About Us
“Our goal is just this - to the best of our ability, and with our community’s involvement, to conserve Catchacoma’s old growth forests through outreach, education and advocacy with government to ensure the Catchacoma Forest achieves long term protected Status.”
The Catchacoma Forest Stewardship Committee
The Catchacoma Forest Stewardship Committee is a group of concerned citizens, including landowners, cottagers, teachers, students, ecologists, naturalists, seniors, and representatives of the local Cottager’s Associations, the local rate payer’s association, Ancient Forest Exploration & Research, and the Ontario Wilderness Committee, advocating to protect a rare 662-ha old growth hemlock forest on crown land north of Catchacoma Lake in the Municipality of Trent Lakes. Protection status for Catchacoma Forest would exclude logging and manage the forest for the highest level of ecological health.
The CFSC formed in 2020 in response to scientific surveys by Ancient Forest Exploration & Research (AFER) that found Catchacoma Forest to shelter the largest-known mature and old-growth eastern hemlock forest in Canada. CFSC formed to raise awareness of this research and to advocate for a halt to planned commercial logging in 2020-21.
Old growth forests have important conservation values including carbon storage, wildlife habitat. recreation, education and research. The CFSC has built the case for conservation for Catchacoma Forest since 2020 with the help of Ancient Forest Exploration & Research (AFER) and non-profit conservation organization the Wilderness Committee.
Some of the Committee’s Activities
Government Advocacy:
Met with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and the Bancroft Minden Forest Company (BMFC) to share AFERs research findings and request a halt to planned 2020-21 logging in Catchacoma Forest. Approximately 30 ha of old growth was logged in 2020-21.
Participated in the 2021-31 Forest Management Planning (FMP) process for the Bancroft Minden Forest. CFSC and succeeded in getting new planned Catchacoma Forest logging put into “contingency” status until MNRF has developed a protocol to identify old growth in the field. As a result, no further logging has occurred since 2021.
Multiple requests to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and local MPP to support Catchacoma Forest as a candidate protected place and potential annexation to adjacent Kawartha Highland Provincial Park.
Secured support for Catchacoma Forest as a candidate protected place from the Municipality of Trent Lakes.
Public Outreach:
Have led over 15 public hikes to highlight the conservation values of the Catchacoma Forest
Collaborated on a short documentary “Conserving Catchacoma”
Developed outreach materials for tabling in Peterborough and at Dock Fest in Catchacoma
Research, Education and Trail Development:
Support ongoing scientific research by Ancient Forest Exploration and Research
Support eco-education field trips in Catchacoma Forest with Peterborough Youth Leadership in Sustainability
Secured grants from the Peterborough Rotary Club and Peterborough Foundation for a hiking trail enhancement project in Catchacoma Forest
Committee Members
Dr. Peter Quinby
Peter Quinby is the Chair and Chief Scientist of Ancient Forest Exploration and Research (AFER). Peter discovered Canada's largest known stand of old-growth eastern hemlock at Catchacoma Lake in the winter of 2019 and has been doing research and education in the Forest since that time. Since then, he has been working to promote effective assessment protocol and minimum standards to assure protection of this special forest.
Ted Spence
Ted Spence is a Catchacoma Lake cottager and represents the Catchacoma Cottagers Association and the Cavendish Community Ratepayers Boards. He is a retired Professor and former Dean of Environmental Studies at York University. Ted is currently a member and Chair of the Municipality of Trent Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee.
Linda Briden and Peter Currier
Linda Briden, a retired teacher, and Peter Currier, a retired social worker, are cottagers on Catchacoma Lake and longtime hikers in the forest. Both are actively engaged in numerous volunteer activities in the community and are committed members of the CFSC.
Andrew Avsec, MFC
As an Ecologist, Forester and Arborist who is a cottager on Paudash Lake, Andrew strives for responsible resource management, Old Growth and Species at Risk conservation. Andrew holds a Master's Degree in Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, and has worked throughout the forests in Canada.
Katie Krelove
Katie Krelove is the Ontario campaigner for the Wilderness Committee, a national charity that works to support people-powered protections for nature, wildlife and a liveable climate. She has been leading hikes and coordinating advocacy for the Catchacoma Forest Stewardship Committee since 2019.
Cameron Douglas
Cam is founder and coordinator of the local Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board’s Youth Leadership in Sustainability (YLS) program and has been taking his students to the forest since the start of CFSC conservation efforts in 2019. As an educator, Cam values the impact that the forest has on his students – from the “spiritual” dimension of being in Old Growth, to the opportunities to learn about forest ecology and metrics, to active outdoor exploration of the trails and all the hidden natural gems they lead to.
Marie Windover
Marie is a long time resident of Trent Lakes. She is the curator of the Rockcroft Schoolhouse Museum, dedicated to preserving the Natural and Cultural history of the area. Along with her role on the CFSC, Marie is a board member for the Land Between and a member of the Land Stewardship Committee for the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.
Nicole Woolley
As a young environmental scientist, Nicole longs to be out in nature collecting data. She considers the Catchacoma Forest to be a sanctuary for many animals, including herself! Nicole enjoys hiking in the forest, listening to birds in the summer and looking for animal tracks in the winter.
