HIKE IS FULL - Thanks to everyone for your interest in our beautiful forests! Stay tuned for our next Heritage Hike.

As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the opening of the Kolapore Wilderness Trails, we are hosting a series of Heritage Hikes from May until September.

The second of the Heritage Hikes is the Forestry Hike explaining the evolution of and challenges facing our beautiful Kolapore forests. The hike will be led by Rick Grillmayer.

Rick has been an avid user of the Kolapore Uplands since 1992, and became a Member of KWTA when they started to sell memberships. He started out as a Mountain Biker and occasional fly fisher for Brook Trout in the creek, and is now mostly a skier. Rick tries to put in at least two trail work days each fall so he can ski guilt-free. Most recently he led a group of Kolapore volunteers into County Forest where they planted 300 White Cedar and White Pine.

In his day job Rick is the Manager of Forestry at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA). The NVCA's Forestry Program assists landowners with Forest Management and Tree Planting. The 2023 tree planting season will see his 2.8 Millionth tree planted.

Rick lives in Collingwood with Alison and daughters Ariele and Katherine.

Forestry Hike Date: Monday, June 26
Time: 9:00am
Location: Kolapore Uplands Parking Lot, 495445 Grey Rd. 2, Ravenna
Duration: 3 hours
Route: Kolapore Church loop via Paradise Highway

This is a rain or shine event unless there is thunder and lightning, in which case it will be postponed until further notice.

Participation in our Heritage Hikes is capped at 25 people and spaces fill up quickly so please sign up soon using this form.

Participants are reminded to bring the following:

• sun block
• sun hat
• bug spray
• water
• snack
• rain gear or umbrella if required

You will be asked to sign a waiver at the parking lot when we meet on Monday morning. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early so we'll be ready to start hiking at 9:00 a.m.

The Heritage Hike Series is free to all participants although a donation to support the trails would be welcome, either in the donation box at the parking lot or via e-transfer to info@kolaporetrails.org.

Come and meet Rick and learn about the beautiful forests that cover our beloved Kolapore Uplands.

Upcoming Heritage Hikes include:

Saturday, July 15 - Kolapore History Hike with stories about the development of the Kolapore trails. Led by KWTA President and founder, Bruce King

Wednesday, August 30 - Blue Moon Hike and Bonfire. Led by Nancy Harvey

Saturday September 16 - Geology Hike. Led by Beth Gilhespy, author of a newly published guide to the geology of the Beaver Valley, and former CEO of the Bruce Trail Conservancy.

More details to follow in upcoming KWTA Newsletters and the KWTA website.

If you have any questions, please email Heritage Hike Coordinator Nancy Harvey at nancyharvey@sympatico.ca.

See you on the trails!

Nancy