Friends of Murphys Point Park

Lots to do at Murphys July 18-20

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Friends of Murphys Point

It looks as if it’s going to be a scorcher this weekend, so head over to Murphys Point and frolic! Here are some of the great activities on offer:

On Saturday, the park’s Natural Heritage Education staff have two programs, starting with a kids’ program at the amphitheatre at 11 a.m. “The Salamander Room” is about a boy who wanted to bring a salamander home to live with him, but the task was harder than he thought! Based on a children’s book, come join a cast of characters for a story, some songs and a lot of fun! The program will last about 45 minutes.

Return to the amphitheatre at 8 p.m. for an evening program on Butterflies. Butterflies are a familiar sight in the park in summer. In fact, to not notice them you would have to be living in a cocoon! Join Tim for a glimpse into the lives of some of the park’s most colourful and interesting insects, the butterflies. This slide talk will last about 45 minutes.

On Sunday, Heritage Mica Days, a program of the Friends, is excited to present our Heritage Display Day from 10 a.m. to noon. Various heritage displays and trades will be set up along the trail to the Silver Queen Mine for your enjoyment during our Open House tour of the mine. Interact with our weaver and our blacksmith, visit the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario’s display, and try and guess the artifacts at our “What Is It?” table. Make sure you go to the bunkhouse and enjoy the wonderful tunes from Ken Ramsden. Ken is a Canadian heritage fiddler, singer, and guitar player who entertains families with humorous songs and stories. Of course you can also take a tour underground into the Silver Queen Mine and take part in the Junior Mica Miner program. Over 100 young miners have already been certified as Junior Mica Miners this summer. Will you be next?

The events are free, but visitors need either a camping permit or a daily vehicle permit for the park, which allows you to enjoy all of the park’s facilities for the day! That means you can cool off at the beach or grab an ice cream cone at the store while you’re here. Hope to see you soon!

Be sure to check our Events page for a full list of activities, as well as a link to the Park’s weekly program schedule.

Posted in Friends of Murphys Point, Heritage Mica Days, Heritage Mica Festival, Mica Festival, mica mine, Murphys Point, Murphys Point events, Murphys Point Provincial Park, Seven Wonders of Lanark County, Silver Queen Mine, Tay Valley Township, Weekly Activities | Tagged Friends of Murphys Point Park, heritage mica days, heritage music, Murphys Point, Murphys Point events, Murphys Point Provincial Park, silver queen, Silver Queen Mine, tay valley township | Leave a comment

Lots Happening at Murphys Point this Weekend!

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Friends of Murphys Point

Heritage Mica Days kicks off the season at Murphys Point with tours twice a week at the Silver Queen mine. A guided hike to the Silver Queen will be offered every Wednesday at 10 a.m., where you can go on an adventure into the mine with an experienced park interpreter. There is no cost for the guided hike but pre-registration at the park gatehouse is required.

Our self-guided Open House tours start on June 29 and run on Sunday mornings between 10 a.m. and noon throughout the summer. This summer we are excited to be introducing our Junior Mica Miner Program for children aged 6 to 10 during the Sunday morning tours. The Open House Tours give you time to explore the mine at your own pace and interact with costumed interpreters.

On Sunday evening, June 29, join us for a children’s concert at the amphitheatre at 8 p.m.! Monkey Rock Music is a fun, entertaining and creative participatory music program for young children and their adult caregivers. Their primary goal is to instill a love of creating and experiencing music that will last a lifetime. Nothing has a stronger impact on a child than enjoying an activity with the people they love. The show is an hour long and every song has the audience singing, doing actions, dancing and even up on stage playing instruments. Be part of the fun!

Don’t forget Canada Day on the beach at Murphys Point! On Tuesday, July 1st from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (weather permitting) Heritage Mica Days will be celebrating Canada Day with a hot dog BBQ, Canada Day cake and music provided by the Richmond Ramblers Bluegrass band. We will be giving out complimentary ice cream coupons to anyone who is dressed up in red and white or in heritage costume (how about a heritage bathing suit?). Also for your enjoyment, there will be, story readings, face painting, and rope bridge building.

Be sure to stop in at the gatehouse and purchase a park permit if you are not already camping at the park. This gives you access to park facilities for the whole day, including trails and beaches, too! Also click on the owl to see what other park programming is taking place! There is lots to do!

Posted in Friends of Murphys Point, Heritage, Heritage Mica Days, mica mine, Murphys Point, Murphys Point events, Murphys Point Provincial Park, Silver Queen Mine, Tay Valley Township, Weekly Activities | Tagged Friends of Murphys Point Park, heritage mica days, Murphys Point events, Murphys Point Provincial Park, pioneer homesteads, silver queen, Silver Queen Mine, tay valley township | Leave a comment

Exciting Gray Ratsnake Research at Murphys Point!

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Friends of Murphys Point

Over the past two years, the Friends of Murphys Point Park have been able to conduct some exciting research related to a threatened species population thanks to a multi-year Species at Risk Stewardship Fund grant for the project “Gray Ratsnake Stewardship and Population Monitoring on the Frontenac Arch.”

Last year, an ecologist (Constance Browne) worked to analyse data that has been collected over 30 years in order to make recommendations about the nature of continued monitoring and research. This year the Friends have hired a technician to do the field monitoring. The big component of this phase of the project is to select a few snakes that would be suitable for radio telemetry. In a nutshell, they will be tracked throughout the season to determine, in particular, where they are hibernating in order for the park to enhance protection efforts.

We will be sharing a information about this project throughout the summer here on our website and also on Facebook and Twitter. Check the links to the right on this page to Like Us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Our technician, Brock Ogilvie, will be updating us regularly on Twitter @grayratsnake – check it out!

Click here to read articles about Brock’s activities so far.