ash donator, you can help to make our program a success by being one of our stewardship ambassadors.

    Thank you. We sincerely appreciate your participation.

    Creative Commons License
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

    Have you seen our new building?

    Announcements, News

    Truth be told, neither have we. But we are desperately looking for one. And maybe you have seen it.

    Do you know of one that is available?

    You see, we really need a place to store and process approximately 100 tonnes of wood ash in preparation for our large-scale deployment in the third year of the ASHMuskoka program. And though we gratefully acknowledge the support which the District Municipality of Muskoka has provided by allowing us storage space at the Rosewarne transfer site in Bracebridge for our first year, it is not enough space for our next phase.

    If we don’t find our new building, we are placing the continued success of ASHMuskoka in jeopardy.

    And we don’t have much money for leasing/renting.
    If you can assist us in finding suitable space, we’d love to speak with you.

    Please contact us at:

    ashmuskoka@fotmw.org

    Or via our contact page:

    Friends of the Muskoka Watershed

    If you are able to put up our request for assistance poster, that, too, would be appreciated. You may download a printable PDF version here:

    PDF Poster

    Friends of the Muskoka Watershed begins calcium restoration field study

    News, Program Updates

    In August, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed met with Dr. Shaun Watmough, Professor and Director of the Trent School of the Environment and a leading expert on calcium decline, and four of Dr. Watmough’s graduate students, to officially start the collection of field data for the applied research component of the ASHMuskoka three year project.

    Twenty, 10 x 10 meter plots were laid out in three local OMSPA (Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association) sugar bushes marking 60 plots in total. In each plot, leaf litter, saplings, foliage from the canopy of leaves high up on the trees, and soil samples were collected.

    “We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Watmough to determine the effect of residential wood ash on forest health.” states Dr. Shakira Azan, Project Lead.

    Dr. Azan continues, “With the findings from this research, we hope to identify a wood ash dosage that would make a positive difference in forests with low calcium concentrations.”

    In addition to these samples, last March, Dr. Azan visited all three sugar bushes and took samples of maple sap from tagged trees.

    Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, in collaboration with Trent University and volunteers, plan to distribute the wood ash collected thus far in all 60 plots in late October.

    FAQ: Calcium and the watershed

    FAQ, News

    Elevator version:

    Calcium is an essential nutrient, particularly for tiny creatures called daphnia. They filter the water in our lakes, and without daphnia we would have serious algae problems. Calcium is also vital for trees, particularly sugar maples. Without enough calcium, it’s like the trees are half-asleep even in summer.

    In Muskoka, years of acid rain has washed a lot of the calcium out of the soil and the lakes. We’re already seeing the results of this.

    One way to get calcium back into the system is to add it directly to the soil. Trees can absorb some of it, and some of it will get filtered through into the lakes.

    Wood ash is a fantastic source of calcium. Spreading it in the forest is a great way to get it into the soil and the lakes.

    Most wood ash currently goes into the landfill. This project aims to set up a collection system that will get ash into the forests, where it can do the most good.

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    FAQ: ASHMuskoka

    FAQ, News

    Elevator version:

    The trees and lakes in Muskoka, and many other Canadian Shield regions, are suffering because they don’t have enough calcium.

    Wood ash is an excellent source of calcium, but much of the ash from wood stoves is wasted. Some goes to landfills; some is dumped in backyard ash piles. Many tons of firewood from central Ontario forests are trucked to wood stoves in southern Ontario, where forests and waterways do not need more calcium. We want to see this tremendous resource put to good use with a wood ash recycling program that will gather wood ash from local wood stoves as well as from wood stoves in southern Ontario and spread it in forests in Muskoka and beyond where it is of greatest benefit.

    Continue Reading