#2246 "Turtle Point"

This piece of rock is owned by an environmentalist - a friend of mine. It is perfect just the way it is. The slopes of marble are a favourite for turtles with just the right angle exposed to the morning sun. Solar energy is vital in the energy budget and reproduction of the turtle. There might even be some Blandings turtles that use this point.

Turtle Point is the southwest arm of the land of Long Reach. These narrow fingers of marble separate the branches of the water of Long Reach below Jim Day Rapids. Long Reach is part of the important habitat of Red Horse Lake. Investigation in 2018 revealed that lake trout may just be successfully spawning and reproducing in Red Horse Lake. The fish finder reveals some large fish populations in the depths of Red Horse Lake.

The important issue for sensitive lake trout is water quality. I go as far a picking up buckets full of Canada goose droppings on our property so that the excrement does not find its way into the watershed. Experimentation has shown that strings of flags like those found on used car lots can be used contain geese. I cut a couple of acres of clover that is fenced in with these flags. The

geese are encouraged to graze and leave their poop behind. I have counted as many as 100 geese on the feeding side of the flags. There is lots of  soil to filter the excrement before it finds it way into the waters of Long Reach. I need to replant the clover every fall as it is a favourite for everything including the bears, turkeys, deer, skunks and porcupines. Sadly I do not see honey bees much anymore.

Land is habitat and not a commodity for profit...

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