By:  Matt Higgs

The construction continues here at Peterborough Green-Up. Every now and then a large BANG will echo through the office, or a saw will buzz, and now and then you can see sparks flying.

We’ve (mostly) become used to our driveway being filled with heavy equipment, dust falling from above, and “the funnel.” No, I’m not talking about your every day funnel used in the kitchen to pour liquid from one container to another. Here at Green-Up we do nothing on a small scale.

Hanging from our ceiling is a large piece of plastic. It stretches from the roof support beams in the top all the way to several bins at the bottom. When it rains, water that leaks through the holes in the roof will run down the funnel and into bins below it. Whatever it takes to keep the floor dry!

I also must say seeing large steel beams being dangled over the skylight above my head, left me hoping they were securely attached to the crane. Thankfully, that part of the job is over.

This is also construction and improvement season on many of our area lakes. New “cottages” are being constructed with older cottages being renovated all the time, which is good in many ways as it brings employment and money to our local economy.

The reason I put cottages in quotation marks is because I don’t believe that’s what the new ones are. To me, a cottage is a simple and somewhat rough, escape from every day life -a retreat to nature and a more restful environment. What you see more and more of today are year-round homes with all the amenities. Homes with two or three bathrooms, finished basements, two car garages— the works.

Back east, I watched over the years as the shorelines of a local lake became more and more built up with upscale homes that get used on a weekend basis. The quaint two and three room cottages built in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were quickly outnumbered.

With new and expanded cottages comes the landscaping that reflects the property’s latest incarnation. Shoreline property owners feel the same way they do about their homes in the city (as most of us do): their properties are a reflection of themselves. A neat and tidy property with manicured lawns and gardens is the norm, and maintaining them this way is a source of pride and weekend honey-do lists.

Our original intent of retreating from the concrete jungle to the serenity and the ease of a lakeside is being eroded by this perception that our recreational properties have to look just like our city properties. Sure, maintaining a building requires a great deal of work to be comfortable and functional, but as it turns out, this is not the case for the land at the cottage and especially for the fragile shoreline. A shoreline functions best when it is left alone in its natural state.

Our lakes are kept healthy and happy if there is a minimum of a three meter buffer of natural plants and shrubs away from the shoreline. The buffer zone prevents shoreline erosion, stops contaminants and runoff from reaching the lake and discourages pests like geese. A naturalized shoreline can also provide food and shelter for many types of wildlife and takes less work to maintain than a larger lawn. Consider trading that time on the lawnmower for time with the family on the dock!

Many people have questions about how they can strike a balance between areas of shoreline naturalization and necessary developments for water access. After all, each property, and lake, is a little bit different.

The Ecology Park in partnership with the Lakeland Alliance is providing an opportunity to learn about restoring and maintaining naturalized shorelines this Sunday from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. One of the Alliance’s Shoreline Advisors, Sue Prentice, will lead a workshop about what goes into shoreline naturalization and will provide an overview of common shorelines plants available at the Ecology Park for purchase.

The Alliance’s Shoreline Advisor Program is another great opportunity to learn more about natural shorelines, best practices for septic system management, invasive species, and much more. At the invitation of the property owner, an advisor will come and tour your shoreline property providing advice and guidance along the way. This program is available to any shoreline property owner in Peterborough, Haliburton and Hastings County.

If you’re interested in attending the workshop or in signing up for a Shoreline Advisor visit, give Mike Gibbs a call at 745-3238 ext. 207.

Give yourself more time to enjoy the cottage by leaving the city behind!