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Guest Speaker at our AGM – Kristie Virgoe from Kawartha Conservation

“There is something about the smell of the damp forest floor, the sound of the birds singing and leaves jostling in the wind.  We slow down, we breathe deeper, we feel our mind slowly release the tension of the day.  This is forest bathing.”

Kristie Virgoe, Director, Stewardship & Conservation Lands at Kawartha Conservation is coming to our AGM as our guest speaker to give us a peek in the world of Shinrin-Yoku or forest bathing.  Kristie is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.  “It is more than just a walk in the forest, it is about deepening our relationship with the more than human world.  The health benefits are well documented in scientific study, but more importantly, you will FEEL them simply by participating.  Shinrin-Yoku is the practice of immersing yourself in the natural environment.  This art is centuries old, but became a formal program in Japan in the 1980’s as a response to an ailing population.  Through this gentle wandering we boost our immune systems, reduce our stress hormones, lower our cholesterol and improve our mental health.”

Come out and enjoy Kristie’s presentation and take part in our 3rd AGM.

DATE:  Saturday March 24, 2018

TIME:  Doors open at 12:30 pm, meeting starts at 1:00 pm until about 3:30 pm.  Light refreshments served at 2:00 pm.

PLACE:  W.R. Best Memorial Public School, on the Old Barrie Road, about 1 km east of the village of Dalston

Elections will be taking place for three positions on the Board for the following user groups:  Snow Sports, Naturalists and Horse Back Riders.  If you are not currently a paid member and wish to have a vote in the elections, please purchase your 2018 membership by February 24, 2018.  You can do this on our website.

Here is a copy of the minutes from our 2017 AGM:

AGM MINUTES 2017 web

A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM OUR ECOLOGY & SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Do you love to step out into Copeland Forest and admire the trees, adorned in lichens and mosses, their branches swaying high above you?   Hear the gentle bubble of water as it emerges from a hidden spring? Listen to the chorus of birds in the canopy above you?  Inhale the rich aroma of the soils, where earth and water and plants come together in a combination that is absolutely rejuvenating?  If you share this feeling about Copeland, then our Ecology & Sustainability Committee is seeking your help.  We are in need of volunteers like you to help us take care of this special place.  Why not join other like-minded Copeland enthusiasts and join the E&S Committee and use your passion to help us keep this Forest healthy.  Please contact Pat Woodford at strix.woodfordii@sympatico.ca for more information.  We look forward to hearing from you.

 

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

DATE: SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018
TIME: 1-3 PM (Doors open at 12:30 pm)
Coffee and refreshments served at 2:30 pm
LOCATION: W.R. Best Memorial Public School, Old Barrie Road, about 1 km east of the village of Dalston.

Come on out and see what’s been happening with the Friends. Renew your membership and have your say in the voting of representatives to the Board of Directors. The Board is made up of 11 voting members, with one member representing each of the 9 user groups and 2 Directors-at-Large. The 9 user groups are: Anglers & Hunters, Horse Back Riders, Hikers, Mountain Bikers, Naturalists, Business, Snow Sports, Residents and Horseshoe Resort.
Each year at the AGM, elections are held for 3 of the 9 user groups for a representative on the CFFA Board of Directors. This year, the 3 user groups are: Snow Sports, Naturalists and Horse Back Riders. The two Director-at-Large positions are appointed annually by the Board.
Each paid member of the Copeland Forest Friends has one vote in the election within the user group designation. When you become a member you indicate which user group you wish to be a part of.  If you are not already a member and wish to join and also have a vote at the meeting on March 24, 2018, you must purchase your membership before February 24, 2018. As mentioned, the voting this year will be only for the Director positions representing Snow Sports, Naturalists and Horse Back Riders.
Updates on the agenda and details on our guest speaker are coming soon and will be posted on our Facebook page.
We look forward to meeting you on March 24th.

Here is a copy of the minutes from last year’s AGM:

AGM MINUTES 2017 web

Winter Parking Is Now Available All Winter Long at P2

We are pleased to announce that our winter parking plans have expanded. We have a signed agreement with a local contractor to plow Parking Lot #2 (on the south side of Ingram Road, just east of Line 4 North). When there is a snowfall of 10 or more centimetres, the lot will be cleared of snow for your parking convenience. The lot has been plowed over a dozen times this winter, and it’s only mid January!
Thank you to the Township of Oro-Medonte for their financial assistance with this project. The snow removal contract represents a sizable portion of our budget and we have plans to install a donation box at the parking lot. In the interim, any donation would be greatly appreciated and can be done on our website.

Come Join Us for our Fall Fair

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DATE:  Saturday September 30, 2017

TIME:  10 am to 2 pm

LOCATION:  Horseshoe Cross Country Chalet on Horseshoe Valley Road, directly across the road from Horseshoe Resort.

Come join us for a fun-filled family day at our Fall Fair.  Take a wagon ride out to the start of the “Trail of Discovery”.  Follow the trail into Copeland Forest and walk along the apple trail, stopping at the stations along the way to learn about things that go on in the forest you may not know about.  Trail is less than 2 km long.  Earn tickets at each forest station and there will be a draw at 1 pm for some awesome prizes from our sponsors.

Lots of other things to do, including:

Guided mountain bike rides with RideGuides.ca for all ages and abilities (bring your own bike and helmet).

Mountain bike obstacle course for little (and big!) kids and a fun guided trail ride just for kids.

Fun things for little people at the Oro-Medonte Forest School’s  home –  at the fire pit behind the Chalet.

Delicious BBQ lunch, sponsored by Horseshoe Resort.

Lots of sponsor booths.

Sign up and become a member of Copeland Forest friends (or renew your current membership) for only $25 and lunch is on us!

Buying your membership at the fair also gives you a chance to win one of four $50 gift certificates from Mountain Equipment Co-op or a $100 gift certificate from The Keg.

Follow us on Facebook for further updates. Hope to see you there!

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Join Us For Our Annual General Meeting

DATE: Saturday February 18, 2017

TIME: 12:30 – 3:00 PM

LOCATION: W.R. Best Memorial Public School located on Old Barrie Road, about 1 km east of the village of Dalston, (To read more, click on title above) which is at the corner of Simcoe Rd 93 and Old Barrie Road.

We look forward to you joining us for fellowship and discussion about what’s been happening in the forest and plans for the future. The proposed agenda is:

12:30 – 1:00 pm         Membership table & browsing information booths

1:00 – 1:30 pm           Break out to user group meetings for ELECTIONS & discussions.

1:30 – 2:00 pm          Refreshments in the gym

2:00 – 2:30 pm          Guest speaker, Carl Lesperance from Severn Sound Environmental Association

2:30 – 3:00 pm          Annual General Meeting – Reports from the President, Treasurer, Membership Chair and Committees, Election of new Board, reports from user group meetings.

We welcome Carl Lesperance as a guest speaker. Carl is from the Severn Sound Environmental Association and he will speak to the ecological health of the region and water quality issues. This is of great importance to us, as Copeland Forest is the source of three rivers in the region, two of which flow into the Severn Sound.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ELECTIONS

Elections will be held for three of our user group director positions which are up for renewal.

  1. Business
  2. Hunters & Anglers
  3. Mountain Bikers

Each of these positions is for a 3-year term and the newly elected user group reps will serve as Directors on the Copeland Forest Friends Association Board of Directors.  CFFA meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month, 6:30 pm at Horseshoe Resort. According to our Constitution, persons wishing to put their names forward for these positions are required to be a paid member of the Copeland Forest Friends Association. If the candidate is not already a member of the CFFA, they must purchase a membership at least one month prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Board consists of 9 user group directors representing Snow Sports, Hunters & Anglers, Hikers, Mountain Bikers, Horse Back Riders, Naturalists, Residents, Businesses, and Horseshoe Resort. There are also two members-at-large who are appointed by the Board on an annual basis, for a total of eleven voting members. Executive positions on the Board, namely President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary are elected by the Board.

Winter Parking Access

Our winter season in Copeland Forest is off to a great start and the snow conditions are good for a winter outing in the forest.  Please note that the parking lots on Ingram Road at Line 3 and Line 4 are NOT plowed.  However, the Township of Oro-Medonte will continue to provide two lay-by parking areas:  one on Ingram Road at Line 3 (marked as P1 on our trails map) and also a second one on Line 5, north of the train tracks (marked as P3 on our trails map).  The trails map can be downloaded from our website www.copelandfriends.ca or purchased for a toonie at these locations:  in Craighurst, the Esso, Loobie’s Restaurant and Woodside Pottery & Gallery. In Barrie, at Bikeland, Greenhawk and Sojourn.  In Orillia at The Birdhouse Nature Company and the Couchiching Conservancy.  CFFA members receive a free copy of the map with their membership.

Thank You Mountain Equipment Co-op

Copeland Forest Friends is delighted to share that we were nominated and selected for a Staff Choice Community Grant by Mountain Equipment Co-op and were presented with a cheque for $750!  “We are so grateful to receive such a generous donation and will put the funds to work to ensure a vibrant future for our beautiful Copeland Forest”, says Mary Anne Greatrix, CFFA Board Member.  Many thanks to the wonderful staff at the Barrie MEC store for their support.  We look forward to an exciting future and welcome MEC as a partner.