Friends of Murphys Point Park

Friends of Murphys Point Students of 2024!

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Friends of Murphys Point

Here’s to the Friends of Murphys Point Summer Students of 2024!

From finding and monitoring gray ratsnakes for our Adopt-A-Snake program to covering the nests of turtle species in the park, our Friends Students have been busy preparing for the summer ahead!

Get to know our Friends Students!

Whitney:

Hello, everyone! If I look familiar, it’s because I’m back for my second summer as a Friends Student here at Murphys Point. I have completed an Outdoor Adventure Naturalist program at Algonquin College and will be continuing studies this fall in the Environmental Technician program. I’m looking forward to finding lots of gray ratsnakes for our Adopt-a-Snake program this season!

Bethany:

Hello! It’s my first year working at a provincial park, and I’m thrilled to have joined such an amazing team! I’m entering my fifth year at Queen’s University studying psychology. I’ve always loved visiting provincial parks, and I am really excited to spend my summer outside learning all about the many different plant and wildlife species here at Murphys Point.

Be sure to say hello if you see us in the park!

Take Part in Adopt-a-Road!

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Friends of Murphys Point

Hello Friends (and Park Neighbours)!

Want to spend some time outside helping Murphys Point and keeping the neighbourhood beautiful? The Friends of Murphys Point are excited to announce we are taking part in Lanark County’s Adopt-a-Road Program! This means we have volunteered to pick up litter and recyclables along the stretch of County Road 21 (Lally Road) from just before the Park entrance to the Group Camping area.

We have two dates set for the pick up. On the first morning we will do one side of the road, and will complete the other side on the second morning (it’s about 3.5 kilometres each way). Here are the dates:

Monday, June 10 from 9 a.m. to noon

Wednesday, June 19 from 9 a.m. to noon

Park staff and Friends staff will be on hand to assist, and safety equipment will be available. Volunteers must sign a waiver for the County in order to participate. Here is a link to the waiver: https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/en/roads-trails-and-transit/resources/Documents/Indemnity-Requirements.pdf

For your reference prior to signing the waiver, please have a look at the County agreement information (https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/en/roads-trails-and-transit/resources/Documents/Adopt-A-Road-Agreement-Form-Fillable.pdf) and the Terms and Conditions (https://www.lanarkcounty.ca/en/roads-trails-and-transit/resources/Documents/Adopt-A-Road-Terms-and-Conditions.pdf)

If you would like to help, please complete and return the waiver to us at friendsofmurphyspointpark@yahoo.ca by 4 p.m. on June 8 for the first pick up day and 4 p.m. June 17 for the second pick up day so that we can forward them to the County. (You only have to complete the waiver once if you are doing both days – the form remains valid for the duration of your participation in the program.) Volunteers will receive safety instructions prior to the pick up, including information about ticks. Equipment will be provided.

Please let us know if you would like to help out on either or both pick up days. We’re excited to participate in the program and we hope you are, too!

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Bird of the Month: Golden-winged Warbler

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Friends of Murphys Point

This elegant gray warbler with a striking yellow wing and cap is one of the more special birds we have in the park. They are a declining species at risk and found in old fields with shrubby habitat, like what you find around Lally. If you are near Lally field at the right time of year you may hear it’s high-pitched buzzy song and if you’re lucky you may even catch a glimpse of one! A cool fact about this bird is that they are genetically 99.97% overlapping with Blue-winged Warbler. Despite looking very different, where the ranges overlap, these species hybridise and create distinctive hybrids. We had at least two hybrid pairs in the park in the summer of 2023.

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