Peterborough & The Kawarthas Tourism — in partnership with Parks Canada and The Canadian Canoe Museum — is offering a unique tourism experience this summer: a combination tour and dining experience at the Peterborough Lift Lock.

The “Under Water Dining at Lock 21” concept was tested last June, when 12 people had the first opportunity to dine under the Lift Lock, and now the tourism agency is offering four more chances to experience it: Thursday, June 15th from 3 to 8 p.m., Monday, July 17th from 5 to 10 p.m., Thursday, August 17th from 5 to 10 p.m., and Friday, September 15th from 3 to 8 p.m.

Each event is limited to 16 people, at a cost of $265 per person (plus HST). Bookings can be made beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 27th by visiting thekawarthas.ca/uwd/.

The test run last summer was extremely popular, receiving attention from national media including a feature in The Toronto Star.

“Under Water Dining at Lock 21” begins with a trip through The Peterborough Lift Lock in The Canadian Canoe Museum’s 36-foot Voyageur canoe, guided by an actor portraying “Richard Birdsall Rogers”, the man who engineered the lift lock, who will share stories of the design, construction, and workings of the world’s highest hydraulic lift lock. Particpants will then join the Lockmaster in his booth where he will describe the current day’s operations.

After the canoe trip, participants will enjoy mocktails and hors d’oeuvres while listening to live music from local musicians, and meet Tres Hombres — the trio of local chefs who are known for preparing culinary delights in unexpected locations.

The Lockmaster will then guide guests down the tunnels, stairways and chambers inside the Lift Lock, while explaining how it operates. The tour ends in the lower chamber where Tres Hombres Chefs Brad, Kevin, and Mike will prepare a five-course dinner featuring fresh local ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers and paired with a tasting of specially selected wines or beer.

After dinner, guests will retire to the Turbine room for dessert and appertifs while the Lockmaster shares stories about the ghostly residents of the Lift Lock. At the end of the event, each guest will receive a special memento of the experience.

For more information about “Under Water Dining at Lock 21”, including more details about the experience, visit thekawarthas.ca/under-water-dining-lock-21-overview/.

Yesterday (March 22) was World Water Day. Each year, organized by the United Nations (UN), the world celebrates and takes action on issues that impact freshwater resources. This year’s theme ‘Why waste water?’ is about reducing and reusing wastewater.

Wastewater is created in your home every time you flush the toilet, brush your teeth, do the dishes, and wash a load of laundry. According to World Water Day organizers, the quantity of wastewater generated and its overall pollution load are increasing across the globe.

The UN reports that globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Within the City of Peterborough, we are fortunate to have a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant. This is where wastewater from your home travels for treatment before being released back into our waterways where it once again becomes part of the natural environment — and drinking water for communities downstream.

The UN emphasises that water has to be carefully managed during every stage of the water cycle, which means that when water is flowing through our hands, we play a role, too. World Water Day gives us an opportunity to think about how we use water daily and how we can use water more wisely.

Our local conservation authority, Otonabee Conservation, suggests that by changing some habits and updating water fixtures, it is possible to reduce a household’s water consumption by more than 40%!

Last summer, a Level 2 drought was declared for the Otonabee Watershed region. At that point, residents living within this watershed were asked to reduce daily water use by 20%. Did you know that the same Level 2 drought is still in effect?

“The 5-month period of April through August, 2016, was the driest in Peterborough’s meteorological record and in addition, air temperatures were well above-normal thereby intensifying the drought situation we experienced last summer,” explains Gordon Earle from Otonabee Conservation. “Conditions improved somewhat in the last quarter of 2016, but continued below-normal rainfall and above-normal air temperatures mean that the area is still experiencing low water concerns.”

There are many ways that you can use water more wisely, and to reduce the amount of wastewater you are creating in your home. You may be doing some of these things already: use low-flow fixtures on taps and showerheads; switch to a low-flow toilet or use a Toilet Tummy to displace water within the toilet tank; run only full loads of laundry; turn off the tap when doing dishes, brushing your teeth, and shaving; or save grey water (water captured when running the tap) to reuse for activities such as watering plants.

When thinking about reducing wastewater around your home, school, or workplace, it is also important to look outside: during summer months, outdoor water use can increase by 50%.

At GreenUP, reductions in outdoor water use are celebrated and we encourage you to think about ways you reduce your outdoor water footprint through the use of rain barrels and drought-tolerant landscaping methods. The Water Wise Neighbour: Landscape Recognition Program, initiated by GreenUP and Peterborough Utilities Group, acknowledges those who have taken action towards a water wise front yard.

The program will be expanding throughout 2017, acknowledging more residents, and assisting others to continue, or start, water-wise initiatives in front yards throughout the City of Peterborough.

Rainwater (or storm water) is also an important aspect of water management around your home. In urban landscapes, rainwater that would normally be absorbed into the ground travels across impermeable surfaces such as sidewalks, roads, and driveways where it picks up a number of contaminants before entering storm drains that lead directly to streams and lakes.

According to Green Communities Canada, more than half the rainfall in towns and cities becomes storm water runoff. Runoff can lead to flooding and has become the leading source of surface water pollution.

A new GreenUP program called Ready for Rain Peterborough is encouraging neighbourhoods to take action on flooding and storm water runoff through a number of initiatives aimed at managing rain where it falls, including in your yard.

Eight rain gardens will be planted within the City of Peterborough to showcase the benefits of green infrastructure. This program, in partnership with Green Communities Canada, the City of Peterborough, and local residents, with generous funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will also provide a number of educational opportunities and resources to help home owners learn more about storm water and what we can all do to help protect local waterways and groundwater as a valuable resource.

For more information about water programs being offered through GreenUP, visit greenup.on.ca.

All photos courtesy of Peterborough GreenUP.

Nature lovers rejoice: there’s a exciting series of eight nature-related events, called “Seasons on the Moraine”, taking place in Kawartha Lakes between April and October.

The not-for-profit series features guided nature walks led by local naturalists, primarily on the Ballydruff Trails adjoining South Pond Farms in Pontypool, as well as a “farm-to-table” meal at South Pond Farms.

The series is designed to deepen understanding and increase appreciation of nature as it unfolds month by month in the Fleetwood Valley on the edge of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Events will include birdwatching, identification of flowers, ferns and sedges in the wetland and on woodland trails, studying the forest as an ecological system, walking a tallgrass prairie, and learning about the natural and cultural landscape of the area.

All events will be led by eminent local naturalists — ecologists, geographers, botanists, authors and artists — all of whom have vast experience in interpretation. Most of the events in the series begin and end at South Pond Farms, although some begin at the home of Ralph McKim and Jean Garsonnin and end at South Pond Farm.

Participants are encouraged to wear boots and to dress appropriately for “rain or shine” trail walking. While no other special equipment is required, participants are encouraged to bring a camera and binoculars.

Each event will include a display table with information on The Kawartha Land Trust, Peterborough Field Naturalists, Kawartha Field Naturalists, and Kawartha Conservation.

Tickets for each event are $30 per person plus tax. You can register and view the schedule for each event at www.southpondfarms.ca. Details for each event are also provided below.

The Ballydruff Trails are located on 260 acres of property privately owned by McKim and Garsonnin, adjacent to the Fleetwood Conservation Area and protected through a conservation agreement with Kawartha Land Trust. Southpond Farms and McKim and Garsonnin, in cooperation with the Kawartha Land Trust, are hosting the not-for-profit events.

The McKim/Garsonnin property has many features of glacially formed terrain, including rolling hills, sand deposits, a ridge of rocks (esker) left behind by an ancient river, and a wetland that includes a streem feeding into the Kawartha Lakes system. McKim and Garsonnin purchased the property, which was originally settled by Europeans and cleared for subsistence farming, in 1986. McKim and Garsonnin, who have built and live in a squared-log home on the property, are committed to restoring the ecological integrity as much as possible and making it available for others to enjoy.

Here is a brief description of each of the eight events in the “Seasons on the Moraine” series. More details on each event can be found at www.southpondfarms.ca.

“Night Sounds” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22

Pond, wetlands and forest come alive as spring peepers, trilling toads and wide-eyed owls break their winter silence. The event concludes with a stone oven fireside supper.

This walk will be led by a Dan Bone, a volunteer owl and amphibian surveyor for Bird Studies Canada, a Project Wild Leader, and a member of the Kawartha Field Naturalists.

“Song Bird Sighting” from 7 to 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 6

As morning is breaking, greet the arrival of migrating songbirds to find their mates, build their nests, and raise their young. Bring your binoculars. The event concludes with hearty breakfast at South Pond Farms.

This walk will be led by Ian Attridge, an ecologist who has worked as a professional naturalist, wetland researcher, teacher (Trent University), and in various roles with both the Kawartha Land Trust and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and a member of the Peterborough Field Naturalists.

“Wild Flowers and Other Wild Things” from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 13

Follow the woodland trails to discover the delicate ephemeral flowers of spring. Watch and listen as songbirds reclaim their summer habitat. Enjoy lunch at the farm.

This walk will be led by Mike McMurtry, an ecologist, formerly with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, who is a member of the Peterborough Field Naturalists and a volunteer with the Kawartha Land Trust.

“Dragons & Damsels … and Butterflies too” from 12 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 18

Beginning with lunch, spend an early summer afternoon enjoying a close-up encounter with the fascinating winged-world of dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies. Learn to identify them and build your list through the summer months.

This walk will be led by Colin Jones, a lifelong naturalist and Provincial Arthropod Zoologist at the Natural Heritage Information Centre of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

“Wetland Wonders” from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 23

In the cool headwater streams, wet meadows and marshes in Ballyduff’s “back 40”, marvel at the diversity of ferns, sedges and rushes this landscape has to offer. Watch and listen for breeding birds that make the wetlands their home. Share summer fare by fields of ripening grain.

This walk will be led by Bill Crins, an ecologist recently retired from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources who now teaches in the graduate program at the University of Toronto and volunteers with the Kawartha Land Trust and the Rotary Club.

“Seeing the Forest for the Trees” from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 13

Trees tell a story — of the dynamics of nature and of interaction with humankind. Listen with care and probe gently into the secret life of trees. You may see them, and yourself, in a whole new way. Lunch is served behind the barn.

This walk will be led by Thom Unrau, stewardship coordinator with the Kawartha Land Trust.

“Feathers, Flowers and other Finery” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 13

Nature clothes herself in new colours: gold and mauve and brilliant red. Walk through the tallgrass prairie, watch for waxwings in the locust trees, and savour the scent of fall. The trail ends with the fruit of the harvest on the table.

This walk will be led by John Vandenberg, a retired secondary teacher who has become a prolific botanical artist and works with the Kawartha Field Naturalists, and Eric Davis, a retired teacher and birding enthuisast who leads outings for the Kawartha Field Naturalists.

“Fleetwood Valley – Then and Now” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 1

The Fleetwood Creek Valley is a distinctive part of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. Following brunch and an opening presentation, you will explore the valley terrain, learn of its glacial origin, and trace the history revealed in its current fields and forests.

This walk will be led by Barb Heidenreich, a geographer, natural heritage conservation co-ordinator, and land use planner who is Forests Ontario’s Heritage Tree advisor and a member of the Board of Governors of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.

All photos courtesy of South Pond Farms.