Huron Bruce Nature learns about promotion of area tourism

Kincardine News
Huron Bruce Nature (HBN) welcomed Lauren Eby and Kathryn Bruce from the economic development department to their March 25 meeting in Point Clark to talk about tourism in Bruce County. Eby explained that the department focuses on tourism, agriculture and community development by supporting residents and businesses through various initiatives. One such well-known program is […]
Kincardine News, Agriculture, Bruce, Bruce County, Community, county, Department, development, huron, march, meeting, Tourism

PRWIN Spring Shoreline Restoration Project

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
Pine River Watershed Initiative Network are working together to encourage cottagers and residents along the shoreline beaches in our township to begin restoring the beach dunes following the high lake levels of the past few years. During that period, a great deal of the shoreline dune area was eroded by the wave action and high winds.

Huron Bruce Nature members celebrate fellowship and new name

Huron Bruce Nature members celebrate fellowship and new name
The Lucknow Sentinel
Following a string of winter storms and many days of restricted travel, members of the local nature club were more than ready to end their social isolation. Sixty hardy souls battled the roads and blowing snow to gather at the Point Clark Community Centre Saturday, Feb. 22 for the club’s annual potluck and photo contest […]
lucknow sentinel, Bruce, Bruce County, centre, changes, Community, Contest, county, deal, development, end, Events, Facebook, Food, found, history, home, house, huron, information, kincardine, Life, local, local news, march, meeting, new, news, newsletter, Ontario, open, photo, Plans, Recycling, Roads, Saturday, savings, Snow, social, Sustainability, the conversation, Tourism, Trail, travel, voting

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network Winter 2025 Newletter

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
In November, PRWIN collected personal seedling orders for our PRWIN 2025 Spring Seedling Program. This upcoming season, the seedlings species will be the following: white pine, white spruce, Norway spruce, white cedar, red and white oak, tamarack, red and sugar maple, dogwood and high bush cranberry. Our program will offer our community 100 personal seedling orders. Personal seedling orders are sourced from Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority.

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network 2024 Highlights

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
Pine River Watershed Initiative Network 2024 Highlights

2024 was a rewarding year in so many ways.
Now that 2025 is only one week away, we can look back at our accomplishments.

 
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS:
 
PRWIN projects highlight reforestation sites, a berm project, livestock crossing to improve water flow function, pollinator garden, ditch clean up and rip rap to stabilize and protect the soil surface against erosion.

Our PRWIN Spring Seedling Program offered ninety personal seedling orders. This spring, 5500 seedlings were handed out during our annual "FREE Seedling Give-Away Program." The program was created in 2014 and is a very popular community outreach program. Some of the orders supported the Kincardine Naturalization Project, 2nd Kincardine Scouts and the Ripley Huron Community School Green Team.

Community Groups: The Kinetic Knights, Kincardine 2nd Scouts, Sawjan Samanvay Sanatan Centre, Point Clark Beach Association, Enbridge, and PRWIN families worked together planting seedlings at our project sites. The volunteers hand planted seedlings, large stock trees and shrubs along with plants to create a pollinator garden. 

PRWIN participated in our annual PTARP – Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program to shoreline residents. The goal of PTARP is to provide the lakeshore communities with trees to replace those ash trees that declined due Emerald Ash Borer. This yearly program has enabled us to make a significant impact to an area that was devastated by the ash borer and has offered shoreline residents 190 mature potted trees.

The Shoreline Reforestation Project offered 100 junipers to lakeshore residents. PRWIN and the Township of Huron-Kinloss partnered to encourage residents along the township shoreline beaches to begin restoring the beach dunes following the high lake levels of the past few years.

Two of our current initiatives; Green Elements – Friends of the McLarty Centre and Cultivating Community Experiences at the McLarty Centre are projects to support a sun shelter and to upscale the McLarty outdoor education area.

THE MCLARTY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY AREA:

The outdoor education area is located on Bruce Road 6/Side Road 20 in Huron Kinloss. It is open to the public to enjoy the great outdoors! This area is designed for our community to learn about the Pine River, wetland creation and the education of the local wildlife and plants that this area supports. PRWIN has installed a trail system throughout the area, created two wetland ponds, planted memorial trees, an osprey nest and reforested tree seedlings. Enjoy walking the trail, bird watching, photography, learning opportunities in an outdoor classroom and reconnecting with nature.
The Ripley & District Horticultural Society's "For Our Youth” coordinated engaging activities for the young club members at the McLarty Environmental Study Area. The group identified birds, explored the area with nature games and went frog fishing to learn about the frog life cycle. Also, the Kincardine 2nd Scouts, Ripley Huron Community School and the Ripley Wolf Cub Summer Camp stopped in to explore in nature.
 

 

PRWIN’S ENGAGEMENTS WITH COMMUNITY:

  • Our organization offers a quarterly e-newsletter to stay connected with our community and to feature current community programs to improve and protect our local watershed. PRWIN added “Get Soil Smart” a new section to our newsletter, to learn all about soil.
  • PRWIN celebrated National Tree Planting Day planting an Eastern Red Bud Tree to honour our retired director Bill Steele's work and dedication to PRWIN and the environment.
  • PRWIN directors Tory Colling and Bill Steele retired from our board of directors and we welcome new directors Shirley Fiebiger and Jen Middelkamp.
  • "Sponsorship Day" to recognize our sponsors contributions to PRWIN community programs.
  • PRWIN connects with the Ripley Huron Community School - Green Team to offer support and engagements with their school projects.
  • Submitted articles to support the Healthy Lake Huron Partnership - HLH e-newsletter and The Bruce County Federation of Agriculture annual paper.
  • PRWIN attended the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) Watershed Conference, Huron Soil and Crop Cover Planting Demo Day and participated in the Lake Huron-Georgian Bay Community Webinar: ‘A Deeper Dive into Monitoring and Evaluating the Lake Huron-Georgian Bay Ecosystem’.
  • In September, recipients received PRWIN’s Award of Merit to acknowledge the importance of our community members and connecting with local youth. PRWIN sponsored community events: Fall Fair Tree Raffle and participated at the Ripley Huron Fall Fair with an information vendor table.
To date, PRWIN has installed 21 berms (Water & Sediment Control Basins), 12 livestock crossings, and completed 5 bank restorations.
We have also planted over 364,000 trees (windbreaks, riparian areas, reforestations),installed 24 km of livestock exclusion fencing, 4 nitrate filters, established a pollinator garden and improved 7 wetland areas.
Our Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program has offered shoreline residents 190 mature potted trees.

PRWIN would not be where we are today without our
community sponsors, past/present director’s leadership
and dedication to our vision of
 “Clean water and a healthy ecosystem
within the Pine River watershed.”
 
 
Copyright © 2018 Pine River Watershed Initiative Network All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
86 Huron Street, Ripley, ON
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Pine River Watershed Initiative Network 2024 Highlights

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
Pine River Watershed Initiative Network 2024 Highlights

Obituary – Elva Motz

The Kincardine Independent
ELVA MOTZ It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the peaceful passing of our beloved family matriarch, Elva Delphine Motz (née Stellar), on Saturday, Nov. 30, …
Obituaries

PRWIN Shoreline Restoration Project

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
PRWIN Shoreline Restoration Project
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PRWIN SHORELINE
RESTORATION PROJECT

 
Dear Shoreline Residents and Property Owners in Huron-Kinloss

The Township of Huron-Kinloss and Pine River Watershed Initiative Network are partnering to encourage cottagers and residents along the shoreline beaches in our township to begin restoring the beach dunes following the high lake levels of the past few years. During that period, a great deal of the shoreline dune area was eroded by the wave action and high winds.
Now that the lake levels have begun receding creating a wider beach which we all love and enjoy, more of the sand is exposed to wind erosion, especially during the fall and winter seasons. The beach grass has returned in most areas which helps hold the sand but larger plants with stronger root systems are needed to rebuild the protective shoreline dunes for the next high lake level period.
One of the best low profile options to assist with this restoration are Junipers (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip'). Junipers catch the sand and build the dunes during the high wind and blowing snow storms in the fall and winter seasons. The roots hold the sand in the spring when the high winds return.
For the restoration effort to be most effective the junipers must be planted on the “Swale or Back Dune Area” on the lakeshore. Over time the dunes will build up the sand necessary to again withstand the high water period of the Lake Huron cycle.

Cottagers and residents may register for up to four spreading Junipers to pick-up and plant on your shoreline.
Pickup for planting will be late October and the exact date will be communicated to those registered.

100 Spreading Junipers available.
Maximum of four per property

PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
NAME:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
ADDRESS FOR PLANTING:
NUMBER OF PLANTS REQUESTED (MAXIMUM OF FOUR):
Send details to: pineriverwatershed@pineriverwatershed.ca

**********************************************************************************

Lake Huron has high and low energy beaches. High energy beaches, like Point Clark see a “give-and-take” of sand throughout the year. Low energy beaches like Sauble Beach have more sand removed by wind and wave action, than is added.
On low energy beaches, protecting the sand is essential because they’re slower to recover. In high energy beaches, multiple dunes form over time providing a ‘sacrificial buffer" during highlake levels. Vegetation grows larger further inland from the water’s edge, transforming from dune grass and sedges, to shrubs, and eventually trees. This ‘succession’ of dunes is natural and is unique habitat for many rare species.
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Copyright © 2019 PRWIN, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
86 Huron Street, Ripley ON N0G 2R0 Ph: 519.395.5538
Our website is:
pineriverwatershed.ca
Our email is:
pineriverwin@yahoo.ca or pineriverwatershed@pineriverwatershed.ca
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The Pine River Watershed Initiative Network · 86 Huron Street Unit 2 · PO Box 367 · Ripley, ON N0G2R0 · Canada

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PRWIN Shoreline Restoration Project

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
PRWIN Shoreline Restoration Project

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network Fall 2024 Newsletter

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
Pine River Watershed Initiative Network Fall 2024 Newsletter
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PRWIN 2024 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS OF MERIT

 
Picture above are: Teacher Jessica Adams with members of the RIpley-Huron Community School Green Team (left), with PRWIN Director Angela Thompkins. Photo courtesy of Kincardine Record.
Picture above are: Ripley & District Horticultural Society’s - For Our Youth Leader Melody Smillie (left), with PRWIN Director Angela Thompkins. Photo courtesy of Kincardine Record.
PRWIN Director, Angela Thompkins presented our 2024 Award of Merit at the Ripley Huron Fall Fair Ambassador Program on September 27th. Recipients at the presentation: Jessica Adams and Melody Smillie. 

The following recipients presented the importance of community volunteering and the connection with our local youth this past year:

Ripley Huron Community School Green Team Leader - Jessica Adams

Jessica is a teacher at Ripley Huron Community School and has been involved with the school’s Green Team for several years. Students sign up to take part in the club and participate in environmental awareness activities. The Green Team provides an opportunity to educate, raise awareness and engage with pressing environmental issues inside and outside the classroom. The Green Team can help the school community move forward to be eco-conscious, promote a green environment and promote recycling and waste reduction practices. Also, Jessica hosts an environmental week in April to highlight Earth Day. The environmental week provides hands on learning and engaging conversations about the environment.
Thank you Jessica, for your leadership with the Green Team and for making a positive impact at our school.

Ripley & District Horticultural Society "For Our Youth" - Melody Smillie

Melody has been a leader with the For Our Youth since 2019. Mel has taken on the important role of Club Administrator, keeping other leaders and the 30 children and youth organized and on time. She also acts as Treasurer, ensuring that the small budget is well managed. Her big smile and warm greetings are often the first things the kids see when they arrive at meetings to receive their name tags. The club loves Melody's programming ideas, and her knack for planning, programming and providing solid leadership, even as she contributes to her community in many other ways. The group is so thankful to have her in the club!
The junior horticultural club is supported by the Ripley and District Horticultural Society. For Our Youth – participate in monthly meetings that are filled with crafts, growing projects and outdoor activities that encourage involvement with the Ontario Horticultural Association, the RDHS flower show, the Ripley Fall fair, the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens and the Pine River Water Shed. Last year, the “For Our Youth” celebrated their 10th anniversary.
Thank you Melody for your time and efforts to support this wonderful club.

Troy Middelkamp and Family

Troy and his family are Huron Kinloss residents. Over the years with our organization, he has always been a great participant to help with our tree planting initiatives in the Pine River Watershed. Tory’s interest in many aspects of agriculture and work with PRWIN’s environmental in-ground projects, like tree planting, have ensured our work as good stewards in our watershed. We thank Troy for his contributions to PRWIN and we look forward to working with his family at our upcoming planting projects. 
 

PRWIN POTTED TREE ASH REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

 
This fall, we had 24 recipients receive a tree, courtesy of our Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program (PTARP). The goal of PTARP is to provide the lakeshore communities with trees to replace ash trees that devastated properties by the Emerald Ash Borer. 
The Point Clark Beach Association (PCBA),Lurgan Beach Blairs Grove Association (LBBGA) and the Bruce Beach Cottagers Association (BBCA) worked together, to ensure that our program trees get planted in the most needed areas along the lakeshore.
This program has enabled us to make a significant impact to the lakeshore community. To date, the PTARP has offered shoreline residents 190 mature potted trees. We appreciate our directors' time planning and delivery of the trees. 
A special thank you to Smeltzer's Garden Centre for ordering the trees, as well as the Township of Huron Kinloss - Community Well Being Program for supporting our 2024 fall tree initiative.
GET SOIL SMART

 
PRWIN is excited to bring another “Get Soil Smart” article to our newsletter.

WHAT KIND OF SOILS DO YOU HAVE?

Its time to bring soils home to each and every one of you. Something that every one may be asking is What kind of soil do I have?!
Well, in southern Bruce County there are 43 soil types! Here is the link to the Bruce County soil maps if you would like to take a look for your location’s soil type: Soil Survey of Bruce County (agr.gc.ca). As previously talked about, soils are made up of 3 (main) ingredients: sand, silt, and clay, and every soil type has a slightly different combination of the three.
Pine River is predominantly Clay Loam, which is dark grey in colour (coming from the soil organic matter), has a heavier texture and poor drainage (both due to the tight plate like structure of clay - higher density and threadlike pore space). Now, what can we do with this information and why is it important to know your soil type? Knowing our soil type allows us to make good choices on how we treat and work with our soils. It allows us to determine: the best types of plants to have in our gardens, why existing plants are struggling, the drainage abilities and issues, and how we can improve both the quality of our soil through adding compost and the growth potential of our plants by adding fertilizer.
 
A simple test to determine your soil type is The Sedimentation Test, one that you can easily do at home! All you need is a jar with lid (1L mason jar), water, dish soap, marker or tape (to mark jar) and soil.
An example has been provided after the instructions.
  1. Fill jar half full with soil.
    1. Take out any organic matter (roots, leaves, etc.) and rocks.
    2. Break up any large clods of soil.
  2. Add a few drops of dish soap. This will help the soil particles separate and disperse in the water.
  3. Add water, filling the jar to 90%.
  4. Place lid on jar, shake vigorously for about 1 minute to ensure all soil gets mixed.
  5. Leave jar on level surface.
    1. After 1-2 minutes the Sand will have settled at the bottom of the jar. Use marker or tape to mark the top level of Sand.
    2. After 1 hour the Silt will settle above the sand. Use marker or tape to mark the top level of Silt.
    3. After 24 hours the Clay will have settled above the Silt. Use marker or tape to mark the top level of Clay.
(Anything floating at the surface will be organic matter.)
  1. Measure the height of Sand in the jar, followed by Silt, then Clay.
    1. Then calculate the percentage of each: Sand, Silt, and Clay. i.e. (3cm Sand) / (Sand + Silt + Clay heights)
  2. Use the Soil Textural Triangle to determine your soil type!
    1. Use the 3 percentages you determined above on the triangle below. The arrows below each soil component indicate which graph lines to follow through the triangle.
      The intersection of the 3 lines will determine your soil type.
Here is an example to get you on your way!
The test has already been put together and all soil layers have settled. The measurements of each layer are listed next to the jar and calculations determining percentage of each layer are on the very right.
 

Article provided by Lisa Holland, PRWIN Project Co-ordinator.
 

EXPLORE THE MCLARTY CENTRE

 
Aerial photos of the McLarty Centre capture a wide variety of the landscape. There is a trail system throughout the area, two wetland ponds, an osprey nest and thousands of mature trees. The McLarty Centre offers many opportunities! Enjoy walking the trail, bird watching, photography, learning opportunities in an outdoor classroom and reconnecting with nature.
If you are interested in a group visit, contact PRWIN at pineriverwin@yahoo.ca

HOWICK MUTUAL INSURANCE

 
Thank you to Howick Mutual Insurance for supporting our initiative Green Elements - Friends of the McLarty Centre. The funding supports a sun shelter to aid in our program to educate about our local watershed with community groups at the McLarty Centre. PRWIN Director, Conner Dixon accepts the donation from Blair Pollock, Howick Mutual Insurance Representative.

RIPLEY WOLF CUB CAMP

 
The Ripley Wolf Cub Adventure Camp planned a trip for the young campers at the McLarty Centre. The summer camp went on a nature hike, went frog fishing and explored in nature!

SHORELINE ASSOCIATIONS DONATE TO PRWIN

 
Thank you to the Pine River Boat Club and Lurgan Beach/Blair's Grove Association for your continued support. Your contribution is enabling us to accomplish our goals, to provide community programs.
Thank you for recognizing and supporting our organization! PRWIN Directors, Shirley Fiebiger and Gib McIlwarth accept a donation from Point Clark Beach Association, President Rob Foster. The donation will be used to continue our PRWIN programming.

NATIONAL TREE DAY

 

PRWIN celebrates National Tree Planting Day! We planted a Eastern Red Bud Tree to honour our retired director Bill Steele's work and dedication to PRWIN and the environment! Thank you to directors Murray Jamieson, Murray Yungblut and Bill Smith for planting the tree at this lovely property.
Special thank you for Smeltzer Garden Centre for the lovely tree!

OPG DONATION

 
Thank you to OPG, a partner and long-time supporter of the PRWIN, for your donation. We appreciate your support of environmental programs.  As a sponsor, their contribution is vital to continue our community tree programs. PRWIN Director, Conner Dixon accepts the donation from Kaitlyn Nevill, OPG Communications.

GERMANIA MUTUAL INSURANCE

 
Thank you to Germania Mutual Insurance for your donation. Our committee greatly appreciates their support to assist us with our 2025 Spring Seedling Program. PRWIN Chairperson, David Grant (center) accepts the donation from Germania Mutual Insurance Representatives.

HURONVIEW DEMO DAY

 

PRWIN attended the Huron Soil & Crop -  Cover Crop Planting Demo Day at Huronview Demo Farm. PRWIN observed how cover crops are planted by a modified sprayer and drone.
 

FALL FAIR SEASON

 

 

PRWIN had an opportunity to take part in the Ripley Huron Fall Fair by having a vendor table at the exhibit hall. This was a chance for us to connect with our community! We had PRWIN directors on hand to share with the public our projects and programs. PRWIN participated in the Ripley Huron Fall Fair Decorating Contest to enhance our curb appeal in our community and took part in the Ripley Huron Fall Fair Parade with PRWIN Director Conner Dixon driving a tractor with a tree planter.

Wally Houston of Ripley, was the winner of the Free Blaze Maple Tree from our "PRWIN Fall Fair Tree Raffle." We had over 100 entries for the raffle. Thank you to everyone for stopping by to see us at our vendor table. This beautiful, stunning maple tree was purchased at Smeltzer's Garden Centre.

NEW BOARD OF DIRECTOR

 
We would like to welcome our new PRWIN Director Jen Middelkamp! Jen is a resident of Huron Township and has brought to our organization countless volunteer hours to assist us with our spring seedling program and community planting projects. Also, her family has taken on PRWIN in-ground programs that have installed multi level restoration projects to their land. Jen is a past Ripley 4-H Conservation Leader for our local youth and her family have been involved with our community planting initiatives. Her dedication to our vision of “Clean water and a healthy ecosystem within the Pine River watershed“ will be a welcoming addition to our organization.

We encourage our vital community members to share our newsletter, website, and Facebook page. There is an opportunity for everyone to sign up for our newsletter. We have resources about our organization on our website and our social media page that will inform our community about our present and future projects.

http://www.pineriverwatershed.ca
https://www.facebook.com/pineriverwatershedinitiativenetwork/
Please email pineriverwin@yahoo.ca to sign up for our newsletter.

    
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Copyright © 2019 PRWIN, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
86 Huron Street, Ripley ON N0G 2R0 Ph: 519.395.5538
Our website is:
pineriverwatershed.ca
Our email is:
pineriverwin@yahoo.ca or pineriverwatershed@pineriverwatershed.ca
Subscription preferences 

 






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The Pine River Watershed Initiative Network · 86 Huron Street Unit 2 · PO Box 367 · Ripley, ON N0G2R0 · Canada

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Pine River Watershed Initiative Network Fall 2024 Newsletter

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
Pine River Watershed Initiative Network Fall 2024 Newsletter

PRWIN 2024 Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program

Pine River Watershed Initiative Network
PRWIN 2024 Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program


PRWIN Potted Tree Ash Replacement Program

The goal of PTARP is to provide the lakeshore communities with trees to replace ash trees due to the result of the Emerald Ash Borer. The program offers one free potted tree to eligible residents along the lakeshore.

The Point Clark Beach Association (PCBA),Lurgan Beach Blairs Grove Association (LBBGA) and the Bruce Beach Cottagers Association (BBCA) are working together to ensure that new trees get planted in the most needed areas along the lakeshore.

This collaboration in conjunction with the PRWIN PTARP has enabled us to make significant impact to an area that was devastated by the ash borer. We will continue to refine the program as a collaborative effort between PRWIN and the lakeshore communities. We would like to thank the Beach Associations and the Community Well Being Grant - Township of Huron Kinloss for their support of our community tree program.




 

We are gearing up for new projects!


Landowners allow us to help them manage in ground projects by working together to secure funding and co-ordinate contractors.

These projects benefit your property, the environment, our communities, improving soil retention and resilience to severe weather, and providing habitat for wildlife.

Connect with us! 519-395-5538 or email pineriverwin@yahoo.ca


 
Copyright © 2017 Pine River Watershed Initiative Network All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
86 Huron Street, Ripley, ON
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