Tree Planting at the St. Francis Centre November 8, 2011

Submitted by: Carol Sheppard

    
  On a drizzly day in November, 10 die-hard Caledon Club, and one from our neighbouring Toronto club,  trail building and maintenance people answered a call for help at the St. Francis Centre. The Centre had received a grant through Ontario Streams for 235 trees and shrubs to be planted along side their branch of the Humber River.  Ontario Streams works with landowners to rehabilitate the buffer around streams and rivers to improve native fish habitat.  Christine Pritchard, Project Biologist with Ontario Streams, was on hand to guide the damp but cheerful crew and to answer the many questions that everyone had about her organization.  The St. Francis Centre is a very supportive landowner, and we were most happy to help out, especially since their thank you was serving the workers a homemade lunch of BBQ'd hamburgers, cookies and warm drinks.

 

  




St. Francis Centre Recognized For Long-Standing Relationship with the Caledon Club

On May 15, 2010 25 hikers met to hike in the Mono Mills area and to visit long time landowners, the St. Francis Centre. The Centre is located on Highway 9 just east of Mono Mills and has welcomed the Bruce Trail since 1998.

It was a leisurely hike designed to appeal to the social hikers among us. Abundant wild flowers guided our group's descent into the Humber Valley where we met the St. Francis Centre's director, Mary Volpe in the picnic area.

Our new president, Jean Kerins and I, presented Mary with our Landowner Appreciation certificate and expressed our sincere gratitude for their access permission. She, in turn, thanked the Caledon Hills Club for our excellent working relationship that has developed between us. Her kind words, belief and trust in what the Bruce Trail stands for made me feel so flattered that I forgot for a moment who was being honoured.

Our appreciation event ended with a special surprise. Mary invited the entire group back to the Centre for coffee, tea and goodies that had been prepared by her staff. The snack stop gave each hiker a chance to chat with Mary and express a few words of personal appreciation.

Thank you for very much for the wonderful visit to the St. Francis Centre and for being such a gracious host, we enjoyed our time with you.