Friends of Presqu'ile Park

e-Bulletin

Welcome to our spring 2025 e-bulletin. Our Board of Directors have spent the winter months preparing plans for 2025. We are looking forward to warmer weather so we can get started on this year's activities.

Park Improvements

The Park Improvements Team will be spearheading a couple of exciting projects this season. The first is the updating of the Amphitheatre with a new screen, speaker upgrades, and repairs to the structure. This will enhance the delivery of educational programs and Friends of Presqu'ile events alike.

Plans have been approved to create a new Learning Centre at the Nature Centre. This will turn the former garage into a year-round space for the delivery of school programs, Discovery programs, Friends meetings, and winter activities. Volunteers will assist contractors as needed.

Every year, the Park Improvements Team repairs and enhances trails in the park. This year, the boardwalk at Jobes' Woods Trail will be repaired and work will continue on Pioneer and Newcastle trails to fill in low areas. One of the viewing platforms will also get some major repairs.

Educational Initiatives

We will continue to support the park's Discovery Program by funding the Nature Centre Coordinator's salary. We have also agreed to fund a short contract for summer students. We have applied for grants to cover these contracts. We will support the park's School Outreach Program by providing a class set of binoculars and by offering subsidies for school bus transportation from local schools.

We will continue to encourage the park's summer staff to continue their education by offering two bursaries to deserving students.

Environmental Initiatives

Once again, we will support the continuing efforts to save Common Terns. This program is really starting to show results. The exclusion grids and monitoring have resulted in over 200 terns fledging over the past 3 years.

Each year, Friends volunteers join park staff to remove invasive plant species and plant native trees in the park. Our support also funds the tree nursery and tree planting operations. We will continue to support the pilot project to remove invasive Phragmites plants in a test area.

How do we accomplish this?

Our main sources of revenue are grants, donations, sales, and membership dues.

The Friends rely heavily on our cadre of dedicated volunteers to carry out many of these activities. Other volunteers participate in various fundraising activities such as the Lighthouse Gift Shop and our weekly summer barbecues.

We couldn't do it without our people - come join us!

Terry Buchkowsky, Chair