Friends of Murphys Point Park

The Board of Directors for the Friends of Murphys Point extends a giant thank you to our fabulous Friends students Sarah and Amelia for their awesome work this summer!

During their eight-week Canada Summer Jobs contract with us, Sarah and Amelia worked to raise the profile of the Friends on our social media platforms with some fun and informative videos and posts, and they supported the Park’s natural heritage education through programs and events. Sarah, who was a returning student for us, coordinated the stellar astronomy program at the amphitheatre earlier this month. Amelia shared creative ideas for Friends products in the Park Store (watch for some cool mica merch)! They were both wonderful supporters of Friends’ activities and programs, and we greatly appreciate their hard work.

Hiring students has been a priority for the Friends almost since our inception 30 years ago. Many of our students have gone into careers in education, science, conservation and other related fields. The work of these talented students goes a long way to support Friends activities, and we truly believe in the importance of offering these experiences to young people.

Thank you to the Canada Summer Jobs program for supporting our student positions, and thank you to Sarah and Amelia for a wonderful summer!

Photo, from left: Amelia, Friends President Stephanie Gray, and Sarah

We’re hoping for blue skies and sunshine on Labour Day Weekend to host our barbecue in memory of former Director and Treasurer, Don Goodfellow, and to raise funds for a bursary in his name.

When: Saturday, Sept. 5 (rain date Sunday, Sept. 6) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Murphys Point Provincial Park Main Beach. Day passes or camping permits are required, so make sure to book online (reservations.ontarioparks.ca) or call (1-888-ONT-PARK, 1-888-668-7275) in advance. 📞💻

Come join us for hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chips and drinks, all served by your Friends of Murphys Point! 🥤🔥

Cash or credit card only (no debit or Apple Pay).

We are grateful to have already received a number of generous donations towards the bursary, and we’re hoping to keep the momentum going by contributing proceeds from sales and any donations that day to the tally. 

Don was always very supportive of the Friends’ work to hire students each summer, and so many of our students have pursued school programs that support conservation, environmental and educational careers. In addition to his role on the Board and involvement with so many Friends projects, Don spearheaded our barbecues every summer for many years. We called him our “Barbecue King!” He was a kind, steady and patient volunteer, and we miss him still.

If you can’t make it to the barbecue but would like to make a contribution, please send an e-transfer to friendsofmurphyspointpark@yahoo.ca with a note that your donation is for the bursary. Tax receipts can be issued. 

If you didn’t know Don and would like to learn a little more, see our post at https://friendsofmurphyspoint.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3771&action=edit

We hope to see you at the barbecue!

Join the Friends of Murphys Point Park this Saturday for Astronomy Night! 

View a special presentation by Callista Sullivan, Master of Science Student, from Queen’s University’s Department of Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy during the Perseid meteor shower. Callista’s current research includes stars, planets and stellar cluster formation, astroinformatics, astrostatistics, and machine learning. 

Cost? There is no additional fee for this program but a valid daily vehicle permit or camping’s permit is required. 

Where? Murphys Point Amphitheatre. This Saturday, August 15th at 9PM! 

Hope to see you there!

#murphyspoint #astronomy #physics #scienceeducation #perseidmeteorshower