Mid-November 2023

Inside this issue: Give the Gift of Nature this holiday season; Seasonal trails closure; Springbank's Community Gardens applications still open; rare Youth Environmental Network cleans up Blair Flats; Upcoming events; Favoured winter activities poll results, and a new poll on favoured rare swag.

Mike Weissmann Photographer

Looking for sustainable gift options this season? Consider a gift of protected natural areas for the more than 5,000 species that call rare home. For a minimum donation of $20, you can symbolically adopt one of the four winners of our March Species Madness tournament — the Turtles of rare, the Great Horned Owl, the River Otter or the Red Maple, or all of the species at rare and receive an eCertificate for your loved one.

Donations must be made before 5 p.m. on Friday, December 22, to ensure you receive your eCertificate before December 25.

Effective November 16, 2023, the rare trails located between the City of Cambridge's Grand Trunk Trail and the Grand River are close for the winter season for the safety of the public and for the protection of overwintering wildlife. The closure affects the River, Alvar, Woodland and Osprey Trails. The Butterfly Loop at Springbank Farm is also closed.

You can continue to enjoy walks through Maple Lane, Grand Allée, Deer Run, Springbank and Neuman Trails every day from sunrise to sunset.

The seasonal trails will reopen in March.

Photo by Jeff Moser & Jeannette Dillon

Thanks go out to all Springbank Community Gardeners! It was another great year of gardening, mentorship, camaraderie and more! The gardens are closed for the season and planning is underway for 2024.

If you are interested in renting a Community Garden plot at Springbank for the 2024 growing season, please fill out this questionnaire.Prospective new members will be contacted over the winter. Current gardeners do not need to reapply.

Photo by Jenna Quinn

rare Youth Environmental Network to Clean Up Blair Flats!

The rare Youth Environmental Network is organizing a cleanup of Blair Flats on Sunday, November 26, starting at 11 a.m., and everybody is invited, regardless of age!

Gather at the Moyer’s Blair Landing parking lot (driving along Fountain Street towards Preston from Highway 401, crossing the Grand River, and it’s your second driveway on the right). rEYN members will have garbage bags ready to head out and clean up the banks of the Grand River.

There is no need to register; just show up! Dress for the weather and bring work gloves. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fall Newsletter Now Available

Our Fall-Winter 2023 issue of our rare Review newsletter is now available. We hope you will enjoy these twelve pages highlighting what our supporters have helped us accomplish over the past six months, and the 20th anniversary celebration of rare’s education program, along with many outstanding photographs taken at rare. THANK YOU!

If you would like to receive a hard copy of the

newsletter, please contact rare@raresites.org. And be sure to sign up here to receive future editions of our rare eNews.

Cover design by Istafa Sufi.

COMING EVENTS: PD Day ECO Camps and Our Last Native Plant Propagation Walk

See an event of interest? Click on the links below to register.

• Friday, November 24 - PD Day ECO Camp for UGDSB, Wellington CDSB, MonAvenir, and Conseil Scolaire Viamonde school boards.
• Sunday, November 26 - rare Youth Environmental Network Blair Flats Cleanup.
• Wednesday, January 10 - Yoga in the Garden at Springbank Farm.
• Friday, January 19 - PD Day ECO Camp for WRDSB and WCDSB.
• Friday, February 2 - PD Day ECO Camp for MonAvenir and ConsConseillaire Viamonde school boards.

Photo by Michelle MacMillan

Our Bi-Weekly Poll: Favoured Winter Activities & Preferred Swag

We had a great response to the last issue's poll asking for readers' favourite winter activities. About 5% hope for deep snows to build snow forts and other sculptures, while close to 10% want to find a rink for skating. Another 18% look forward to cross-country skiing, and 15% prefer to skip outdoor activities and curl up at home by the fire with a warm beverage.

However, for 52.5%, walking snowy trails is your favourite activity, and why not? No special equipment is needed (save for boots and warm clothes), the benefits are immense, and there is so much beautiful scenery to experience in our natural spaces. We're pleased to offer our Maple Lane, Grand Allée, Deer Run, Springbank and Neuman Trails free for the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. For more information about these trails, please visit raresites.org/trails/

In today's poll, we're looking ahead to engaging with the community in 2024 with the

rare table at community events. We love meeting people and discussing the protection of natural spaces. With that in mind, we ask the following:

What "swag" would you like to pick up at our table at community events?