Put your summer NTFP finds to good use this fall!

The summer is coming to an end, and the seasonal Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP's) are nearly finished producing, but don't let that fool you...there are still plenty of NTFP's left in the forest! You can also make your summer NTFP finds go the extra mile by preserving or drying them.

With the crisp early-fall air looming, now is the perfect time to head into the forest and pick berries, berry leaves, fireweed, wild mint leaves, and sweet gale to dry out for your winter supply of tea. If you don't know what to do with all those berries you have been picking throughout the summer months...dry them out to make fruit leather, preserve them in jams, or freeze them and make delicious wild-berry muffins to keep you cozy all winter long.

Believe it or not, the holiday season is fast approaching, and wreathes will be in high demand as families begin to decorate their homes. With fall fairs just around the corner, it is the perfect time to show your crafty side and make wreathes and swags from balsam fir or even plain old twigs.

In late summer, mushrooms are in their final growing stages...now is the time to go hunting! From Chanterelles, Morels, Pine Mushrooms, and Boletes, there is a mushroom waiting on our forest floor to suit every taste bud. Always remember that although most mushrooms seem appealing to the naked eye, you should be vigilant when picking them to ensure you don't accidentally choose poisonous ones. To help you decipher the good from the bad, use a mushroom handbook such as Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada written by George Barron.

Another NTFP found in our region is Birch products such as Birch Sap and Syrup. If you have a sweet tooth...these sticky treats present a great reward! In Europe and Asia, Birch Sap is highly sought after and is used in wine, candy, on desserts, and as a health tonic in the early spring. Currently, there are very few producers of Birch Sap in Canada, so this could be a great opportunity for anyone looking to start a business in the NTFP sector.

For more information on production and harvesting of NTFP's please visit or website www.nsfc.ca and look for the NTFP Opportunity Assessment document in our library. Beginning in the spring of 2011, we will post a list outlining NTFP's that are 'in demand' on our website, and will update this list each spring.

The NSFC had a BLAST at Winnie's Hometown Festival!

This past weekend the NSFC attended Winnie's Hometown Festival in White River...and we had so much fun! White River, known to be the coldest town in Canada, was certainly warm when it came to the hospitality of its residents.

This event has it all: fireworks, a parade, a pancake breakfast (which was super yummy), live performances, activities for kids, a skateboarding competition, bingo, a fishing derby, a slow pitch tournament, a Karaoke Idol competition (which featured priceless performances such as a 2 year old boy who sang Bah-Bah Black Sheep), an antique car show, and a block party tent that kept festival goers up all night celebrating.

This year's event was extra special as it was White River's 125th Anniversary;the positive atmosphere during this event was unmistakable. Everyone was made to feel welcome, and laughter, music, and the sound of children playing filled the air, and everywhere you looked people were smiling. It was easy to tell, that in this small community which has had a downturn in population, many people were simply happy to be back home again.

The NSFC looks forward to attending next year's event, and we hope to see you there. This festival is something that should not be missed!

Take a look at a few pictures taken at the event...



The NSFC Loves Winnie!



Our Tradeshow Booth



Winnie having fun with an NSFC Frisbee



Dancing with Winnie



White River Mayor Angelo Bazzoni giving a hug to his favourite bear



Mayor Bazzoni welcoming everyone to the festival

In the News...

Tembec Supports Proposed Ontario Energy Program

Canadian Newswire posted a press release this afternoon, Tembec fully supports Proposed Ontario Energy Program: Resulting Energy, Environmental and Economic benefits- a great combination.

The article outlines that the proposed Ontario Energy program is believed to encourage energy management practices which will have a positive impact on the environment and on the competitiveness of several key Ontario industries. These positive impacts may facilitate greater potential for job security within these industries.

In the article, Tembec's president and CEO states "This initiative comes at a critical time for the Ontario economy generally, and the northern Ontario economy in particular. Tembec fully supports this initiative".

To read the full article, follow this link:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2010/17/c3281.html

First Nations Value-Added Forestry Company Constructing Wood Processing Facility in Red Lake

Northern Ontario Business released an article yesterday, Value-Added Wood Processor Sets up Shop in Red Lake.

On August 13th, it was announced that the Two Feather Forest Products LP is ready to begin site development for their wood processing facility which will be located in Red Lake. The facility will have "a saw mill line with related kiln drying, sorting, chipping, and biomass operations".

The article predicts that construction and site development for the facility will create approximately 200 local jobs.

To read the full article, follow this link:

http://www.northernontariobusiness.com/Around-the-North/100816/Value-added-wood-processor-sets-up-shop-in-Red-Lake.aspx

NSFC and Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs' Forum @ CreeFest 2010

The NSFC and the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs' Forum partnered to share an information booth at the CreeFest 2010 event held in Chapleau this week! The booth provided a great opportunity to broadcast the strength of the bond between the NSFC and one of our most valuable partner organizations.


Both the NSFC and the Chiefs' Forum had a wonderful time! CreeFest 2010 was a great, fun-filled event and we met many interested people who were glad to see us out in the community promoting a secure economic future for our region.


Check out a couple photos taken during the event...

In the news...

The CBC published an article today highlighting some interesting forest news. See the link below:

N.B Woodlot course attracts young adults
Forestry Class offers Alternative to Conventional Management

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/08/07/nb-forest-management.html

Winnie's Hometown Festival

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."

- Winnie the Pooh

The NSFC has decided to take some wise advice from everyone's favourite bear, and leave our corner of the forest to visit yours.

From August 20th-August 21st, visit NSFC staff at Winnie's Hometown Festival in White River, Where it all Began.

White River and Winnie the Pooh

Just over 80 years ago, a bear cub was orphaned when her mother was shot by a hunter. A trapper found her and brought her into White River, later selling her to a WW1 Lieutenant who was on a stopover while travelling to Quebec on the Canadian Pacific Railway. When Lieutenant Harry Colebourn purchased the bear cub for $20, and named her "Winnie" after his hometown of Winnipeg, he had no idea that his new pet would later become the most famous bear in the entire world. In 1914, Colebourn was re-stationed in France and was unable to bring Winnie along, so he donated her to the London Zoo. At the Zoo, Winnie captured the hearts of many with her charismatic personality and ability to interest with humans. Two of her biggest admirers were author A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin nicknamed the bear "Winnie the Pooh", and soon after Milne began writing stories about the lovable bear, using his son's stuffed toys as inspiration for the characters of Winnie's friends. Milne published his first Winnie the Pooh story in 1926...and the rest is history!

The 22nd Annual Winnie's Hometown Festival

The NSFC will have a booth at the festival's annual Trade Show from Friday August 21st until Saturday August 22nd. As always, we will have great giveaways, amazing draw prizes, and important information to distribute.

The weekend-long festival will be extra special this year, as White River celebrates it's 125th Anniversary. Scheduled activities include live entertainment during the trade show, Karaoke Idol competition, inflatable bouncers, fireworks display, block party, and parades.

For more details on the festival, visit the following link:

http://www.wrlibrary.piczo.com/festival?cr=2

Youth and the Forest: NSFC's Approach

After the NSFC was formed in 2007, due to the growing crisis in the forestry sector, a shared economic strategy was developed for our 6 partner municipalities. Recognizing that the future of our communities would continue to depend on the forests, we set out to make the forest resources in our region work for the people who live here. A key factor to the NSFC's continuing development and expansion, is the level of interest and involvement from the youth in our region. Because we know this, we have initiated many fun-filled, educational approaches to get our youth interested in playing an active role in NSFC activities. Our goal? to develop an early love of our forests, and an interest in the abundant forest-based opportunities that our region provides.

Forest Day

In 2009, we began an annual educational program called Forest Day, where grade 4-6 students from communities in the Northeast Superior region attend a day-long event held at a local First Nation, and learn from various experts including: First Nations, the Ministry of Natural Resources, community partners, and companies such and Tembec. Forest Day events in 2009 were held in Hornepayne, Wawa, and White River, and were very successful. Students spent the day involved in activities and discussions about our forests, participated in nature walks, and learned from trappers and First Nation elders. The students were also treated to a lunch by their First Nations host.

Forest Day 2010 is scheduled to be held in Chapleau, Manitouwadge, and Dubreuilville, and will provide students with the opportunity to participate in such ventures as tree identification, measurement and coring for age, plant identification, and medicine wheel activities. Students will also walk away from the event with great forest related giveaways!

Additional Education Initiatives

There are many other educational initiatives the NSFC has been working on. We have recently hired an Education Coordinator to work on developing a strategic plan to create additional educational programs and events designed to help the NSFC educate youth about the forests that we depend on.

The NSFC is also committed to attending community events, such as White River's Winnie the Pooh Hometown Festival taking place August 20-21, which are sure to draw attention from youth in the region. We will distribute youth targeted giveaways and information at this event, to help our youth get more motivated to learn more about our organization.

The NSFC acknowledges that many of our projects will be more successful with the involvement and interest of youth in our region. They are our future. It is important to provide them with educational opportunities at an early age to help ensure students begin to develop a deep understanding of the many uses for our forests. As our Forest Community site grows and continues to develop new opportunities, we hope that these students will grow with us, becoming increasingly interested in innovative uses for the forest.