by David Stringer, Past-President of the Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society
On March 27, the Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society welcomed Carol Tisdall, who gave a presentation on her life experience growing up on a farm.
Carol attended the Macdonald College of McGill University and has B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in wildlife management. She recently joined the Nature Society and is a Director.
At an early age, Carol’s interest in farming and in wildlife had been encouraged by her parents, who discussed with their children the prospect of buying a family farm. Everyone agreed this is what they wanted to do, so they sold their 225-year-old house on the lakeshore in Beaconsfield and bought a seven-acre farm in Lachute, when Carol was 10-years old.
The family had no experience with farming and relied on self-help books. Local farmers watched the city-folk with interest and amusement. An Ayrshire and a Jersey cow were purchased, which were milked by hand. Many unusual animals were bought to establish a ‘mini-farm’ which would be open to the public. Birds for the mini-farm were purchased from breeders at the Inter-Provincial Bird Association. Carol was President of the Association for two years.
At this time, Carol was studying for her B.Sc. at Macdonald College. She found time to get an Avicultural Permit to raise migratory waterfowl in captivity. She bought a pair of Canada geese, and every year they had eight goslings. To prevent the geese from flying away, a small part of the wing had to be cut. While Carol caught the goslings to do so, her sister bravely fended off the big aggressive gander.
On one occasion, Carol went to the pond to find out why the geese were upset. She found a Great Horned Owl in trouble. She noticed a small stick behind its right eye. The stick was preventing the owl from hunting. Once removed, the owl recovered and was able to be released back into its natural habitat.
Carol started work on her M.Sc. at Macdonald College. The research involved field observations on ducks for eight weeks at dawn and at sunset. On one occasion, she slipped in a pond, and her hip waders filled with cold water. Undaunted, Carol emptied the waders and continued with her work.
When Carol’s father retired from teaching, he wanted to fulfill his dream of farming on a larger scale. After much searching, the family moved to a 100-acre farm near Vankleek Hill in 1997. The farm was purchased from Jim and Jean Morrison. Jim was a Past-President of the Nature Society. Jean presently lives in the Heritage Lodge and is 100-years old.
Fences were installed, ponds were dug, fields were ploughed, and organic crops were grown. Because of the old machinery, the labour-intensive way was used to make square bales of hay. Flowers were planted to attract bees and butterflies, which are in decline.
In August 2003, the barn was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the volunteer fire department was carrying out a regular practice at the time and were on the scene within five minutes. This prompt action saved the house. The barn was rebuilt over a three-month period, thanks to many neighbours who generously volunteered to help.
Carol continues to manage the farm. She and her sister appreciate life on the farm and love to see sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, and the beauty of nature. Carol enjoys walking through the woods on the farm, observing the birds and the wildlife. Thank you, Carol, for your presentation which was both very interesting and humorous.
