Twice a year, the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area (CFKA) makes grant announcements for community groups and not-for-profits in Kingston. Most of the time, Frontenac County based groups receive grants as well.

There was an exception in late November of last year, when all of the grants went to Kingston. With its spring grant announcement, the CFKA has made it clear that those fall 2018 grants were not the beginning of a trend. This time around, fully one third of the grants, representing over 25% of the $160,000 that was divvied out went to programming for Frontenac County residents.

And the money is going to every corner of the vast county.

The six Frontenac recipients were: the Elbow Lake Environmental Centre (Perth Road area) $9,000, the Clarendon-Miller Archives (Plevna) $6550, Wintergreen Studios (Bedford) $3283, South Frontenac Community Services Corporation (Sydenham) $10,041.20, Rural Frontenac Community Services (Sharbot Lake) $5,500, and RKY Camp (Parham) $8946.06 – over $43,000 in all.

The Elbow Lake Environmental Centre grant is for the "Navigating the Landscape" program. The program will provide the opportunity for youth to actively experience their local environment while learning how to use GPS technology, with the money going towards equipment and bus subsidies to bring youth to the centre.

The Clarendon Miller Archives grant is going towards the "Unravelling History - One Tombstone at a Time" project and the creation of a worldwide searchable on-line database providing historical reference and research of the local cemeteries in North Frontenac, with images to link families with their ancestors and village settlements via a website.

The Wintergreen Studios grant is going to Project Bee. It will help establish an apiary at Wintergreen, which, coupled with year-round workshops, will educate the general public about maintaining healthy bee populations. Project Bee will also enable local schools to join the Bee City Canada school network. Students will have an opportunity to exchange knowledge with beekeepers in Saudi Arabia through a school in Riyadh.

The Southern Frontenac Community Services grant is going to enhance the agencies home making services program, to enable more physically and financially vulnerable seniors to remain living at home safely.

The Rural Frontenac Community Services grant will be used to help fund a ride sharing program, enabling more seniors to attend social events, medical appointments and shopping so more people can participate fully in the community.

The RKY camp grant is going towards the purchase of a new 36” flat top griddle with an oven and holding cabin, to help in the preparation of 600 nutritious and delicious meals to active RKY campers each and every day during the summer camp season.

“A common theme we saw this round in the applications were projects that aim to create a sense of belonging in our community,” says Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) Executive Director Tina Bailey. “We know that providing opportunities for engagement, inclusion and participation are some of the strategies to decrease social isolation. This is particularly true for some of our neighbours, especially youth, newcomers, seniors and those with disabilities.”

The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (ELEEC), in partnership with the Friends of Frontenac Park and Bird Studies Canada, invites participants to the 2nd Annual “Frontenac” Christmas Bird Count (CBC).  The 2016 official count day is Saturday, December 17, beginning with an introductory workshop for novice birders at 8:30 am, followed by the field survey.  No experience necessary – participants of all ages and ability are invited to take part in the day’s events.

The CBC is the longest-running Citizen Science program in the world, promoting conservation and providing valuable data on winter bird populations since Christmas Day of 1900. The Frontenac survey area covers rural areas around Sydenham, Harrowsmith and Perth Road Village, but also encompasses several protected areas within its 24 km diameter, including Frontenac Provincial Park, Gould Lake Conservation Area, and properties owned by the Queen’s University Biological Station and Nature Conservancy of Canada.  We need volunteers to assist with roadside surveys, as well as adventurous pedestrian teams to count birds in more remote areas.  Residents with bird feeders are encouraged to participate as feeder watchers.  To learn more or to take part in the Frontenac CBC, please contact site coordinators Carolyn Bonta / Michael Johnson at 613-531-4578 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Concurrent with the Frontenac CBC, the ELEEC is hosting a Christmas Bird Count for Kids (CBC4K) event to introduce children and their families to birdwatching and local winter bird diversity.  “Young-at-heart” participants are also welcome!  Following an indoor presentation, and armed with binoculars, field guides and audio call recordings, we will then head outdoors on the trails in search of birds to count.  This free morning session will run from 9:30 am to noon.  The ELEEC is located at 1500 Hewlett-Packard Lane, off North Shore Road, near Perth Road Village.  For information on CBC4K, please contact Carolyn Bonta, Manager – Elbow Lake at 613-353-7968 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Suitable for ages 3 and up; advance registration recommended.

About the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre

The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre was established in 2011 through a partnership agreement between the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS), co-owners of the 455-ha Elbow Lake property.  

As the public outreach arm of QUBS, the ELEEC’s mission is to provide outdoor programs to enhance conservation biology teachings in the community.  Our public educational events expose participants to real researchers doing real science right here in our local area, and we do this in a very hands-on way.

For more information on our programs, please visit elbowlakecentre.ca/events.

About The Friends of Frontenac Park

The mission of the Friends of Frontenac Park is to undertake activities to enhance appreciation of the ecosystem of Frontenac Provincial Park, part of which involves creating programs and materials to promote public awareness, education, and understanding of the park’s natural and cultural heritage.

For more information, please visit www.frontenacpark.ca.

About Bird Studies Canada

Bird Studies Canada (BSC) is our country’s leading science-based bird conservation organization.  Our mission is to conserve wild birds of Canada through sound science, on-the-ground actions, innovative partnerships, public engagement, and science-based advocacy.

BSC is a national charity built on the contributions of thousands of supporters and Citizen Scientists.  Using data from our volunteer monitoring programs and targeted research, BSC scientists identify significant population changes and direct conservation planning.  

For more information, please visit www.birdscanada.org.

Contact

To learn more about the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre, please contact:

Carolyn Bonta, Manager – Elbow Lake, QUBS
c/o    Queen’s University Department of Biology
    116 Barrie St.
    Kingston, Ontario  K7L 3N6
Phone: (613) 353-7968
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.elbowlakecentre.ca

To learn more about The Friends of Frontenac Park, please contact:

Friends of Frontenac Park
P.O. Box 2237
Kingston, Ontario  K7L 5J9
www.frontenacpark.ca

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, please contact:

Canadian Christmas Bird Count Coordinator
c/o    Bird Studies Canada
    P.O. Box 160
Port Rowan, Ontario  N0E 1M0
Phone: 1-888-448-(BIRD)2473
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/cbc

Mike Burrell finds beauty where many people can’t.

Looking past the night sky to a source of light, he admires the moths fluttering around the beam. He distinguishes their colour, size and species. He knows they are an invaluable part of nature. “We need moths for the health of our eco-system,” contends the 32-year-old zoologist. “Like anything, if we remove them, we’ll probably have issues.”

Burrell was helping a group of 12 people understand moths at an evening workshop at Elbow Lake Environment Centre (ELEC) on July 16. The workshop was an initiative of ELEC and Kingston Field Naturalists.

Considered a nuisance by many, moths are the quiet workers of the night. “They get a bad rap,” he admits. “Most of them are just going about their business pollinating plants. For the most part, they’re just another actor impacting the ecology of our forests.”

By last July, 783 types of moths were found in South Frontenac. Burrell believes that more than twice that number are waiting to be found and identified.

“I just love the diversity of them; there are so many,” he says with a smile. “You’re not going to go out and not see something new. It’s pretty neat to go out and see something new whenever you want.”

A volunteer with the field naturalists who works with rare animals in Ontario, Burrell is pleased with the public’s interest in the insects.

“We managed to see a lot of moths,” he says with a laugh about the workshop, which described the area’s mix of southern and northern species. “I’d say we were successful… Basically, every kind of plant you can find will have a moth feeding on it,” Burrell explains with authority. “There are all sorts of life histories with the species. There are some rare moths (too). They are just an amazing group of animals to learn about.”

We only saw the Blinded Sphinx on Saturday. 

Close to 40 participants attended a Frontenac County invasive species community seminar that took place at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (ELEEC) on August 29. The seminar, which was aimed at landowners and land managers, was sponsored by the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area and was jointly hosted by the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation and Queen's University Biological Station. ELEEC manager Carolyn Bonta introduced the speakers and stated that the issue of invasive species is impacting the environment, human health and economy at both a local and global level. She explained that the seminar was set up to give people an idea of what is currently being done to address the issues and how people individually can help.

Numerous experts on the subject spoke at length, including Francine MacDonald, a senior invasive species biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. MacDonald opened with a definition of the term “invasive species”, which she defined as “non-native species whose introduction or spread can pose a threat to the environment, economy, society at large, and human health”.

She said that globally these species represent only 0.1% of all non-native introduced species that can become invasive. While the percentage is low, MacDonald said that the impact can be huge on a number of different levels, especially in Ontario, which has the highest number of invasive species in the country. Invasive species can have a dramatic impact on biodiversity and MacDonald said that next only to habitat loss, invasive species pose the second greatest threat to species becoming at risk of extinction. She cited the economic impact of just 16 invasive species in Canada as ranging anywhere from between $13 and $34 million. She explained that these species can arrive either through trade (by hitchhiking on goods or packaging), through the trade of alien species, through transportation (arriving on planes, boats, vehicles or trains) or through tourism and recreation (from the movement of firewood, live bait, and garden escapes).

MacDonald said that some specific legislation has been developed to address certain specific issues. In 2006 the federal government introduced ballast regulations on ships passing through the Great Lakes, which had been the major pathway for invasive aquatic species into the Great Lakes. She also cited the provincial government's decision in 2005 to ban the possession of all live Asian carp species and further how the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources), DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) and Canadian Border Patrol have developed their own plans and enforcements to prevent invasive species from gaining a foothold in the Canadian Great Lakes as well as other international efforts that include the Canadian and Ontario governments' participation.

On the bad news side of the issue, MacDonald said that the threat of invasive species continues to grow both globally and more specifically in Ontario as a result of the ongoing demand for trade, travel, and transport, as well as climate change, reduced ecosystem resilience and habitat degradation. She spoke of how the provincial and federal approaches have been challenged to keep pace with the ongoing threat.

Along with Asian carp, she cited new threats such as the Mountain Pine Beetle, the aquatic plant Water Soldier and the fish species known as Northern Snakehead as serious future threats that need to be addressed.

Next, she outlined Ontario's 2012 Invasive Species Strategic Plan, which aims to prevent future invaders from arriving and surviving in Ontario, and to slow/reverse the spread of and reduce the harmful impacts of already existing invasive species. She called for additional action, which she said is urgently needed, and stated that Ontario's approach of “using a patch work of provincial and federal legislation to address invasive species is not enough and was not designed for this singular purpose”.

Currently the provincial government has introduced Bill 37: Invasive Species Act, 2014 which is now in its second reading and which MacDonald said would provide “strong legislation to better prevent, detect, rapidly respond to and, where feasible, could eradicate invasive species by using a risk-based approach that would consider the full range of risks, cost and benefits to the environment, economy, and society.” Its provisions include a wide range of restrictions on the possession, deposit, release, sell, lease, and trade of various species, as well as giving the MNR and governments the power to respond and address the issue of threats in a timely fashion. MacDonald ended by citing the importance of partnerships in addressing the issue of invasive species and she listed a number of groups and organizations that provide detailed information about how individuals can identify and deal with invasive species. These included The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH, at www.invadingspecies.com), the Ontario Invasive Plant Council (OIPC at www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca), Invasive Species Centre( www.invasivespeciescentre.ca), Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network (www.caisn.ca), and lastly, Ducks Unlimited Canada (www.ducks.ca).

MacDonald was followed by a number of other experts in the field, including Sophie Monfette, an invading species awareness program coordinator with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, who highlighted how EDD Maps can greatly assist in further research by encouraging property owners to use the app to locate and map their own findings. Dr. Shelly Arnott, professor at Queen's University spoke about the use of research to “guide policy and best practices” and she focused her talk on research into three invasive aquatic species: zebra mussels, the bloody red shrimp, and the spiny water flea. Following a lunch break Justin White of Ducks Unlimited Canada spoke about the rapid response to the new provincial threat of European Water chestnut, and gave an overview of eradication efforts that have taken place on Wolfe Island in 2014 and 2015.

Ali Giroux, a conservation biologist in Eastern Ontario with the Nature Conservancy of Canada spoke about invasive management in the Frontenac Arch and lastly Ali Giroux and Amanda Tracey, the latter a PH.D candidate at Queen's University Department of Biology spoke about how to report, recognize and manage invasive species on your own personal property. Elbow Lake was the place to be for those wanting the latest news on invasive species and those who attended no doubt left more knowledgeable and armed with the ways to help fight the threats.

Party Crashers - Invasive Species - are bad news for our native plants. The Frontenac Stewardship Foundation has a plan to fight these party crashers, because invasive species are having a significant impact on the County of Frontenac’s natural biodiversity. The ecological effects of invasive species are often irreversible and, once established, invasive species are extremely difficult and costly to eradicate.

On August 29, join the Invasive Species Community Seminar and learn how to combat the party crashers in your area. The Frontenac Stewardship Foundation and Queen’s University Biological Station are hosting this active learning day at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre, near Perth Road Village. The seminar is part of the Frontenac Stewardship 2015 Seminar Series. Sponsorship is generously provided by the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area.

Provincial leaders from the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry and Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters join reps from Queen's University, Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited to present current policy, research and on-the-ground practices for combating invasive species, using case studies that emphasize local threats.

Topics include: The risk of invasive species and preventing their spread; using research to guide policy and best practices; the Rapid Response Program; and

Invasive species strategy, monitoring and active control in the Frontenac Arch Natural Area.

Species of particular concern for our area include: wild parsnip, dog-strangling vine, zebra mussels, European frogbit, European buckthorn and garlic mustard. A tour of the Elbow Lake property will showcase the garlic mustard, dog-strangling vine and European buckthorn management areas. Learn how to identify local invasive plants at various stages, understand why these species are so invasive, and practise some recommended management strategies. Find out how you can help monitor the spread of invasive plants at a broader scale using Citizen Science programs.

The Invasive Species Community Seminar takes place on Saturday, August 29 from 9am to 3:30pm at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre near Perth Road Village in South Frontenac Township. All are welcome; there is no charge for admission, but space is limited, so advance registration by Friday, Aug. 21, is recommended. Overnight accommodation is available on-site for a nominal fee. To register or for more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-353-7968. Also visit www.elbowlakecentre.ca.

Over 100 visitors attended the annual open house at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre (ELEEC) on May 23.

Located in South Frontenac on the picturesque shores of Elbow Lake, the centre offers a wide range of programming to individuals, local students and groups. This year's open house was extra special in that a number of recently completed projects were either unveiled or launched. The ELEEC is launching a new educational trails project which has three components: signage, infrastructure and an interpretive and interactive trials app. A new trailhead sign that was funded by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation was unveiled and board representative Jeff Clark was present at the unveiling.

The new trails app, also funded by the TD group, was launched at the event and was used during an interpretative hike that was attended by many of the visitors. The app was designed and created by 17-year-old David Lougheed, a long-time volunteer at the centre and the centre's web designer, who was also present at the event.

Participants on the hike included members of Queen's University Library and its vice provost Martha Whitehead, who were instrumental in providing aerial imagery and mapping for the app.

The hikers, invited to download the app, visited numerous trail features, including life in a wetland, and the centre's two main land and water based climate stations. They record various kinds of data which is relayed to a satellite base where researchers from Queen's University can access it. Hikers also used the app to explore white pine, cedar forests, and looked at an invasive plant called European Frogbit. They learned about Old Bird, a microphone system set up on the rooftops at the centre, designed by Bill Evans of Old Bird Inc., that monitors the calls of night migrating thrushes, warblers and sparrows.

The second focus of the open house was the unveiling of a brand new foot bridge. A special ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the bridge where Carolyn Bonta, manager of the centre, and South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vanderwal officially cut the ribbon. The bridge was funded 50% by the township of South Frontenac and 50% by Frontenac County and was built by members of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network trails crew.

The new wooden bridge is 100 feet long, four feet wide, and is equipped with both handrails and mid rails and sits about a foot and a half above the water line. Supported on cribs, it is wheelchair accessible and was designed and donated to the centre by Bert Korporaal, the assistant superintendent of Frontenac Provincial Park. The new bridge spans a section of wetland and is a key connector of the centre's looped trail system. It replaces a former planked boardwalk that was worn and unstable and unable to safely support a large group.

Inside the centre's main pavilion there was a slide show and refreshments were served to visitors. Other events included a demonstration of the centre's High School student programming in limnology, the study of the smallest animals and plants that exist in lakes. A demonstration in seine netting also took place, where participants donned chest waders and nets and caught various fish and other invertebrates that inhabit the lake and wetlands. The centre also runs an Eco-Adventure daycamp with an environmental focus for youth aged 10-14 who learn from visiting scientists, and have the opportunity to explore the centre as well as swim and canoe on site.

The center is open all year round, but visitors must make an appointment in advance. It can accommodate overnight groups, and takes bookings for groups and organizations. Appointments can be made by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 613-353-7968.

The centre has a number of upcoming public programs planned this summer: including Dispatches from the Field on June 5 and July 14, Bass Fishing for Women on July 24-26, a night of astronomy on August 12, and an invasive species series of workshops and seminars on August 29. For more information about these events visit the centre's website at elbowlakecentre.ca

Tina Bailey, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area (CFKA) says the organisation, which provides grants for community organizations on a twice-annual basis, has been seeking to raise its profile outside of Kingston.

At the announcement for its latest crop of 24 grants, for a total value of $106,000, a healthy number went to organizations outside of Kingston, most of them in Frontenac County.

The list includes the largest grant given out, $12,200 to the Central Frontenac Railway Museum, which will be used to provide half the resources to construct a railway-themed play structure at Railway Park in Sharbot Lake. Slated for installation in 2016, the structure will consist of a steam engine, coal car and ramp surrounded by a safe engineered play surface.

Other grants include $4,000 to the Elbow Lake Environmental Centre (ELEC), which is located off the Perth Road, to fund an outreach assistant this coming fall. This will allow ELEC to encourage all local high schools to visit the center and experience their expanded selection of curriculum-based programs.

A related grant, for $7,000, is going to the Frontenac Stewardship Foundation. The money will be used to set up an invasive species demonstration at the ELEC. This partnership will provide the community with the tools and information to combat the growing problem of invasive species. Some of the target species in question include Purple Loosestrife, Dog Strangling Vine, Lilac, Zebra Mussels, Emerald Ash Borer and many more.

The Howe Island Garden Buds have received $2,393 for the Howe Island Community Development Project, which will be an enduring legacy on the island. The enriched environment will highlight the natural surroundings, beautify the island and develop public access to the waterfront where the Bateau Channel meets the St. Lawrence River.

Finally, the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra received $5,425 to support an outreach exchange trip for the orchestra to the Rollo Bay Music festival in King’s County, Prince Edward Island, this July. The festival gathers renowned Celtic, Acadian, and Olde Tyme Fiddlers from across the Maritimes.

With over $31,000 of the $106,000 in grants, Frontenac County projects have been well supported this time around.

“It really helps us to promote the opportunities we offer, particular outside of Kingston, to receive such a breadth of applications from projects in Frontenac County. We certainly hope this will help us get our message out and enhance our profile in those communities,” said Tina Bailey.

The CFKA is a local, independent foundation affiliated with 191 other community foundations in Canada and worldwide, an association which now includes over 1,600 members.

“We take a broad view of community , funding projects in all areas from heritage preservation to children's mental health but we are looking to fund more projects that address identified community needs ,” said Bailey, who referred to the recent launch of a new Smart & Caring Communities Fund to further those efforts.

The foundation is always active. As soon as they were finished celebrating recipients of the spring grants at the May 14 announcement, they began preparing for the next application deadline ON September 9. They are also working towards offering some larger grants this fall, when the foundation will consider a select number of applications for between $10,000 and $25,000 for projects related to the following areas: getting started in the community, food security and community engagement..

The CFKA also produces Vital Signs, an annual report card on the health and well being of residents in Kingston, Frontenac County, Loyalist Township and Amherst Island.

Photo by Garrett Elliott