Dear Member
Thank you for supporting the important environmental work that the Friends of
the Spanish River and a number of other organizations, such as the Espanola
Ministry of Natural Resources, do to Restore, Preserve and Celebrate the Spanish
River.
The following are some of the highlights of the year 2001:
- We re-designed our website
to make it more user friendly and up to date.
- The muskie program has been enhanced by the printing and distribution of
7000 bookmarks These picture the Muskie and encourages live release and
reporting the catch.
- We had a presence at the recent Toronto Sportsman Show where 500
calendars, 500 bookmarks and 250 newsletters were distributed.
- 400 yearling Muskie were released to the Spanish River in late May and
early June. The fall fingerling release was cancelled in favour of a
wintering over program for the spring of 2002. The 200-300 yearlings will
have a better chance of survival.
- Friends replica log driving pointer boat did an historical voyage
down the lower Spanish River in early July. A crew from southern Ontario rowed
from Espanola to Spanish over 3 days, replicating the log drives on the river
from the 1850’s to the 1930’s.
- During the spring 2000 egg collection one large female died from a severe
lamprey wound and was saved and mounted for exhibit at MNR and other
functions.
- Friends attended at the Massey Fall Fair in August. The mounted Muskie in
our booth drew a lot of attention from the crowds
- By year end we had received funding for a study of a buoyage and dockage
system and the study is under way. The project will include municipal and
First Nation partners and will encourage a safe and environmentally friendly
use of the Spanish River from Spanish upstream to Espanola.
Your continued support would be appreciated, even if you have been away for a
while.