SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Watershed Discovery Day Explores Climate Change

Friends of the Tay Watershed invite you to join in the celebration of their 11^th annual Watershed Discovery Day on Sunday, September 18, 2011 from 1-5pm at ECOTAY Education Centre. This year’s event will explore several fascinating solutions for the ever-increasing global distress caused by climate change through workshops, exhibits, puppet shows and children’s activities. Come and enjoy a fun and informative afternoon for the whole family!

Workshops

Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a botanist, medical biochemist and self-defined “renegade scientist,” brings together ethnobotany, horticulture, spirituality and alternative medicine to reveal a path toward better stewardship of our natural world in the face of climate change.  A precise and poetic writer steeped in Gaelic storytelling traditions gathered from her childhood in Ireland, her books include The Global Forest, Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet, Arboretum America: A Philosophy of the Forest, A Garden for Life and Time Will Tell.  In 2010, Diana was inducted as a Wings Worldquest Fellow.  She lives in near Merrickville, surrounded by her research garden filled with rare and endangered species.

Paul Egginton, Natural Resources Canada
From an environmental perspective Paul Eggington will discuss how forests play a role in moderating the weather and help to stabilize the climate, filtering out wastes and thus providing clean air and water; protecting watersheds from erosion; helping to maintain groundwater levels; generating and preserving soils; cycling and moving nutrients; providing wildlife habitat; and maintaining biodiversity. He will also look at how climate change will result in an increased intensity of natural disturbances such as fires, insects and disease, and how we are experiencing more extreme weather events such as ice storms and droughts.

Franz Klingender, Curator of Agriculture at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
Franz will outline the concept of Let’s Talk Energy – Engaging Ideas for Canada’s Future, a national multi-year program exploring Canada’s energy production and consumption and the implications of greening the country’s energy network. Enhancing energy awareness and literacy among Canadians will help ensure a sustainable energy future for Canada. As part of this program, Franz will walk you through the new outdoor exhibit called Energy Park: Nature at Work at the Canada Agriculture Museum. The exhibit explores energy use on Canadian farms, and takes a look at how the technology for harvesting energy from renewable sources is changing both the consumption and production of energy on the farm.

Children’s Activities
Special activities for children include animated movies, an interactive Fish Pond, tattoos, colouring and activity books and puzzles. Kids of all ages will be enthralled by Cool Captain Climate – a super cool hero that has recently joined the Paddling Puppeteer’s family.

Non-Motorized Boat Display
An outdoor display of non-motorized boats of every shape and size will help you to learn how to be kind to our shorelines and to keep pollutants out of our valuable water.

Exhibits in the Cow Barn

Over twenty exhibits will be on display exploring the many aspects of the watershed and climate change – guaranteed to educate and entertain inquisitive minds of all ages.

Bookshop

As in year’s past, Nature Lover’s Book Shop will be on hand to offer for sale an amazing array of books and games.

ECOTAY Education Centre is located at the corner of Upper Scotch Line at Menzies Munro side Road. For directions, go to www.ecotay.com. For more information please contact Annie Dalton at 613 259 5639 or visit www.tayriver.org

ECOTAY Education Centre is a unique rural gathering place with beautifully restored barns, a few minutes west of Perth, Ontario. – at the corner of Upper Scotch Line and Menzies Munro Side Road .

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

SHERRYL FITZPATRICK

Workshop and Concert – Sherryl Fitzpatrick & Kimberley Holmes

Sherryl, a native of Ottawa, ON, began her career at the age of 15 playing the fiddle and studying classical violin. Over the past 12 years she has been playing both the piano and bodhran.

Sherryl has joined with Nova Scotia’s Kimberley Holmes and has formed a new Canadian fiddle duo, The Bb Sisters. They have emerged onto the Traditional Folk Music scene as a new duo playing traditional Old-tyme, French and Celtic music as well as original compositions. This versatile duo can switch from fiddle to piano as well as incorporating their beautiful blends of harmonies. They have just finished recording their debut CD which will be released in March 2011. They will be recording their 2nd CD in July 2011! You can stay informed about this new exciting group at www.bbsisters.ca.

Call Michael Glover at 613-267-6391 or email michaelglover@ecotay.com to reserve a seat.