Taking a walk on the wild side – supporting PEC’s South Shore

Some South Shore Stroll participants. Helene Tremblay photo

On two of hottest days of the year about a dozen intrepid and enthusiastic participants joined members of the South Shore Joint Initiative (SSJI) on a South Shore Stroll.

The stroll was held to educate participants about the biodiversity of the South Shore by walking the northern boundary of the South Shore Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) along Army Reserve Road and Hilltop Road.

“Slowing down allows us to see more and get a real feeling for the wonder of the place,” said Chery Anderson, organizer.

The strollers started off at 9a.m. on the morning of Saturday, August 4 and reached their first day goal at Charwell Point Road by about noon.

A swim and lunch at Soup Harbour provided a welcome cool down from the oppressive heat. Starting at Charwell Point Rd on Sunday, everyone reached Hilltop Road and County Rd 13 by about 11:30. Little Bluff Conservation Area provided a cooling swim.

SSJI members provided participants with a comprehensive interpretive talk along the way. Plants, birds, insects and reptiles were identified and described.

“The importance of the South Shore public area as the last undeveloped lands on the North Shore of Lake Ontario was obvious as the participants absorbed all the information presented,” said Anderson.

The South Shore Joint Initiative is dedicated to the protection of the public lands in the IBA (Pt. Petre Provincial Wildlife Area and Ostrander Point Crown Land Block). SSJI also supports the efforts of the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust and Nature Conservancy Canada in their efforts to secure private properties for protection from inappropriate development.

Coming up this fall, SSJI will participate in the democratic process by holding an all candidates meeting for South Marysburgh and Athol wards. A South Shore Symposium “Natural Heritage and History of the South Shore” is to be held on October 20 at Milford Town Hall. The public is encouraged to participate in both events.

For more information on SSJI visit  http://ssji.ca/