Lake Partner Program – LPP

There are two measurement points. Site 1 is in the arm of North Otter that connects the Salmon Lake Road culvert and the rest of the lake (opposite the Evans’ property). Site 2 is near the Scout camp. Both sites measure around the middle/deepest part of the lake.

North Otter Lake phosphorous levels
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/total-phosphorus-report?id=71010001
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/total-phosphorus-report?id=71010002

North Otter Lake Secchi depths
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/secchi-depth-report?id=71010001
https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/secchi-depth-report?id=71010002

About the LPP
https://desc.ca/programs/LPP

CRCA Lake Fact Sheet for North Otter lake
https://www.crca.ca/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/LakeReports/2017-FactSheet-NorthOtterLake.pdf

Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae)

The Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) has recently put online a workshop on blue-green algae (BGA). It was made by a KFN member and two Queens students and consists of two videos on YouTube. The first covers mainly research into BGA and runs for 53 minutes, and the second deals with identifying different cyanobacteria and runs for 20 minutes.

These are particularly relevant as they cover research carried out at Queens on nearby Dog Lake. Some of the content is quite technical, but there is a lot to learn if you are interested.

The videos are:
https://youtu.be/FaXU-UfYnlE Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae, BGA) workshop
https://youtu.be/q098ePKib5A Using your foldscope to identify blue-green algae (BGA) blooms.

Otter Lake Binder Records

The Otter Lake Binder Records contain an informal record of the state of Otter Lake and its natural history, as reported by NSOLA members at each AGM.

If you were not able to fill out the form at the AGM and would like to add your observations to the record, the blank form is available here. Please download the form and when completed email it to Pam Wheaton (the address is on the form).

Gypsy Moths

South Frontenac published this page of information and further web links on July 15, 2020.
https://www.southfrontenac.net//modules/news/index.aspx?newsId=34c304a5-58b0-49c7-bdd8-06782d4de3d3

Here are a few photos I took this year of the various stages of the gypsy moth
https://dunn.ca/flora_fauna/insects/gypsy_moth/gypsy_moth.html

This 70 page document, Predators of the Gypsy Moth, was published over 40 years ago by the USDA. I’m sure some of the information is outdated, but I found it interesting to read the role that many native creatures have in controlling the gypsy moth.
https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT87713600/PDF

Keith Dunn
NSOLA webmaster and LPP volunteer
nsola@nsola.org

Dear Residents, Cottagers and Members

Good news! With the relaxing of COVID-19 rules in Ontario, Frontenac Provincial Park has now given us permission to hold our AGM outdoors in the park.

The time is unchanged – Sunday morning, August 9, 2020 at 10 a.m. The location is the picnic area next to the park headquarters.

I know this will please many people as the Zoom format is difficult for those spending time around the lake without internet access. But I also appreciate that we will miss some members who cannot physically get here this year, especially those of you affected by closed borders – we look forward to seeing you again as soon as conditions allow.

The park will provide some picnic tables and garbage cans. The composting toilets will be open and the water tap will be functioning. But nobody will be allowed access to the main building. We will not be able to provide the coffee, tea and cookies that we usually do.

We will be holding this meeting rain or shine. A postponement will only be made in case of lightning making conditions unsafe.

Yes, there are  COVID-19 restrictions – by now you should know them!

• Please maintain social distancing – 2m apart.
• Wear a face covering, something you can talk through.
• Bring hand sanitizer.

Also

• Bring your own chairs if possible
• Bring your own snacks/drinks
• Bring an umbrella if it is raining

And a reminder that we are looking for people interested in joining the Executive. We meet casually a couple of times a year to discuss issues relating to our community and region, whether environmental, social, or political. This is not a large commitment, but it is important in ensuring that we can monitor, and if necessary intervene in, any affairs which might affect our lakes and our residents. If you would like to know more please contact me.

We look forward seeing as many of you as possible!

Anita Dunn
President, NSOLA
executive@nsola.org

Annual General Meeting – Sunday August 9, 2020

Dear Residents, Cottagers and Members

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday morning, August 9, 2020 at 10 a.m. as a virtual, online Zoom meeting.

We had really hoped to be able to hold a physical meeting where members could socialise and share information, but under the current circumstances this is not possible.

An email is being sent to all members in the next day or two giving notice of the meeting and including the link and details for joining the Zoom meeting, and a copy of the draft agenda. If you don’t get this by the end of July please contact me at executive@nsola.org.

If you have anything you would like to be discussed at the meeting, please contact me so that it can be included on the agenda.

We are looking for people interested in joining the Executive. We meet casually a couple of times a year to discuss issues relating to our community and region, whether environmental, social, or political. This is not a large commitment, but it is important in ensuring that we can monitor, and if necessary intervene in, any affairs which might affect our lakes and our residents. If you would like to know more please contact me.

We look forward to meeting with you all online!

Anita Dunn
President, NSOLA
executive@nsola.org

The Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) has recently put online a workshop on blue-green algae (BGA). It was made by a KFN member and two Queens students and consists of two videos on YouTube. The first covers mainly research into BGA and runs for 53 minutes, and the second deals with identifying different cyanobacteria and runs for 20 minutes.

These are particularly relevant as they cover research carried out at Queens on nearby Dog Lake. Some of the content is quite technical, but there is a lot to learn if you are interested.

The videos are:

• https://youtu.be/FaXU-UfYnlE  Cyanobacteria (Blue-Green Algae, BGA) workshop
• https://youtu.be/q098ePKib5A Using your foldscope to identify blue-green algae (BGA) blooms.

The 2020 AGM has been scheduled for Sunday August 9, 2020.  As in previous years we have reserved the activity room at the Frontenac Provincial Park Headquarters.

However the COVID-19 situation means that there is a strong possibility that we will not be able to hold a physical meeting at that time. The NSOLA Executive is monitoring the situation and the meeting will only go ahead then at that location if the government rules permit it and if the Executive considers it to be safe and prudent to do so.

If the physical meeting cannot proceed we plan to hold a virtual AGM on that same date, using Zoom. We held our last Executive meeting via Zoom and it worked well, so we have confidence that an AGM could be handled this way.

Stand by for more news as the situation evolves.

Anita Dunn
President, NSOLA
Email: executive@nsola.org

The Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington is your local land trust.

As an all-volunteer organization, all donations are focused on protecting lands for nature in this region. We have regional protection priorities that complement the national-interest priorities of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

You can find our Natural Heritage Plan on our website. It identifies areas of highest interest for conservation and shows the area between Frontenac Provincial Park and Puzzle Lake Provincial Park as a vital corridor to maintain for ecosystem health.

We publish a Passport to Nature that lists free, expert-led, outdoor events in the area all year long. We want to encourage people to care about the natural environment and help us to conserve areas as nature reserves.

Our neighbour Anne Robertson is a long time LC-KFLA Board member and would be pleased to answer your questions.

www.LandConservancyKFLA.org

At the AGM on July 21, 2019 Ross Sutherland, South Frontenac Councillor, spoke about the 2019-2021 Strategic Planning for the Township of South Frontenac, and emphasized how important it is for all residents to get involved in helping develop the plans for the future.

Start by giving your input to the South Frontenac survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LSTMT8M.

For more information or to contact Ross please go to his website https://rosssutherlandloughborough.net/.

Dear Residents, Cottagers and Members.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday morning, July 21, 2019. As usual, the meeting will be held at Frontenac Provincial Park Headquarters.

We really hope to see you there. This is a great opportunity to share news of what is happening to our lakes and surroundings, and also to meet the other people who share your lake.

Here’s an outline of the updated schedule:

9:30 a.m. Coffee, paying memberships, name-tags

10:00 a.m. AGM business

11:00 a.m. A few words by Ross Sutherland, Councillor, South Frontenac Township

11:15  a.m. A few words by a representative of Frontenac Provincial Park

11:30 a.m. Talk on owls by Anne Robertson

After the presentation there will be time to socialise and enjoy a tea or coffee and cookies. The AGM part of the meeting does not really take that long. Much of the time is spent talking and exchanging ideas.

If you have anything you would like to be discussed at the meeting please contact me so that it can be included on the agenda.

We are looking for people interested in joining the Executive. We meet casually a couple of times a year to discuss issues relating to our community and region, whether environmental, social, or political. This is not a large commitment, but it is important in ensuring that we can monitor, and if necessary intervene in, any affairs which might affect our lakes and our residents. If you would like to know more please contact me.

We look forward to seeing you at Frontenac Park Headquarters on the morning of Sunday, July 21, 2019. 

Anita Dunn

President
NSOLA

Please note that due a scheduling conflict the date for this year’s NSOLA Annual General Meeting has changed.

It will now be held on Sunday July 21, 2019 at 10am at the Frontenac Provincial Park Headquarters. Please save the date!

We welcome and encourage everyone with property on North or South Otter Lake or Elbow Lake (Pearkes Lake) to come along. It will be your chance get the latest news about our beautiful lakes, exchange information and meet your neighbours.

Further details will be available soon.

Anita Dunn
President, NSOLA
Email: executive@nsola.org