Submitted by Bruce Men’s Shed
May has been a great month so far, the garden centres are open, the weather is getting warmer, and tourist season has started. After our kick-off breakfast event on April 29th, membership of the Bruce Men’s Shed continues to grow. This month so far we have had member-led hikes, one at Otter Lake, the other at Devils Monument, with one more hike to go.
The most recent meeting included three speakers. The first speaker was an Education Outreach representative of Bruce Peninsula National Park’s turtle and snake conservation program. Park staffers monitor roads in the Park for turtles laying eggs in the spring and nail a “nesting box” over the nest to protect the eggs from predators, and tag the location on the iNaturalist app to track turtle activity. Citizens can volunteer to assist in these efforts. Hatchlings can escape from the nesting boxes via an access hole. Some freshly laid nests are dug up by park ecologists and trained S.O.N. First Nation people if they are too close to the road or in danger of flooding. The eggs are incubated and once hatched are taken to the same location where they were laid.
Our second speaker was a member who has built and raced a cardboard boat six times in the Chi-Cheemaun Festival, which this year will be on June 17th. It was decided that the Men’s Shed will build their own and enter this year’s race.
Our third speaker was attached to a Men’s Shed in Tasmania for many years and filled us in about his time with them. Tasmania has 25 Sheds, and the government funds them all.
After the meeting wrapped up euchre and darts were enjoyed.
Our June meetings will have speakers explaining how straw bale gardening is done and later a tour of a local garden to see the results. Another speaker will talk about how a Beagle training club grew over decades.
The next Bruce Men’s Shed meetings will be on Saturday, June 3rd and June 17, between 9:00 am – 11:00 am at the Lion’s Head Legion Branch # 202 (Hwy #6).
Are you interested in learning more about the Men’s Shed Movement? Contact us at brucemensshed@gmail.com or Gerry at (519) 793-3005. Check us out on Facebook: Bruce Men’s Shed.
