Bathing in the lake: It’s okay if I use biodegradable soap, right?
Actually, no. Many cottagers and lake associations struggle with the issue of people lathering up and jumping in the lake. While many of these offenders try to minimize the environmental…
Reducing Your Personal Impact
By Dan Vanclieaf Have you ever asked what you can do to ensure a healthy and sustainable Muskoka? One of the most important actions you can take is to…
Simple Ways to Reduce the Spread of Invasive Species
By Dylan Moesker Invasive species are a growing topic of concern as the importance of native species is becoming better understood. Experts in the field have been actively trying…
The Importance of Wetlands for You and for Muskoka
By Dan Vanclieaf In a region renowned for its lakes and rivers, the importance of wetlands in maintaining a healthy and functioning ecosystem is often forgotten. In the recent…
Healthy Watersheds are Biodiverse and Resilient
‘Biodiverse’, ‘Resilient’, words like these don’t mean a lot to the average Muskokan, but we all understand the idea of a healthy environment occupied by the kinds of plants…
Muskoka’s Lakes Should Offer Good Homes for Fish
We all know fish live in water. Anglers know that fish, just like us, have their real estate preferences, and don’t hang out just anywhere in a lake. The…
When Algae Go Bad
By Dr. Norman Yan In a previous article I argued that “we’d be stupid, hungry, and dead without algae” in the waters of the world, because every other breath…
We Owe Our Lives to Algae
By Dr. Norman Yan The 2014 Muskoka Watershed Report Card was released in May and presents the results of monitoring the health of our watersheds. For the first time…
Muskoka’s Aquatic Invaders
by Norman Yan Olympic medals aren’t the only things that have recently come to Muskoka from the Socchi area. It’s also given us some of our most problematic invading…
Interior Forests: More Important Than You Realize
Natural forests play a large role in maintaining the natural beauty found within Muskoka. We know they convert CO2 into useable oxygen for us to breathe, filter surface and…
Muskoka’s Biodiversity – Part 3: Managing for the conservation of biodiversity
The previous two articles in this series have talked about the importance of biodiversity and how Muskoka’s biodiversity has changed and will continue to change. What can we,…
Muskoka’s Biodiversity – Part 2: A changing environment
Last week’s article talked about biodiversity in Muskoka and why it is important for our environment and economy. Is Muskoka’s biodiversity getting better or worse? A historical…