GLIN==> Canadian Technical Tour with SWCS

There's an outstanding opportunity to take a tour?in Canada?on Wednesday, July 15, during the Soil and Water Conservation Society 64th Annual International Conference. 

The Canadian Technical Tour will include visits to a Demonstration Farm, Pit and Mound Project sites, and The Point Pelee National Park in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. There will also be a brief presentation and site visit on Emerald Ash Borer in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.


The Essex Region Conservation's Authority's (ERCA's) Demonstration Farm is a 40 acre site operated by ERCA in partnership with more than 25 private and public organizations and individuals. The Farm was designed to illustrate an important message: agriculture and the environment can work together in harmony to produce a diverse and sustainable landscape.

The pit and mound project sites highlight a restoration technique used as an alternative to the traditional forestry technique where trees are planted in rows. Heavy equipment is used to create small 'pits' and 'mounds' in an attempt to mimic the varying moisture conditions of a mature, natural forest floor. Large quantities of native tree nuts, grass and wildflower seeds, and seedlings are hand planted into the site to stimulate the natural regeneration process. Over 200 acres of pit and mound sites have been completed throughout the region since 2004.

Point Pelee National Park, located 50 km (30 miles) south-east of Windsor, Ontario, is one of Canada's smallest national parks, and yet this tiny green oasis attracts approximately 300,000 visitors each year. There are over 70 species of trees alone. Nowhere else in Canada are there more species of reptiles (27) and amphibians (20). The zone is also home to 50 species of spiders and insects not found elsewhere in Canada. 

Rules for international travel change June 1, 2009: You must have a passport and valid documentation to go on this tour. You will not be allowed to board the bus without proper documentation in your possession. 

Time: 7 AM - 5 PM

The deadline for early registration is June 2nd.

For more information on tours, other conference features and registration?go to: http://www.swcs.org/en/conferences/2009_annual_conference/outdoor_classroom_tours_/ 

Daniel F. Kesselring, Secretary
Michigan Chapter SWCS
Marshall, MI 49068
Daniel.Kesselring at miswcs.org
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