Saturday, April 20 will be the last FOTMW ash collection day until the fall

Press Release with Chris O. Edits

If you have been living under a rock the past few years, you may have missed the hundreds (maybe thousands) of posts on social media and in the local media about Friends of the Muskoka Watershed’s (FOTMW) ash project.

However, those in the know, have been diligently donating their residential wood ash that is clean (don’t have garbage in it) and cool (that should go without saying) to ash drives held throughout the year.

This recent round of collections has seen over 4,000 kg of ash donated in 2024 alone and FOTWM staff and volunteers will be hosting their last drive until the fall on Saturday, April 20 at 1062 Rosewarne Drive, the Bracebridge landfill/transfer station, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Since 2019, the registered charity focused on scientific research and action collected over 36,000 kg of woodstove and fireplace ash to help protect Muskoka’s watershed.

What do they do with the ash?

The ash is to conduct research with Trent University and to restore Muskoka forests. Laboratory studies indicate that Muskoka ash is 25 to 30 percent calcium and has appreciable amounts of other key plant nutrients including potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Thousands of kilograms of processed wood ash has been applied to sugar maple bushes and
research forests to help replenish and boost calcium and other nutrient levels – and it’s been successful.

FOTMW has found that wood ash neutralizes the acidity of Muskoka soils that were damaged by decades of acid rain. Preliminary research suggests that ash application to the soil increases tree vitality and growth, meaning that trees are more storm-resistant and have the potential to capture more carbon.

Healthier trees also can pump more water, with a positive impact on flood mitigation.

Learn more on this project and other environmental science projects at: www.fotmw.org … and while you’re there consider giving them a donation or volunteering your time.

Because so many people have asked: Yes, the whale breaching photos are done by Chris O. from a whale watching trip he took while vacationing in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.