the north grenville
TIMES
Reaching by direct mail 9,000 homes and businesses in North Grenville and Merrickville/Wolford www.ngtimes.ca
The Voice of North Grenville
Vol. 4, No 10
March 9, 2016
Open Doors in Limerick Forest
The North Grenville Times is Locally Owned and Operated
Photo by Pat Jessop by Marguerite Boyer The Limerick Forest Interpretive Centre held an open doors this past Sunday. It was the perfect sunny winter day, and perhaps marked the last day of winter. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of people, line-ups for the horse drawn sleds, people walking, snow shoeing or skying along the trails. There was also an open pit blazing away, where families could roast their hotdogs and marshmallows, all compliments of the centre. Limerick Forest is one of North Grenville’s jewels. Summer, spring, fall or winter there is always a reason to go there. The trails are all well maintained, there’s a beautiful boardwalk along the wet
lands, wooden benches for those of us that need to rest along the way, with views looking out along the wetlands. The open doors day was hosted by The Friends of Limerick, and ran from 10 am to 3 pm. In addition to all the outdoor activities, and there were many, the Interpretive Centre, which has been completely rebuilt since the days of the old Chalet, known to generations of Scouts, Guides and other users of the Forest was open. Egg Collection and Taxidermy displays were located there, as well as the usual collection of artifacts, animals and literature telling of the important and fascinating work that has been done at Limerick Forest in its 75 years. Limerick Forest is a
5782-hectare community forest, owned and managed by the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (UCLG). Although most people think of the section that lies on the southern boundary of North Grenville, the Forest actually has seven major tracts of property, with 175 sections in all. It was formally established in 1940 when the province and the UCLG became partners in the Agreement Forest Program for the management of the abandoned land owned by the County. The program eventually ended in 1995 and the UCLG assumed full responsibility for the management of Limerick Forest in April of 2001. The Limerick Forest Advisory Committee (LFAC), a group of community volunteers, was formed
the same year to advising the UCLG on the management of the land. The LFAC group evolved into a new group with a new job. The “Friends of Limerick Forest”, like its predecessor, is comprised of volunteers interested in the welfare and sustainable management of Limerick Forest. The mandate of the new group emphasizes more active, “hands-on” projects in support of the recently completed FMP. And the event on Sunday was just one of the many activities taking place at Limerick Forest that brings the public in and educates us about trees, forest management, and how much amazing fun and beauty can be found right on our own doorstep.
Merrickville/ Wolford Times page 17, 18