MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 ML BLUE 41 15 Bike Boosters: Saugeen Shores The Saugeen Shores region in southwest Bruce County is actively developing itself as a bicycle-friendly community. This year alone, they’re developing a Transportation Master Plan; revamping their cycling and trails map; boosting road safety with the help of a provincial Safe Cycling Education Fund; adding new bicycle corrals and repair stations; ramping up guided community rides in partnership with local businesses; and expanding the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. Clearly, Saugeen Shores is on track to become a certified Bicycle Friendly Community (there are currently 40 province-wide, of varying levels from Gold to Bronze.) Saugeen Shores has over 40km of bike paths, including lakeside paved multi-use and stone-chip rail trail, plus a network connecting shoreline hubs Southampton and Port Elgin. Combine this trail-dedication with low- traffic regional roads and you’ve got a top bike tourism destination in the making. All this, and the last Sunday of July, cyclists occupy downtown Southampton for the fearsomely named but all-friendly “War on the Shore”, an OCA-sanctioned Criterium race. And on August 19, check out the Gran Fondo Lake Huron, a “big ride” for charity (local health care) with sections along the lakeshore and inland. DIY: saugeenshores.ca/cycling Wetland Wonderland: Wye Marsh Nature Centre HALF DAY TRIPS 16 This three thousand acres of forested wetland is a lot more than a swamp. The Wye Marsh Nature Centre near Midland boasts wild acreage and even wilder attractions, including an interpretive centre with live reptiles and amphibians; a Birds of Prey Field featuring hawks, owls, falcons and vultures; hiking, biking, XC ski and snowshoe trails; guided canoeing and kayaking through marsh channels; a network of floating boardwalks; a waterfowl monitoring platform; day camps for youth; wildflower gardens; a bee house, and more. Environment Canada originally opened the Wye Marsh Nature Centre in 1969 as a nature reserve and in 1985 turned operations over to the Friends of the Wye Marsh who have run it since then as a not-for-profit. This is a place to connect people and especially children with nature and highlight the crucial and sometimes overlooked role wetlands play in our environment. Throughout the summer, family programming includes guided Discovery Walks, guided canoe and kayak tours, and “Feature Creatures” where naturalists introduce the resident wildlife. Introducing kids to nature and the natural environment has never been so easy or so appealing. DIY : wyemarsh.com The Wye Marsh. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS