During the trip into the cabin, there is usually time to discuss a variety of topics. A few of the interesting notes have been: Cacti on Big Whiteshell, carnivorous plants found in the bog on Lake Two, onions and smooth sumach on the 'Up-and-Over', and berries all along the way. The trip is roughly 22km with 18km of paddling and the rest traversing 5 or 6 portages. Making the trip over the years has taken as little as 4 hours and as many as 10. The typical time for the trip in with the summer program is 7 hours.There are further notes and a map found on my Trip to Mantario page.  

The day hike takes us through many different plant communities. Generally a considerable amount of time is spent discussing or identifying the plants during the hike.  I have a reputation for very slow hikes. During the 2001 Botany week we only made it to the top of the first hill by  lunch time. We have spent time talking  about the ecology and trying out edible plants on the trail. If the blue berries are ripe we usually have picked enough  to make pies or muffins. Picking berries, swimming and lunch along the way provide some welcome breaks.  

• We have often collected the various edible plants discussed on the previous days of the trip and supplemented our supper. Usually I do not entertain the idea of collecting enough plants for a meal as that usually takes more time and effort than expected.

• A paddling trip to the end of Jadel Lake has been very successful — especially later in the summer when the wild rice on Vier Lake is ripening. 

• A trip to swim in Bishoff Lake and pick berries is fun and interesting with a quick stop in Hop Lake to look at the bog cranberry and collect Labrador-tea at the old Kalanski cabin site (NAD 83, 15U 0343405E 5541258N).

• When the water is high it is possible to paddle into Skull Lake and then portage out through Twin Stump. The creek into Skull is interesting but slow going with lots of little dams, downed trees, and narrow spots to hop over and squeeze through. There is a nice hike/paddle at the far end of Skull that takes you to Ironwood Falls. There is a substantial wet meadow formed from a broken beaver dam that is quite interesting.

• Some years we have spent a considerable amount of time working on canoe skills, rescues, or just relaxing  on the shore.

• I have also spent time working on navigation skills and  using maps, compasses, maps and compasses, and GPS.

• Hike into Sunset Hill from the Mantario trail. There does not appear to be a trail but it is fairly open bush. Take the Mantario trail from the cabin to 15U 0343901E 5540922N then head for the top of the canoe access path (15U 0344022E 5541111N). From the clearing head north north-east out of the clearing - it is an open jackpine forest. Look for a  large boulder field and head up.

• An expedition into 'Hidden Lake' is worth the trip to see  the fragrant waterlilies in mid-July. Many people stop to enjoy the view from the top of the cliffs but few venture to the bottom.

• Take a short jaunt to the top of the cliffs (15U 0344709E 5541009N) for a panoramic view  of the south end of Mantario Lake. Go for a swim in the deep cool water at the bottom of the cliffs. 

New friends and fond memories. Often the participants have gone for supper in the evening either on the trip back to Winnipeg or at one of the many establishments in Winnipeg. 

How to identify plants. This usually calls for a careful examination and sometimes collecting the whole or part of the plant that you want to identify. If you are interested in eating or using medicinal plants you must be very sure of your identification. There are a number of poisonous plants and fungi and an improper identification can spell disaster.

The first thing that you will generally have to figure out is if it is a plant or not - believe it or not mushrooms are not plants and lichens are only partly plants. A little time will be spent discussing what plants (higher plants, mosses, algae), mushrooms, and lichens are and how they are different from each other.

There are a number of field guides for the identification of plants (along with some lichens and mosses) available at the Mantario cabin. There are a wide variety of plant books on the market extending from the basic coffee table book to the scientific flora. Each of these books is suited to a particular purpose. We will look at several different kinds of books and discuss what they can be used for, along with when and where you might use them. There is a list of books attached to the plant list that I have made for the Mantario region. I have found Euell Gibons' books very interesting general reading (Stalking the wild asparagus, Stalking the healthful herbs). If you are interested in the plants of the boreal forest then you should get Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland. Unfortunately, there is not a current flora (complete plant identification key) available for Manitoba. If you can find copies of the Flora of Manitoba by H.J. Scoggan, or Budd's Flora of the Canadian Prairie Provinces are very useful. These last two are really only for someone seriously interested in plant identification and in some areas are somewhat dated. I have a number of Peterson and Audubon field guides that I refer to regularly (trees, eastern wildflowers, ferns, shrubs, mushrooms, edible wild plants, medicinal plants). If you can find it Nature Made Ridiculously Simple by Miles Kington is a wonderfully funny introduction to the identification of natural things.

Participants may want to bring along the following extra equipment for plant identification: any field guides you use or would like to use, small measuring tape (cloth type used in sewing), a small 10x magnifying glass or loupe, pocket knife, and tweezers.

Successional sequences, fire and recovery, other ecological topics. Plants, and other similar organisms, probably play the most significant part in the succession or recovery of an ecosystem. Unfortunately most people do not place enough value on the importance of the plants and plant communities in these natural processes. Over the week I hope to discuss why we as naturalists should take more interest in plant communities.  

Not everything is plants. I have had extensive canoeing experience (including Paddle Canada (CRCA) instructor certification) and have spent quite a number of years teaching canoeing and canoe related skills. I would like to pass on some of my experience to the guests at the cabin.

Paddling skills are of course very important when you are canoeing. Most people are familiar with a few basic canoeing strokes and can propel themselves along reasonably well. Adding a basic understanding of the form and function of canoes, equipment, weighting, and position will greatly enhance everyone's paddling. By learning a few more strokes you can take your canoeing experience from frustration to exhilaration. Strokes that may be covered include: bow, sweeps, braces (low and high), J stroke and derivatives (Canadian, pitch or draft, rolling J or silent, river J, rudder), pry and draw strokes (including running pry and draw), cuts and jams. These strokes can be combined in a number of ways to do things like side slips, pivots, turns and more. An awareness of body position when paddling will make many manoeuvrers easier. Interested guests will get direction in solo paddling.

An important aspect to any wilderness experience is how to rescue yourself and others, canoeing is no exception. One afternoon I hope to spend some time doing canoe rescues. We can try both assisted and self rescues. Assisted rescues usually involve doing some kind of canoe over canoe rescue. There are a number of different styles of emptying and getting back into canoes when there are others to help you out. There are even methods to rescue yourself if there is no one else around. Yes you can empty a swamped canoe, and get back in by yourself! It takes practise but it can be done.

I have found that staying out of trouble is usually best rescue technique - how to load a canoe, getting in and out, should you get in at all, and paddling techniques all play an important role in staying afloat.

One of the areas that many people have problems with is understanding and using a map, or map and compass together. With the advent of affordable global positioning system receivers (GPSr) the perceived need for the use and understanding of a map, and traditional compass has been reduced. Unfortunately, even a good GPS receiver can break or run out of power. Too many people do not know how to use a map and compass, or put too much reliance on technology.

If any participants are interested we will work on map and compass skills. How to use and understand the basic symbols of a topographic map including using longitude and latitude, and Universal Transverse Mercator grid (UTM) to specify a location. Understanding how a compass works and its limitations - why magnetic north is not true north and what is this thing called declination anyway? Using a compass to go in a straight line, or go 'there and back again'. Finally how to use a compass and map in tandem for marking a direction or finding a point (where you are or where you want to go) on a map. A GPS receiver will be available and we will look at the benifit sand limitations of this technology. In addition, in 2005, I was asked to record the specific location of Large Tooth Aspen stands that are common on the day hike as well as a few other rare/uncommon plant species. A few links that you may find helpful are: Some GPS/UTM terms and Jargon, How to use a compass, and Topographic Maps, The Basics.