Twin Lakes Conservation Club

1. Twin Lakes Conservation Club Conserving and Protecting Our Environment

2. TLCC Mandate To conserve and protect the natural resources, the environment, and the wildlife (fish, animals, reptiles) in and around our local communities, by means of projects geared to protection, conservation and resource enhancement; promotional activities, and public education.

3. TLCC Affiliations • TLCC aligns itself with various organizations to ensure sufficient educational breadth and to participate in cost sharing for insurance coverage to protect members while involved in projects • Affiliations include: OFAH – Ont. Federation of Anglers and Hunters Ontario Nature Couchiching Conservancy

4. TLCC Activities • Live Release – Orillia Perch Festival • Stream Restoration/Rehabilitation – Mill Creek • Wetland Protection – assessment, species identification, rehabilitation – Tudhope Park • Tree Planting – several sites • Trail Development – Millenium Trail/ Scout’s Valley • Property Stewardship – Oro-Medonte 100acres

5. TLCC Activities • Species Rescue and Monitoring – Turtles from Orillia MURF site, great gray owls, perch, etc. • Youth Education – Scouts, Beavers, schools, courts • Environmental Clean-up – Pitch-in, Adopt-a-Highway, Earth Day, Tudhope Park • Invading Species Education – Purple loosestrife, zebra mussels, round goby • Member Education – guest speaker series, field trips • Fundraising

6. Live Release – Perch Festival • Created the live release component for the Chamber of Commerce Annual Perch Festival • 4000 – 6000 registrants every year • Thousands of perch live - released every year • Educate the anglers to principles of live release • Increase public awareness to protect future fish stocks • Encourage youth and family participation in angling

7. Perch Festival – Live Release Tank

8. Members at Live Release Tank

9. Families Enjoying Themselves

10. Working with MNR

11. Stream Restoration • Mill Creek is the target stream • Extends from City of Orillia dump to headwaters back of Oro-Medonte Line 14/15 (Fergushill Estates) • Log jam removal, beaver dam control, bank restoration, sediment clearing, bush planting • Funding applications made for complete stream assessment including temperature monitoring, species identification, bank rehabilitation, flow levels, etc.

12. Mill Creek – Trail to Ben’s Ditch

13. Mill Creek – Trail to Memorial Ave.

14. Mill Creek – Hwy#12B Section

15. Mill Creek – Hwy#12B Section

16. Wetland Protection • Protect the Tudhope Park Wetland – full assessment with complete flora and fauna identification, monitor activity over a 2 year period of time • Educate current City Council as to importance of wetlands • Submitted complete report to Council and gained full acceptance of the report • Advisory capacity to Tudhope Park Master Plan • Work to identify ‘other’ wetland areas within city boundaries

17. Tudhope Park – Public Information Session

18. Wetland Protection • Over 125 species of plants, trees, bushes,etc. willow, maple, birch trees, milkweed, horseweed, goldenrod, choke cherry, duckweed, etc. • Over 20 different bird species crows, swallows, jays, ducks, chickadees • Over 15 different wildlife species muskrats, squirrels, turtles, frogs, mink

19. Would you believe there were beavers in the Tudhope Park Wetland

20. Tudhope Park Wetland in Fall 2004

21. Tree Planting • TLCC has planted trees at several sites in the area: North Ward Trail OPP / Georgian College Scout’s Valley Burls Creek

22. Tree Planting • Scout’s Valley – 500 trees planted 100 white pine 50 red pine 100 white spruce 100 white cedar 50 silver maple 50 highbush cranberry 50 nannyberry • Burl’s Creek – 250 trees planted • OPP, Georgian, North Orillia Trail – several hundred planted

23. Burls Creek Gang - 2005

24. Trail Development • Member sits on Trails for Life Committee • Pitch-in is on Tudhope Park section of trail • Scout’s Valley Trail system Bridge building project Trail clearing of dangerous limbs Trail Marking / Identification

25. Scout’s Valley – Walkway Bridge

26. Official Bridge OpeningMayor Stevens, MPP Garfield Dunlop, Councillor Tim Lauer, Peggy Bagley

28. Property Stewardship • Member of Couchiching Conservancy • Monitor property in Oro-Medonte (100 acres) • Assist with projects at Grant Woods property Earth Day celebrations – BBQ Bridge building Property cleanup

29. Rescue and Monitoring • Turtles at Orillia MURF site • Perch at Perch Festival • Great Gray Owls • Wood duck boxes erected at back of College property

30. Midland Painted Turtles • 50turtles total, found at the MURF wetland • 18 were relocated to Tudhope Park wetland • 26 to Rutherford's Point / Victoria Point marsh and Forest Ave. wetland • 6 to Bluff’s Creek wetland

31. MURF Site – Netting seemed to be best

32. TVO Shooting a Documentary

33. Official Marking Station

34. MURF Site – Turtle RescueMore Opportunities for Youth Involvement

35. Midland Painted Turtle

36. Dave Mills Club MemberCollecting Midland Painted Turtles fromOrillia MURF SiteFall 2004

37. Bob Bowleswith the50 Midland Painted Turtles

38. Tudhope Park – Turtle Release 2004

39. Turtle #31 From Orillia MURF Site

40. Forest Ave. Release Site2004Dave Mills Club Member Stuck in Mud

41. Turtle Identification SystemEach turtle was given a number and recorded

43. Spring 2005 Turtle Recapture(attempt)

44. Spring 2005 – Turtle Recapture Crowd

45. Spring 2005 – Recapture of Turtles

46. Catch Me If You CanThey’re a lot faster in the spring, than they are in the fall

47. Great Gray Owls • 400 Great Gray Owls throughout winter 2005 • 8 – 10 owls still in the area • 85 owls were killed, mostly by vehicles

48. Great Gray OwlsSightings were frequent and sometimes novel !

49. Gray Owls – Invade the Area

50. Beautiful Picture !!!