Urban forest, plastic pollution discussed at HWOA AGM

Increasing community consultation in urban forest issues and addressing the environmental toll of plastic waste were among the themes discussed at the Huronia Woodlot Owners Association’s Annual General Meeting at Lakehead University’s Orillia campus on Saturday.

At a time of cutbacks in government, the public can pay a key role in reporting problematic issues like invasive insects, Lakehead graduate student Allison Winmill said. She is currently working on a research project in the city of Barrie.

Winmill stepped in as the keynote speaker after Dr. Ulf Runesson, Lakehead’s Dean of Natural Resources Management, was unable to attend.

Board member Bob Bowles gave a brief presentation on the Wandering Albatross – a bird endangered by the floating islands of plastic infesting the seas. The bird, which mates for life and ranges thousands of kilometres across the ocean, mistakes the waste for food and takes it back to the nest where it is fed to the chick. A picture of a dead chick, its stomach stuffed with plastic detritus, was a poignant illustration of the desperate plight of this species.

Helen Malloy supplemented the presentation with some facts and figures and issued a challenge to the HWOA to help tackle the problem of plastic in the environment.

Outgoing chair Bruce Keeling spoke about the very successful Maple Tree replacement project, which has seen 13,800 young maple trees planted since the association became involved in 2007.  (Visit the HWOA website  to order for this spring.)

MP Bruce Stanton and MPP Garfield Dunlop brought greetings.

Acclaimed to the board of directors were Bruce Keeling, Ken Ewens, Jim Laking, Carl Campbell, Neil Craig, Chris Ellesmere, Mike O’Hara, Bob Bowles, Gerry Beauchamp, and Cam Douglas.

Almost 30 exhibitors put on displays, among them AWARE Simcoe, which donated an oil painting by Bond Head artist Meade Helman (a board member) as a draw prize. It was won by Les Stewart of Midhurst.