From: Friends of the Muskoka Watershed
Please bring your cold, clean ash.
This Saturday is Friends of the Muskoka Watershed’s (FOTMW) last ash collection day until
the fall. Already this year we’ve received donations of over 4000 kg of ash. We can’t wait to
see what the total is after our Saturday, April 20 collection day. We will be at 1062
Rosewarne Drive, the Bracebridge landfill/transfer station from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Since 2019, we’ve collected over 36,000 kg of woodstove and fireplace ash to help protect
Muskoka’s watershed.
April is also our birthday month, so we are ready to celebrate. If you are thinking of
supporting us with a cash donation, now is the time. Two generous supporters are
matching donations as a birthday gift to FOTWM. As a result, your donation goes twice as
far.(fotmw.org/donate/
Thank you to all the amazing volunteers and ash donors who have contributed to the work of the Friends of the Muskoka Watershed and the betterment of our shared environment.
We use this ash to conduct research with Trent University and to restore Muskoka forests. The laboratory studies indicate that Muskoka ash is 25-30% calcium and has appreciable amounts of other key plant nutrients including potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
We have applied thousands of kilograms of processed wood ash to sugar maple bushes and
research forests. We’ve learned that wood ash neutralizes the acidity of Muskoka soils that
were damaged by decades of acid rain. Preliminary research suggests that ash application to
the soil increases tree vitality and growth, meaning that trees are more storm-resistant and
have the potential to capture more carbon! Healthier trees also can pump more water, with a positive impact on flood mitigation.
We require more ash, as our research is ongoing. The next drive is Saturday, April 21. Real
science takes real money so financial support is also appreciated. FOTWM is a registered
charity.
If you’d like to know more contact us at friends@fotmw.org, come visit us on Saturday to talk to our experts about our research and future projects or visit our website at fotmw.org
