NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, March 22, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
Friends of Minesing Wetlands Historic Tour & AGM
Date: Saturday, March 30, 2019 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Fort Willow Conservation Area, 2714 Grenfel Rd.
New Date!
Join the Friends of Minesing Wetlands at their AGM for an interactive tour of fantastic Fort Willow under the stars.
Historical re-enactors Dennis and Ruthan Johnson will walk visitors through the perils that fur traders and First Nations men and women would have found at Fort Willow during wintertime in the early 1800's.
Enjoy samples of delicious period food and drink including pumpkin puree, toasted pumpkin seeds, chicken broth and cider.
If clear skies allow, an amateur astronomer will be pointing out some constellations.
Admission, parking, entertainment, hot chocolate and yummy samples are all free.
Note - This is an outdoor event - come dressed for the weather.
Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2019 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
A springtime tradition! Maple syrup takes centre stage at the Spring Tonic festival, with a pancake and sausage breakfast served daily until 2 p.m.
This event runs both Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. See below for full details.
Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival
Date: Sunday, April 7, 2019 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
A springtime tradition!
Maple syrup takes centre stage at the Spring Tonic festival, with a pancake and sausage breakfast served daily until 2 p.m.
Costumed re-enactors will be on hand to demonstrate pioneer and First Nations methods of making maple syrup, and Tiffin's sugar shack will be open for visitors to see how syrup is made today. Tiffin maple syrup and other Simcoe County maple products will be on sale.
Other activities include horse-drawn wagon rides, crafts, live music, visits with local fire and police officers, and a “Zoo to You" animal show. For a small materials fee of $5, visitors can build a bird feeder to take home. Tiffin's scenic hiking trails will be open, with long and short paths for hikers of all abilities.
All-inclusive admission, including breakfast, is $14 for adults, $7 for kids 12 and under, and free for infants (cash only please).
The Tiffin Centre is located 10 minutes west of Barrie at 8195 8th Line of Essa, 4 km south of Highway 90 – watch for the signs.
This event runs both Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7.
Poster: Spring_Tonic_Poster_2019.pdf
FAQs
Where do I get tickets for Spring Tonic?
Tickets are sold at the gate during the festival. Please note that we can only accept cash.
How much do the activities cost?
Your admission price includes your breakfast and all activities. The only extra costs you might want to plan for are a $5 material fee to build a bird feeder and money to purchase maple syrup to take home. Cash only please.
Do I need to accompany my children to this event?
Yes. Young children will require supervision.
Is there any food for purchase at the Tiffin Centre?
A pancake and sausage breakfast, complete with local maple syrup, juice and coffee, is included in your admission price. There is no other food for sale, so if you think you'll want a snack, please bring it with you.
Where can I eat?
Seating will be available in the picnic pavilion (indoor and outdoor options). Water fountains are available at the Jose Centre to fill up re-useable water bottles.
Are there washrooms?
Yes. There are several outhouses throughout the conservation area. Indoor washrooms are available in the Jose Environmental Education Centre.
What if it snows or rains?
The festival runs snow, rain or shine. Please come prepared for outdoor activity and dress appropriately for the weather.
Where can I park?
Visitor parking is available in the conservation area; if required, overflow parking will be roadside on 8th Line. The cost of parking is included in your ticket price.
Can I bring my dog to this event?
Well behaved, leashed dogs are welcome to attend this event, but note that only service animals may go inside our buildings.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, April 26, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
Family Nature Days - Wilderness Survival
Date: Friday, May 3, 2019 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
Join us for a fun, outdoor, family-friendly environmental education program. Perfect for families that homeschool or those wanting to spend PA/PD Days outside!
Early May Program - Head out into the woods for a day of navigation, shelter building, and foraging at the Tiffin Centre.
See our Family Nature Days page for registration information.
NVCA Arbour Day Tree Sale
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2019 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
Join us for the annual NVCA Arbor Day Tree Sale!
Trees are sold in bundles of 10 for $20-$30. Cash or credit card payments only.
This year's sale features a variety of trees and shrubs, which may include: white pine; red pine; Norway and white spruce; white cedar; silver maple; white birch; nannyberry; American highbush cranberry; sumac; red and bur oak; black walnut; and sycamore. (List will be updated closer to the event.)
Trees are sold on a first-come, first served basis. Quantities of certain species may be limited.
Tree Identification Walk - DSLSN
Date: Saturday, May 25, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Little Tract, Dufferin County Forest, 938130 Airport Rd (west side, about 15 km north of Hwy 89, near Mansfield)
Having trouble telling the difference between ash and maple? Are the terms coniferous and deciduous a mystery to you?
Join County staff to identify local native species of trees, shrubs, and a few plants on a walk through the Little Tract of the Dufferin County Forest.
Cost: $10. Pre-registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants. To register, contact Caroline Mach at 519-941-1114 ext. 4011.
This event is hosted and organized by the Dufferin Simcoe Land Stewardship Network.
Family Nature Days - Predators & Prey
Date: Friday, May 31, 2019 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
Join us for a fun, outdoor, family-friendly environmental education program. Perfect for families that homeschool or those wanting to spend PA/PD Days outside!
Late May Program - Explore the forest ecosystem at the Tiffin Centre and find the hidden geocached treasures, then become part of the ecosystem as part of a predator-prey role playing game.
See our Family Nature Days page for registration information.
Wildflower Identification Walk - DSLSN
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Little Tract, Dufferin County Forest, 938130 Airport Rd (west side, about 15 km north of Highway 89, near Mansfield)
Are trilliums the only wildflowers you can identify? And is that only because they are the provincial flower?
Join local life-long (since she was five!) terrestrial and aquatic botanist Dawn Renfrew on a leisurely walk through the Little Tract of the Dufferin County Forest to identify spring wildflowers.
Cost: $10. Pre-registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants. To register, contact
Caroline Mach at 519-941-1114 ext. 4011.
This event is hosted and organized by the Dufferin Simcoe Land Stewardship Network.
Edible Wild Walk - DSLSN
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Tottenham Tract, Simcoe County Forest (6631 2nd Line New Tecumseth, about 1.5 km north of Highway 9, south of Tottenham)
Karen Stephenson (www.ediblewildfood.com) will identify plants and describe their edible and medicinal values, ending off with a wild-plant beverage (bring your own mug). Karen is a certified Master Naturalist who has been a
forager for over ten years and a wild food educator for
five.
Cost: $20. Pre-registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants.
To register, click here.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, June 28, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
Family Nature Days - Pond Living
Date: Friday, June 28, 2019 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
Join us for a fun, outdoor, family-friendly environmental education program. Perfect for families that homeschool or those wanting to spend PA/PD Days outside!
June Program - Spend the day on Papa Bear Pond! Learn about the plants, bugs, fish and other animals that make their home in the pond, build a model sailboat, then take to the water and try your hand paddling a canoe.
See our Family Nature Days page for registration information.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, August 23, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
Edible Wild Walk - Autumn
Date: Saturday, September 7, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Tottenham Tract, Simcoe Forest
Karen Stephenson will identify plants and describe their edible and medicinal values, ending off with a wild-plant beverage (bring your own mug). Karen is a certified Master Naturalist who has been a forager for over ten years and a wild food educator for five.
Cost: $20. Pay at event. Cash only.
Registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants.
Mushroom Foray
Date: Saturday, September 21, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Wallwin Tract, near Everett
Have you always wondered what those mushrooms growing under your pine trees are? Are you curious to know about the relationships between mushrooms and trees? Do you wonder why we have mushrooms at all?
If you want these and all your other questions about mushrooms answered, join renowned naturalist Bob Bowles and learn how mushrooms grow, where they grow, how to identify them, their relationship with trees and the soil, and what species are edible.
Cost: $15. Pay at event. Cash only.
Registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants.
Click Here to Register
This event is being organized by the Dufferin Simcoe Land Stewardship Network.
Mushroom Foray
Date: Sunday, September 22, 2019 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Copeland Forest, near Craighurst
Have you always wondered what those mushrooms growing under your pine trees are? Are you curious to know about the relationships between mushrooms and trees? Do you wonder why we have mushrooms at all?
If you want these and all your other questions about mushrooms answered, join renowned naturalist Bob Bowles and learn how mushrooms grow, where they grow, how to identify them, their relationship with trees and the soil, and what species are edible.
Cost: $15. Pay at event. Cash only.
Registration required, spaces are limited to ensure a high quality experience for all participants.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, September 27, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, October 25, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
NVCA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: Friday, December 13, 2019 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Tiffin Centre for Conservation, 8195 8th Line, Utopia
The public are invited to attend NVCA Board Meetings.
Click here to view the meeting agenda. Note: agendas are posted 1 week prior to the meeting, and minutes are posted after they are approved.
