BDHS Board Directors. Associate Director. Financial Reviewers. Committee Chairs

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2 BDHS Board 2017 Directors Chair - Brenda Heenan Vice-Chair - Carol Good Secretary - Dan O Reilly Treasurer - Chris Millar Director Monica Lightfoot Director Kathy Mills Associate Director Richard Hunt Financial Reviewers Karen Hutchison Victoria Edwards Committee Chairs Budget: Chris Millar Environmental Projects: Richard Hunt Membership: Monica Lightfoot Website: Brenda Heenan Program: Carol Good & Kathy Mills Website: Brenda Heenan Yearbook: Michele Drenters PHOTO CREDITS: BDHS Board of Directors is fortunate to have Chris Millar, a talented amateur photographer, on our team. Her wonderful photos are included throughout this report. Thank you Chris, for making sure we can show off our year with such beautiful, professional quality photos.

3 Chair s report Submitted by Brenda Heenan The Bolton & District Horticultural Society (BDHS) is wrapping up its 22nd year. We have continued to be active in our community, this year collaborating with The Exchange (Bolton s food bank) to deliver a Lettuce Get Growing workshop. Tree planting projects were once again the focus of our civic improvement projects in We are grateful for the support from the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Town of Caledon, the Rotary Club of Bolton, the Palgrave Rotary Club, Kinsmen and James Dick as we completed the Bolton North Hill Park project with a final planting of 25 mature native trees along with TRCA-sponsored community planting of 150 trees and shrubs supplied by TRCA. We provided the local promotion, refreshments and volunteer recruitment. BDHS maintained its membership in the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA). OHA membership provided the society with low cost General Liability Insurance and Directors and Officers Liability coverage along with other benefits such as free hosting for our website BDHS hosted District 15 Winter Presidents Meeting at the Caledon Seniors Centre. The BDHS website and Facebook pages continued to be the main communication tool for the society in In addition to website updates, members received notices to let them know about upcoming meetings, reminders and opportunities. The BDHS Board held 9 Board meetings in 2016/2017 and organized 8 general meetings including the AGM. Society board business involved fulfilling the duties and responsibilities for Directors of corporations and charities. These duties included making required reports to Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, the Charity Directorate and the OHA. BDHS BOARD 2017 members led the workshop at The Exchange: Monica Our primary fundraising activities for this year included a very successful plant sale, selling Nincompoop Mulch and colourful, durable gardening gloves to our members. Again, this year, the Nincompoop was delivered to our long-time supporter, Glen Echo Nurseries, and members picked up their pre-paid orders there. I am most grateful for the support of the current Board members who have continued to be dedicated, resourceful and a pleasure to work with. Our Society depends on them. On behalf of the Board, I thank all members for their enthusiasm and support during this 22nd year. BDHS Membership Report Submitted by Monica Lightfoot, Membership Secretary Membership for 2017 was 50 members including two life members. This number includes 15 families and 8 new members. This year nine guests attended our informative meetings. Members in the Society continue to receive discounts from local nurseries and benefit from the strong

4 program presented throughout the year. Membership also entitles them to attend other Horticultural Society Meetings at a discount. Members receive regular reminders of meetings, location and program information. Information is also distributed through the website and Facebook pages. We always encourage members to invite friends and relatives to join us and take out memberships. Fees this year were $25.00 per person and $30.00 for a family. Publication Report Submitted by Brenda Heenan, Chair Our long-serving, generous and design-savvy member, Michele Drenters, prepared and published our Yearbook again this year. The theme was TREES. This 30 page booklet with a full colour illustrated cover included information about our history, meeting schedule, Educational Speakers program and our Photo Show. Photo Show AGM 2016 BDHS members entered photos in 10 categories. The judge reviewed 33 photos and the results were as follows: 1st place Chris Millar 28 points, 2nd Place Karen Hollingshead 25 points, 3rd Place (tie) with 18 points, Brenda Miller, Susanne McRoberts and Brenda Heenan. Nomination Report Submitted by Brenda Heenan, Chair I would like to thank departing Board member, Monica Lightfoot, Membership Director, for taking on the multiple tasks involved in keeping track of the members (and their nametags) in We will miss her friendly smile at the membership desk. Fortunately, she will continue to be an active Society member. As per the BDHS constitution, a minimum of 5 Directors and 2 Financial Reviewers will be elected at the November AGM. The Directors will appoint the Officers after the election. We are pleased to present the following people who have agreed to accept nomination for Carol Good, Brenda Heenan, Karen Hollingshead, Chris Millar, Kathy Mills, Dan O Reilly Financial Reviewers: Janet Manning & Emma Ivancic 2017 Environmental Projects Report The Bolton North Hill Park B & B tree planting project was completed in mid October Twenty-five native deciduous and coniferous tree species were planted and mulched, including white pine, spruce, serviceberry, hackberry, red maple and oak. A few days later, BDHS & community members participated in another planting of about 300 potted native trees and shrubs. This was a great success thanks to the Girl Guides, Town of Caledon, TRCA and volunteers. Total donations including in-kind= $15,000

5 Bolton North Hill Park Donor Appreciation Event Submitted by Brenda Heenan, Chair Richard Hunt, BDHS Director of Environmental Projects, welcomed Donors and Volunteers who made this Bolton North Hill Park Environmental Restoration Project possible. Because of their efforts, we were able to plant a mix of approximately 400 native trees and shrubs in this park over the last 2 years. The sign recognizing their contributions was unveiled and Certificates of Appreciation were distributed by Brenda Heenan, Chair & Founding President of BDHS. Government representatives MP David Tilson, MPP Sylvia Jones, Town of Caledon Regional Councillor Annette Groves and Area Councillor Rob Mezzapelli added their thanks to the group of donors: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Brian Baird - Caledon Parks Management/Landscape Architect James Dick Construction Rotary Club of Bolton Rotary Club of Palgrave Kinsmen Club of Bolton Bolton Girl Guides In memory of Antonia Dengler Awards BDHS was pleased to nominate Richard Hunt for the Town of Caledon Environmental Leadership Award. The Award was presented to Richard in April 2017 at the annual Celebration of Volunteers. Richard Hunt has been an active member of Bolton & District Horticultural Society since shortly after its founding in Richard served many years on the BDHS Board of Directors and participated in BDHS civic beautification projects including the construction of the Pavilion at the corner of Sterne & Hwy 50, flower barrels on Highway 50, and planting beds at the Rotary Place/Caledon Seniors Centre and Caledon Centre. He initiated environmental improvement projects that spanned several years to restore wetlands and native plants in Bolton Mill Park in the Humber River valley. Over the past 15 years, BDHS focus shifted to tree planting and Richard earned his BDHS nickname "Tree-hugger Hunt". The projects Richard initiated include multiple plantings of hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Sunkist Woods, Taylorwood Valley, Dick's Dam Park, Rotary Peace Park, Columbia Creek, Foundry Park, Bolton North Hill Park and Caledon Animal Shelter (Coleraine Park). The survival rate of plantings he organizes is remarkable - thanks to his foresight in requiring beaver guards on trees near the river and engaging volunteers to monitor and water trees during their establishment years. Thanks to his leadership, BDHS was twice awarded Town of Caledon Environmental Action Committee's "Environmentalist of the Year" Award. In addition to his volunteering at BDHS, Richard has been active in The Bolton North Hill Residents Association, which successfully advocated for the Town of Caledon to purchase and preserve the mature woodlands on the east side of Humberlea Road. CONGRATULATIONS RICHARD!

6 OHA Convention Pollinator Garden Friendly competition All 19 Ontario Horticultural Association Districts were invited to participate in a friendly competition at the OHA s 111 th annual Convention hosted by District 5 in York Region. Only one entry from each District was eligible. District 15 selected the BDHS project at Albion Hills Community Farm to represent our area, which includes the 17 societies in Peel Region, York West and Toronto West. OHA delegates and attendees at the convention voted for their favourite pollinator project. BDHS s project was chosen as the favourite! Well done to all our partners in this project, especially Albion Hills Community Farm and Donna Parrish (the volunteer extraordinaire who looks after the garden for the pollinators). Speakers Series 2017 Submitted by Carol Good, Programme Director In March, we were pleased to welcome Owen Goeltz, back to continue his presentation about THE BODY LANGUAGE OF TREES. He had to interrupt his sugaring-off to come to our meeting. Master Gardener Kathleen Gorsline joined us in April to give her presentation, URBAN POTAGER. She helped inspire us to consider new ways to garden with our vegetables and herbs. In May, Ken Brown returned to share his dramatic photos about GARDENS THAT POP IN THE SHADE. He had creative and appealing ways to deal with this challenging growing condition. Gino Piscelli was able to join us in June to promote the Region of Peel program to encourage FUSION LANDSCAPING. Gino acknowledged that our members knew more about gardening that most of his audiences. In August, after our summer break, Kim Fellows from Pollination Canada gave us a detailed and beautiful presentation about the range of pollinators that need our support in her presentation, SAVE THE POLLINATORS. In September, Diana Wilson from the TRCA gave her presentation, GARDENING FOR THE BIRDS, BEES & BUTTERFLIES to reinforce the message about the positive role played by gardeners. Stephen Smith had another message about the importance of responsible gardening with his presentation in October, INVASIVE SPECIES OF SOUTHERN ONTARIO. As an experienced arborist, he had many stories and photographs to share. We were pleased to book Frank Kershaw for our final speaker at our November Annual General Meeting. His presentation, REPURPOSING AND RECYCLING IN THE GARDEN continued our theme about responsible gardening.

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