Program for September 24th, 2008

Autumn colour ride through Ottawa River Valley – from Mattawa to Ottawa. This scenic and informative bus tour with field stops will feature natural heritage, forest research and management, industry, and social dimensions of forests and forestry.

	Session 1: Introduction and tour of the white pine forest at the Petawawa Research Demonstration Forest Shelterwood management system (partial cutting) used for partial shade species such as white pine.  The trail is about 250 metre long with signage and was installed to influence private woodlot owners to undertake better management of these types of stands.
	Session 2: Shaw's finishing mill and kilns This mill processes in excess of 10 million board feet per year.   Shaw is a family owned business which has been in the lumber business in the Ottawa Valley for 150 years.
	Session 3: Boxed lunch at Pembroke's historic waterfront.   Exhibit with interpretation about historic logging and a replica Pointer boat.
	Session 4: Shaw Woods for a presentation by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources How science and technical information get incorporated into Ontario's forest management guides and planning processes.   Shaw Woods is an excellent example of the pre-settlement hardwood forest (old growth) with lots of wildlife trees, coarse woody debris, unique micro sites, etc.
	Session 5: Traditional harvesting (cut and skid), and/or modern logging (mechanical harvester). This will depend upon which contractor is active that day, where, and how close we can get a bus to view them.
	Session 6: Leo and Bill Hall's mill in Renfrew. Leo and Bill are innovative land/mill owners who own and manage around 6,000 acres as well as a mill and other business ventures.  The Halls do custom drying and were one of the early users of forest biomass.
	Session 7: Ottawa for dinner at the historic Keg restaurant Dave Lemkay as the dinner speaker will discuss his family's origins in the early lumbering days.