Our fundraising efforts this year did not bear fruit until late spring and as a result our efforts to recruit students to act as campsite stewards in the islands of eastern Georgian Bay were unusually delayed, making it unclear whether we would be able to put a program in the field this year. However, we have been able able to engage club member Melissa Hachkowski and her brother Christopher to work as our students this summer. Many of you know Melissa, a keen and experienced kayaker and camper. Her brother has just completed his first year of studies in an Earth Sciences program and, like his sister, is a kayaker and camper. They will make a great team.

Following their training and planning, they will spend their time touring the islands of eastern Georgian Bay from the north end of Massasauga Park to the edge of the newly expanded French River Provincial Park. Their duties include cleaning campsites and the maintenance and installation of thunderboxes, as well as liaising with the public, trying to encourage minimum impact camping practices and encouraging everyone to participate in a voluntary fire ban on the 30,000 islands. Again this year our focus will be on the outer islands and bays that are inaccessible by motor boat; the inside of Franklin Island and Huckleberry Island will be looked after by a team of stewards from Carling Township and the MNR. You can follow the activities of our Georgian Bay Stewards in their weekly reports. (See below.)

This program, pioneered by past GBC chairman David Ivens, is a small but valuable contribution to environmental protection in one of the best freshwater kayaking areas in the world, makes our club an ambassador for kayaking and is just too good to lose, so I am really pleased that we will again be carrying on the mission this season.

                                                                                                                        Keith Rodgers, Acting Georgian Bay Committee Chairman

Georgian Bay Stewardship Report

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