Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is partnering up for a bevy of guided summer experiences you won’t want to miss!
Just a few hours north of Toronto, there sits a cluster of islands that showcase the pristine, unrivaled elegance of Canada’s natural beauty. Oh, and it just happens to also be the world’s largest freshwater archipelago.
As you can imagine, many people are drawn to this slice of paradise – and, many are drawn to care for its preservation and sustainable visitation.
Enter the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR). If you aren’t familiar with the GBBR, they are a non-profit and registered charity that works to build and support sustainable care for and engagement with the Georgian Bay area.
And this summer, the GBBR has partnered up with other organizations to offer exciting and eco-friendly access to Georgian Bay.
Read on to learn a little more about what they’re offering!
Upcoming Biosphere Walk at the School House Trail
The School House Trail is an easy access 4km trail in Port Severn that winds through Georgian Bay’s natural landscapes of forest, rock barren, and wetlands. The GBBR leads a series of Biosphere Walks (guided, interpretive hikes) featuring some of the Biosphere Reserve’s most amazing places, and the School House Trail is one of the upcoming featured tours. An experienced and knowledgeable guide takes you on a guided hike of the School House Trail, teaching you all about late summer plants, pollinators, and more! Be sure to bring your burning nature questions ! A donation of $10 is appreciated, which helps contribute to more programming on Georgian Bay.
This date doesn’t work for you? No worries! You can also contact the GBBR to schedule private, customized guided tours at various locations. For more information including cost, email info@gbbr.ca.
Waterfront Walk and Brewery Tour
Together with the Trestle Brewing Company, this tour sets out from 1pm-3pm every Sunday throughout the summer. A guide will take you along the Parry Sound Waterfront Trail, one of the GBBR’s 20 Amazing Places, and teach you all about this UNESCO designated biosphere. You will also visit the Trestle Brewery, and learn about the process of making all-natural craft beer, from grain to glass.
Afterward, enjoy a sampling flight of four Trestle beers – and you will also get to take home a souvenir glass! Oh, and by the way, the brewery is equipped with a patio overlooking the Seguin River and iconic Trestle Bridge – it’s a view worth admiring!
If you want to inspire your inner Tom Thomson AND your inner naturalist, check out the Paint the Trestle events – bridges, beer and art in the Biosphere. Only one more night remains for 2019, so book early.
Visit their website for more information
Private Guided Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands Day Trip
Through a partnership with Guided Toronto, a company based in the city that specializes in customized guided tours, you can also experience a privately guided tour thanks to their Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands Day Trip.
Guests will be picked up in a private vehicle and taken to meet their GBBR guide at the entrance of the Waterfront Trail by the Salt Docks in Parry Sound. Here, you’ll begin your adventure in the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. After winding along the scenic shoreline, you will visit the Museum on Tower Hill, and climb to Lookout Tower for 360-degree panoramic views of the Sound.
The morning concludes with a locally inspired lunch, and guests have the option of adding more experiences to their tour for the afternoon, including an Indigenous craft experience, kayaking on Georgian Bay, fishing, or enjoying a float plane charter.
Visit their website for more information
The Birds and Bees of the Biosphere
Come out and explore the birds and the bees of the Biosphere. In this guided tour, a seasoned beekeeper will teach you all about our wonderful pollinators (and even sample their honey)!
Next you will explore the surrounding forest and wetland to learn about the species within the UNESCO biosphere reserve with a local biologist. If you have binoculars, be sure to pack them. Hopefully you can catch a glimpse of a variety of birds, small mammals, and turtles … who knows what you may spot!
Visit their website for more information
You can even add craft beer to your experience, with their Bees, Birds and Brewery Tour.
Visit their website for more information
Hurry, only 2 more dates to enjoy these one-of-a-kind experiences; August 1 and August 8.
Huckleberry Island EcoTour
Explore the stunning Huckleberry Island and its rich history from a knowledgeable GBBR guide with this exciting adventure.
After enjoying a 45-minute boat ride on the 40 passenger Islander, you’ll get a tour of the island with multiple interpretive stops so you can learn about the Island’s geology, flora and fauna, culture, and more. Don’t forget to pack your swimsuit, because you will have free time to go swimming at a stunning, secluded sandy beach afterward. Visit their website for more information
Sticking with the 40 passenger Islander, be sure to check out their Wreck Island EcoTour a fascinating boat and island tour that includes a guided hike with a GBBR naturalist. There are only two more Wreck Island Tours remaining for 2019, August 5 and September 2. Visit their website for more information
Stay and Play
Make the most of your Muskoka experience and check out our top recommendations for places to stay and perfect getaway packages.
Content produced in partnership between Muskoka Tourism, Township of Georgian Bay, GBBR and the government of Ontario
