By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
The Wild By Nature Forest Sanctuary in Dyers Bay hosted a Yoga fundraiser event on the morning of September 15, 2022. Held by the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club (PBTC), proceeds from this event go towards the ecological restoration of MapleCross Nature Reserve at Cape Chin.
Held in a lovingly reforested quarry, 13 participants, attentively observed by two red foxes, took part in the outdoor yoga session led by Chantelle Burbridge of YogaHive North.
Barbara Rabicki, owner of the Wild By Nature Forest Sanctuary, welcomed the participants and talked about the successful ecological restoration of a depleted quarry at Dyers Bay. For a decade, Rabicki and her family have planted over 1,000 native trees and pollinator-friendly plants on the property which is now lush with vegetation and wildlife.
There was a free-will donation for the yoga fundraiser and Burbridge and Rabicki donated their time, with Rabicki and her partner Laurie Canning hosting the event on their property.
Marg Glendon, PBTC’s director of membership and outreach coordinator, says the event held in the outdoor space helps people reconnect with Nature. Both Rabicki and Burbridge stressed the physical and mental benefits of spending time in nature.
Restoration at MapleCross Nature Reserve Cape Chin
This is the second yoga fundraiser held by the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club. The funds raised from the two fundraisers will be used to restore the meadow at MapleCross to a native grasses and wildflower meadow from its current state which is non-native grasses and plants which had previously been cultivated due to its past history of agriculture. The meadow is 22 hectares in size.
MapleCross Nature Reserve at Cape Chin is “523 acres of iconic Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula landscape, a breathtaking 270-degree view of Georgian Bay, and 1.8 kilometers of the Bruce Trail’s optimum route, this is a natural masterpiece and a true conservation gem. It also represents the largest solo acquisition of land in Bruce Trail Conservancy history.” states the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
Glendon says Elm trees were planted at MapleCross Nature Reserve at Cape Chin last Fall. The University of Guelph’s Gosling Research Institute for Plant Protection (GRIPP) provided the Elm trees. The PBTC will be planting American Chestnut Trees this Fall. These trees are donated to the Bruce Trail from the Canadian Chestnut Council.
For more information on events hosted by Peninsula Bruce Trail Club (PBTC), please visit their website https://www.pbtc.ca/
Wild By Nature Forest Sanctuary hosts small guided events and self-guided forest bathing on trails designed for nature therapy. For info https://wildbynatureforestsanctuary.ca/
Yoga Hive North provides year round yoga classes at their studio located in Lion’s Head. See https://yogahivenorth.com/
