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Snowshoeing in the, -4Nonquon The day was cold, but sunny on Family Day, Monday, February 16, but it didn’t deter a small, dy group of local Canadians from getting outdoors. The winter enthusiasts armly to take part in an outdoor guided hike on snowshoes, offered by the ‘Friends of Nonquon’. The guided hike took the participants through the wetlands north of Port “Friends of Nonquon’ isa profi ization dedicated to increasing awareness and a) significant wetland encompassed within the 1,200 hectares of the Nonquon Pro- vincial Wildlife area. Its volunteers have been providing experiential outdoor learning opportunities free of charge to families of the area for the past few years. The Family Day Snowshoe Hike has been an annual event and has proven to be a popular one. Though severe cold temperatures this year reduced the number of participants, those that did take part enjoyed learning about the ecology of this special area that lies on the door step of Port Perry. Participants experienced close up viewing of beaver lodges, muskrat push ups, mammal tracks and over-wintering insects, while learning about the plant communities and their services, geological history, wealth of wildlife habitat and the ecological benefits of this close-to- home wetland area. Feeding the flocks of well-trained black capped chickadees by hand and a cup of hot chocolate topped off the morning for those that joined in. Thanks goes to all those that braved the cold and enjoyed the sun and snow with us. By Cathy Galberg Special to Focus on Scugog 34 FOCUS - MARCH 2015 A small but eager group of outdoor enthusi- ists enjoyed the recent Family Day Snowshoe Hike organized by Friends of Nonquon. The an- nual hike has been held on Family Day for the past few years. From left to right, Jennifer Craig, Jim Papia, Hannah Scott, Terri Pellerin, Hazel Moto- mura, Karen Blackbum, Neil Blackburn and Cathy Galberg. Photos by Greg Moon A group off snowshoers head out onto the trails of the Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area.