Christine Johnston

05/24/2026

A "messy" yard and a "clean" yard look different to a human. To wildlife, the difference is food and no food. Shelter and no shelter. Alive and empty.

A manicured lawn with trimmed hedges, mulched beds, removed leaf litter, and sprayed borders provides almost no habitat for the species that control pests, pollinate plants, and feed birds.

The "messy" features most homeowners remove are the ones most species depend on. 🌿

LEAF LITTER (removed in fall cleanup) — Shelters firefly larvae, moth pupae, overwintering beetles, salamanders, toads. Feeds the decomposer community that produces soil. Removal = the entire soil food web loses its substrate.

DEAD BRANCHES (pruned for aesthetics) — Woodpeckers drum on them. Cavity nesters nest in them. Insects colonize the wood. One dead branch supports more life than a living one.

BARE SOIL PATCHES (covered with mulch) — Seventy percent of native bees nest in bare ground. Mulch eliminates access.

TALL GRASS AT EDGES (mowed to the fence) — Ground-nesting bees, firefly pupae, toad shelters, box turtle foraging habitat. Mowing removes all of it.

SEED HEADS LEFT STANDING (deadheaded for looks) — Goldfinches, sparrows, and juncos eat the seeds through fall and winter.

🐾 The hybrid approach:

- Neat in front. Wild in back. Mulch on paths. Leaves under shrubs.
- The "messy" section can be small — a ten-by-ten-foot patch produces disproportionate habitat
- Every feature removed reduces the species count. Every feature left supports multiple species.

The yard that looks "finished" to a neighbor is often empty to the ecosystem. The yard that looks "neglected" is the one where everything is working.

05/01/2026

MVCA will be installing a temporary safety boom upstream of Mazinaw Lake Dam on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. This boom replaces the original structure that was dislodged during the spring freshet.
Important: There is currently no safety boom in place at Mazinaw Lake Dam.
The public is urged to exercise extreme caution and stay well clear of the dam area. Existing safety signage remains in place and should be strictly followed.
Please respect all warnings to help keep yourself and others safe.

05/01/2026

04/29/2026

:(

As April ends, Canada faces a countrywide temperature divide, with western regions warming into summer-like conditions while eastern areas contend with unseasonable cold, potential snow, and a delayed return to seasonal temperatures

04/26/2026

SOON !!! :)

04/22/2026

04/22/2026

Good news ! :) Quinte Conservation is advising residents that high river and lake levels are starting to recede. Seasonal water levels and flows will be reached over the next few weeks. Recent weather conditions of rainfall and warm temperatures produced a third phase of the freshet, causing elevated river and lake levels that have peaked at what is expected to be the high point for the spring.
Weather Situation: The Quinte area weather forecast is mostly clear with no significant amounts of rain over the next 10 days. Accompanied with warm temperatures that will start on Wednesday, reductions in ponding and soil moisture saturation can be expected.
Watershed Conditions: Watershed creeks and rivers are currently swollen from rain and snowmelt. Recent weather conditions have caused water levels to rise quickly and generate nuisance flooding around small watercourses, urban areas, and ditches. Large river systems and inland lakes have responded quickly to the additional water inputs. The snowpack throughout the watershed has been nearly depleted with only isolated pockets remaining. All watercourses and lakes have now peaked and are starting to recede.
As water levels subside from the spring freshet, Quinte Conservation will be operating the seasonal dams for summer as conditions allow.
Risks:
Prince Edward County: Swollen, small creeks and watercourses may remain elevated but are currently receding from bankfull conditions. Watercourses may respond to possible rains within a day before continuing to recede to seasonal levels.

Salmon and Napanee Watersheds: Major waterways are high but stable from rain and snowmelt experienced earlier in the month. Near bankfull conditions could be maintained next week. Serious flooding is not expected this spring. Nuisance flooding is likely to reoccur around creeks and small watercourses if significant rains are received.

Moira Watershed: Received rains have melted the remaining snowpack north of HWY 7. The Moira River and its northern tributaries (Black River, Skootamatta River and Moira River north of Tweed) have responded with a third higher peak, which is now receding. Higher flows may continue for several weeks.

Actions: Residents in flood prone or low-lying areas are reminded to remain vigilant to changes in water levels and weather forecasts while the water levels fall to normal seasonal levels. It is recommended to ensure sump pumps are in good working condition and have access to a portable backup generator and pump during this return to lower water levels. Ponding water can be avoided by keeping ditches, culverts, and storm drains clear from obstructions.
Additional Information: Staff will continue to monitor conditions. For current water levels or to report changes in water levels, residents are encouraged to visit QuinteConservation.ca.
Quinte Conservation is a community-based environmental protection agency. It serves 18 municipalities in the watersheds of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon Rivers and Prince Edward County. It provides cost-effective environmental expertise and leadership. Quinte Conservation’s main goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem where people and nature live in harmony. More information about Quinte Conservation is available at www.quinteconservation.ca.

04/13/2026

Keep Safe, Dad !

🌪️ Tornado Tuesday? Environment Canada Highlights Tornado Risk for Tuesday

Environment Canada has just released its updated thunderstorm outlook for Tuesday afternoon and evening, adding a tornado risk to some areas.

A ‘moderate’ risk zone has been outlined for Deep Southwestern Ontario, including Windsor, Chatham and Sarnia. Within this area, storms could bring wind gusts up to 90 km/h, hail up to 3 cm in diameter, and there is also the potential for an isolated tornado.

Further north and east, a ‘minor’ risk zone stretches into areas like Goderich and London. While the threat is lower, storms in this region could still produce wind gusts up to 80 km/h along with hail up to 2 cm.

We’ll be diving deeper into the setup and what this means for your area shortly with our full forecast.

- Brennen

04/08/2026

The world often celebrates noise, but real strength is silent. Every kind act builds trust and hope quietly. When you help in private, you inspire others without pressure or showmanship. Small, hidden acts can transform lives more than grand gestures. True care doesn’t seek fame; it only seeks to lift others when they stumble.
Quiet kindness matters more than loud applause. Help someone without showing off. Your small, unseen actions can change lives, inspire hope, and leave the world better than you found it.

The world often celebrates noise, but real strength is silent. Every kind act builds trust and hope quietly. When you help in private, you inspire others without pressure or showmanship. Small, hidden acts can transform lives more than grand gestures. True care doesn’t seek fame; it only seeks to lift others when they stumble.

Quiet kindness matters more than loud applause. Help someone without showing off. Your small, unseen actions can change lives, inspire hope, and leave the world better than you found it

03/31/2026

Didn't get proper photo's of the 220 SDRA Stickers from this year, but I do have my prototype image :) So I compromised