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Final ash drive of the season this Saturday

Please bring your cold, clean ash.  

This Saturday is Friends of the Muskoka Watershed’s (FOTMW) last ash collection day until  the fall. Already this year we’ve received donations of over 4000 kg of ash. We can’t wait to  see what the total is after our Saturday, April 20 collection day. We will be at 1062  Rosewarne Drive, the Bracebridge landfill/transfer station from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Since 2019, we’ve collected over 36,000 kg of woodstove and fireplace ash to help protect  Muskoka’s watershed. 

April is also our birthday month, so we are ready to celebrate. If you are thinking of  supporting us with a cash donation, now is the time. Two generous supporters are matching donations as a birthday gift to FOTWM. As a result, your donation goes twice as  far.(fotmw.org/donate/ 

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers and ash donors who have contributed to the work of  the Friends of the Muskoka Watershed and the betterment of our shared environment.  

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

We have applied thousands of kilograms of processed wood ash to sugar maple bushes and  research forests. We’ve learned 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.

We require more ash, as our research is ongoing. The next drive is Saturday, April 21. Real science takes real money so financial support is also appreciated. FOTWM is a registered  charity. If you’d like to know more contact us at [email protected], come visit us on Saturday to talk  to our experts about our research and future projects or visit our website at fotmw.org

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