Events
Learn to Fly Fish Workshop
Join us for a hands-on Learn to Fly Fish event at McGowan Lake on Saturday, April 26th, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this event offers expert instruction, hands-on practice, and a chance to enjoy a day on the water.
8th Annual Forest Market
Join us for our 8th annual Forest Market in Annapolis Royal this August! Come support local businesses, organizations and artisans! The Forest Market aims to showcase local talent, traditions, artists, producers, foragers, and nature organizations around a diversity of values stemming from the woods.
Forest Photo Walk with Jason Dain
This group event will take you on an exploration of a nature trail in the beautiful Medway Lake Wilderness Area to explore, experience and capture photos under the guidance of professional photographer, Jason Dain. Jason will provide a brief introduction to some of the key photography concepts and then we go for a walk in the forest. As we find different subjects such as wildlife, plants and landscapes, we will stop and use each case to practice some of the concepts we discussed at the start of the walk. All ages and skill levels are welcome.
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. You can register here: https://buytickets.at/mcfcevents/1309451
This walk will be on a trail, but it is fairly rough in certain areas. Participants must be prepared and capable of a 1-1/2 hour hike on moderately challenging terrain.
We will meet at the Stave Lake Campground. Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QDsQsupiNQC6jNX5A
About our guide:
Jason Dain hails from Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, just west of Halifax. Jason works as a Solutions Architect in the Information Technology sector but his passion is photography. Jason started photography with his first Nikon DSLR in 2015. Shortly after getting the camera, he became interested in birds and dove into birding and bird photography. Since then, Jason has photographed birds across Canada and around the world. Jason also does landscape and Astrophotography when he isn't photographing wildlife.
Please bring:
any type of camera (even a cell phone works)
wear sturdy and waterproof hiking shoes, hat and mosquito repellent/gear
water
snacks
all your photography questions and curiosity!
This event is free/pay-what-you-can. All donations will go directly to the guide.
In the case of severe weather being forecasted, we will reschedule, making the decision on Friday, August 16.
Photo Walk with Bill Curry
Join us to explore, experience and capture photos under the guidance of professional photographer, Bill Curry in the beautiful Medway Lakes Wilderness Area. This photo walk will be a casual, hands-on format where participants can ask questions as they explore and experience nature, and hopefully some wildlife. Bill, having spent a large portion of his life in the forest, will also describe various features of the ecosystem as we explore the forest together!
Forest Market Fair
Save the date! Our 7th annual Forest Market Fair will be held at the Annapolis Royal Market Square, Sunday, August 27th!
Come support local business. The Forest Market Fair aims to showcase local talent, traditions, artists, producers, foragers, and nature organizations around a diversity of values stemming from the woods.
The aim of this market is to not only feature wonderful local vendors, but to also increase an awareness for non-timber forest products and value-added wood products.
Poster by local illustrator Lauren Soloy (@laurensoloy on instagram)
To learn more about the annual event - check out the Forest Market Vendors page under ‘Projects’
Build Your Own Pollinator House!
Want to learn more about pollinators and how you can help protect these vital components to our ecosystem? Join us Sunday, June 9th, at the Four Mile Stillwater Trail to learn more about the many native Nova Scotian pollinators and to build your own Bee Hotel to help protect solitary pollinator species!
Space is limited. To register send us a message at elizabeth@medwaycommunityforest.com
Hemlock Heroes Training - Tupperville
Join us for another Hemlock Heroes Training session in Tupperville this Saturday, July 8th from 11AM - 3PM! Learn how you can help save Eastern Hemlocks.
Training takes place both indoors and in the forest. We will meet at the Tupperville Community Hall followed by a hands-on training at the Tupperville Falls.
Training is an obligatory step to become a Hemlock Hero.
Nature Notebooking with Kalen Roblee
Come join us June 11th for our Nature Notebooking event with @kalenroblee.art! If you love art and nature than this event is for you. Nature Notebooking is the unique combination of creativity and exploration of the natural world. Learn the principals of plein air nature sketching and watercolour painting, while you explore the beautiful Mary Lake ecosystem.
Space is limited. To register and request supplies to rent, message elizabeth@medwaycommunityforest.com
Mary Lake boasts incredible plant and animal wildlife. The Lupins are currently in bloom!
Annual General Meeting
Please join us for our 2023 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 27th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
We will begin the day at the Maitland Bridge Community Hall and travel to the Stave Lakes area for a campground trails tour in the afternoon. Come by at 9:30 am for a coffee, tea and snacks social before the meeting gets started. Lunch will also be provided courtesy of EJ's Grill with vegetarian options available. We are very excited to have you all. We have lots to discuss, including management plan updates, new research, the election of New Directors, and much more!
We're happy to host a special guest presentation with Melissa Labrador, Senior L’nu Conservation and Climate Change Advisor with Oceans North, who will be introducing an exciting project under development.
Our proposed agenda will be as follows (items may change):
10:00 am - 11:30 am: MCFC Key Updates
11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Guest presentation, Melissa Labrador
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch
1: 00 pm - 1:30 pm: Business Meeting
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Stave Lake Campground & Trails Tour
A reminder that although all are welcome, only MCFC members are entitled to a vote. If you are not yet an MCFC member, membership is a one-time $25 fee, and enables you to have a say in the management of the MCFC crown land license area, the chance to join a committee, and the Board of Director. If you would like to continue to see community forestry tested in Nova Scotia in the future, please consider purchasing a membership today.
We hope you can join us!
Register by emailing info@medwaycommunityforest.com
Sit Back Seminar: Mi’kmaq Black Ash Recovery Efforts in Nova Scotia
Join us on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7-8 p.m. for our Sit Back Seminar: Mi’kmaq Black Ash Recovery Efforts in Nova Scotia. Since the late ’90s, The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) has been leading Black Ash recovery efforts…
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Treatment Demo - Join us!
Are you a growing concerned about the future of Eastern Hemlocks? Are you interested to learn about treatment options to help protect Hemlocks from the invasive pest infestation of HWA?
Harvest Operations Tour
We're excited to host an operations tour again and look forward to chatting with you as we visit a number of different stand types and research trials…
Annual Forest Market
The Medway Community Forest hosts a Forest Market every year in August to bring the community together, meet new people, and showcase local talent, traditions, and organizations that stem from the forest. The aim of the forest market is not only to feature amazing vendors but also to increase awareness of non-timber forest products and value-added wood products.
Harvest Operations Tour
We're so excited to host an operations tour again and look forward to chatting with you as we visit a number of different stand types and forest restoration challenges!
Yoga in the Woods
Connect in the forest with the roots and soil under you at this unique yoga class, riverside under the old growth hemlock canopy. Join us Saturday morning at the Four Mile Stillwater Trail in the Medway Lakes Protected Area.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Private Lands - Public Session
Attention Nova Scotians who consider hemlock a part of your life – whether it’s around your home, cottage, on your woodlot, a part of an ecotourism business – we need to hear from you!
MCFC 2021 AGM
Join us for our 6th Annual General Meeting on Monday, November 1 from 6-7.
Although we toyed with the idea of holding an outdoor event this year, we decided the safest and most inclusive way to hold a meeting is virtually. If anyone does not have access to a reliable internet connection, we will have a phone-in option available.
Our proposed agenda will be as follows (items may change):
6:00 - 6:40 - MCFC Key Updates:
Negotiations
Operations
Recreation
Research
Outreach
6:40 - 7:00 - MCFC Business Meeting
A reminder that although all are welcome, only MCFC members are entitled to a vote. If you are not yet an MCFC member, membership is a one-time $25 fee, and enables you to have a vote in the matters of the MCFC and have the ability to build forest-based businesses on our license area. If you would like to continue to see community forestry tested in Nova Scotia in the future, please consider purchasing a membership today.
We're excited to have Gerry van Dyk and Mike Lancaster as a new directors up for nomination this year. Typically MCFC doesn't not take nominations from the floor at our AGM, but because we currently have open seats on the board please feel welcome to put your name forward.
Hope you can join us!
DIY Wildlife House Workshop
*This event has been rescheduled from July 25 to September 12.
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During this outdoor workshop, you will have an opportunity to learn from local woodworker, Don Kimball, about how to make three different nesting boxes for various local bird species, as well as learn from a local ecologist, Donna Crossland, about the benefits of wildlife houses.
Registration is $20 or pay what you can. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute.
*All participants get to keep the boxes that they make during the workshop.
To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/diy-wildlife-house-workshop-tickets-162816391209.
Annual Forest Market
The event is open to vendors, exhibitors, and businesses whose products, trades or services are connected to the forest. Examples include wood-based products, such as furniture or baskets, non-timber forest products, such as mushrooms or maple syrup, or services, such as guiding and eco-tourism. The market is taking place in Annapolis Royal at the Market square.
Our mandate is to support local communities through sustainable and ecologically-based forest management. Supporting and promoting business opportunities that are derived from forest products and services is one of the critical steps we see in developing a sustainable forest industry.
Follow a Forester to Unique Sites of the MCFC
Have you been itching to get out in the woods, or maybe learn more about how the Medway Community Forest Co-op operates?
Join us on Sunday, August 8th for a tour of unique tree stands found in parts of the Medway Community Forest, led by our Forester and Executive Director, Mary Jane Rodger.
While walking among impressive old-growth trees and tree species that are relatively uncommon in Nova Scotia, you will have a chance to learn from Mary Jane and MCFC board members about the significance of these tree stands, and why they have become less common in Nova Scotia in recent years.
Registration is free; however, space is limited due to gathering limits associated with COVID-19.
You can register for the tour via Eventbrite by following this link: https://followaforestermcfcevent.eventbrite.ca
If you have any questions about the registration process, or about the tour in general, please email emily@medwaycommunityforest.com.
Evening Walk in the Woods with Local Ecologist, Donna Crossland
Enjoy an evening stroll through old Hemlock woods with local forest ecologist, Donna Crossland. While walking the Four Mile Stillwater Trail, observe sights and sounds of the forest that can only be fully appreciated as the sun begins to set. Expect to learn the language of the Barred owl, as well as other tricks and tales that Donna has acquired during her many years studying the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest.
Warm, organic Chaga tea will be served at the trail head, so please bring your own mug or tumbler.
Backcountry Campfire Cooking Workshop: Presented by Whynot Adventure in partnership with MCFC
Join Whynot Adventure and Medway Community Forest Co-op in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site on Saturday June 26 from 5-8 PM to learn about campfire cooking tips and tricks from backcountry camping enthusiast, Carlene Gallant!
TIckets are $40, which includes:
Lesson on campfire cooking and backcountry camping fundamentals,
Meal (vegan artichoke “pulled pork” tacos with cabbage slaw),
Drink (wintergreen mocktail),
Surprise dessert, which you get to prepare yourself and cook over the fire
To register for the workshop, or sign up for the wait list, visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/backcountry-campfire-cooking-workshop-tickets-159488607719
Exploring the MCFC via Remote Sensing Imagery w/ Heba Jarrar
Tune in and learn about some interesting ways we can use technology to support forest management, research, and restoration.
Campground Consultation
Help bring the MCFC campground to fruition by joining us November 15th from 2-4pm at Stave Lake to walk and discuss the proposed site. What better excuse for a walk in the woods on a Sunday afternoon?
MCFC Annual General Meeting
Please join us for our 2020 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, October 1st, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:30 over Zoom. Although we toyed with the idea of holding an outdoor event this year, we decided the safest and most inclusive way to hold a meeting is virtually. If anyone does not have access to a reliable internet connection, we also have a phone-in option available.
MCFC Forest Market
The Medway Community Forest Co-operative invites you to our fourth annual Forest Market on Sunday August 16th, at the Annapolis Royal Market Square.
Forestry Professional's Series: The Practical Application of Multi-Use Sustainable Forest Management at Haliburton Forest
Talk by: Malcolm Cockwell
Our fifth speaker in the Forestry Professional’s Series is Malcolm Cockwell where he’ll be discussing how multi-use sustainable forest management can be applied.
Intro to the Forest Series: Fighting Climate Change with Forests - how do we get there?
Talk by: Dale Prest
Join us in our fifth webinar in the Intro to the Forest Series, where we’ll be learning about how forestry can be implemented to fight climate change.
Forestry Professional's Series: Iknmatimkewe’l Nipuktuk - Gifts from the Forest
Talk by: Cheyenne MacDonald
Our fourth speaker in the Forestry Professional’s Series is Cheyenne MacDonald where she’ll be discussing non-timber forest products, how they are being impacted and how this impacts Mi’kmaq culture and traditions.
Intro to the Forest Series: Edible and Medicinal Plants - Increasing our Interaction with Nature
Talk by: Benna Keoghoe
Join us in our fourth webinar in the Intro to the Forest Series, where we’ll be learning about edible and medicinal plants with Benna Keoghoe.