The Lizards, Georgian Bay Land Trust · Aug 24, 11:38 pm
ooooh what a way to spend a day! A big heartfelt thank you to Dave and Jenn Harker, who called me and asked … hey are you available to go out on the boat tomorrow? Hell yah!!!!!!!!!!!
They took me to a very special place for them … the Lizards … close to Whalesback Channel, not too far (but far enough to have some privacy) from Midland town dock. In fact, while there for the day, we only saw one rower with his old dog, and a few kayakers who visited the hard-to-get-to Island.
In fact, Jenn and Dave know this area so well, Jenn wrote an article about this Island. Click here to read more of what insightful knowledge Jenn has about the location. She is BANG on with her description.
The Island is just over a kilometer long and I couldn’t believe how diverse it was. The contrast between the north and south parts were astounding. The north remained barren, with diverse little sprigs of life from cranberries, to strawberries to all sorts of little plants that found home in the cracks of the rock … all surrounded by the vibrant orange lichen (not found in the south end at all). The rock obviously scraped by the Ice Age, seemingly travelling on forever into the Georgian Bay abiss.
Meanwhile, on the south side, it was thriving with life … from HUGE straight white pines, to the more typical sparse, west leaning pine, to blueberries, junipers, bushes, birch trees trying to survive, and a frog pond full of life … not to mention all kinds of different flowers, and not orange, but very green (pastel green) lichen covering the entire top of the rock. Did I forget anything – not being up on all my plants and things, that’s a big yes!
The Island was donated by a generous family to the Georgian Bay Land Trust in 2003. People who cottage in the area are happy to ensure that the land stays protected, so everyone can enjoy this landscape. I know I am appreciative to have been able to have experienced it. So thank you!
Three other things astounded me about this Island (aside from the abundance of life, and the diversity of the landscape across such a short expanse):
1. Having lived on the North Channel, I have seen my share of white pines clinging to life, but I have never seen them thriving so much at the base of the tree (as well as up high) – roots reached out crossing 20 feet in places, and the greenery of the pine nearly covered the whole base!
2. I have also never seen a rockface with so many veins, seemingly travelling forever … you could see the vein travel from the main rock under the water and onto the other side … the veins often appearing more like roots of a tree the way they came up and over different types of rocks.
3. Much like the veins, but even more apparent, a large part of the Island rock appeared to be petrified wood … looking more like driftwood than rock. Very prehistoric and ancient in appearance.
I want to give my thanks to Dave and Jenn once again, for sharing this special place with me. Thanks for the snacks and the divine lunch, and thanks to Jim for bringing coffee!
These are only a few of the 300 photos I took in less than 5 hours … and obviously it will inspire many future paintings! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to get started!
Click thumbnail to enlarge each image
View to the north.
Jenn giving a perfect yoga pose.
Whalesback Channel looking west towards Thunder Bay Beach.
Off in the distance is Giant's tomb.
Jenn atop crazy rock striations.
Pools, striations and orange lichen.
I am standing only at the 'third' of the Island, and way off in the distance you see Dave and Jim ... like a runway going straight into Georgian Bay.
Closeup of just SOME of the colours in the rock encompassing the Island. This will make a gorgeous abstract sculpted painting.
Another amazing abstract ahead - love the sporatic circles of lichen.
Another view looking north at the boys ... amazing distance in this Island.
The veins in the rock appear like the 'tree of life'.
These veins of varying type rocks were abundant on the Island ... amazing how the pink bedrock is harder than the granite as it remains raised.
Captain Dave looking North ... 30 feet up!
Erratics at the foreground, and an old fish carcass in the distance.
Long lines - looking west.
Aside from the lichen, these two patches of greenery are two of 105 species found on the Island.
North end of the Island ... there's that runway again.
Snack time with Jenn, Jim and Dave, before exploring the south end. Yeah, we needed to 'relax' after such a hard morning.
To prove I was there ... catching a shoulder burn (didn't know it until later that night). WORTH IT!
From barren to oasis, right away BIG life on the south part of the Island. Look how huge that tree is with Jenn standing beside it.
The awesome tree Jenn was standing beside. AMAZING west slope ... so much so, that the roots were lifted out of the ground, and tree still thrives!
Panoramic view - looking north - browns at bottom of tree are the roots, but they are grabbing along the ground to create ground trees.
Further south, is another tree creature ... again the roots are lifted from the ground, but all that healthy ground cover is the pine tree rooting and thriving along the ground.
Did I say amazing? Just think of what these trees endure in a storm and over the winter with those howling west winds!
Giant's tomb in the distant West.
THRIVING in this barren landscape. So beautiful.
And just when you thought all the exposed trees should be leaning west ... there you have it ... a very tall (some 40 feet plus) white pine.
And to show what a diverse Island this is ... there's also a large pond!
A gorgeously thriving pond that is.
More rock veins!
Jenn sharing all her favourite spots ... describing how the ice must have travelled across this rockface. 
This rock amazed me - it looked like driftwood - like petrified wood.
There's the difference - this is actual driftwood!
Jenn, Dave and Jim signing the 'guest book' of the Island.
Typical windswept pine.
Boat travelling down Whalesback Channel, as I sneak behind the pine tree.
Huge erratic on the southwest part of the Island ... I dare you to try and move it.
Looking west - the erratic's eyeview.
Ice one viciously scraped the land, and left this erratic.
In the foreground is some kind of large vertebrae.
The erratic, and Giant's Tomb.
Vertebrae's eyeview.
Remnants of a bird carcass on west side of the Island. Not so thriving.
Huge driftwood ashore the west part of the Island.
This could almost be the west coast of Vancouver Island. (Although, I have never been in person yet).
Erratic and pool in the centre of the Island.
Grasses, pool, erratic, orange lichen and Georgian Bay ... what could be better than this?
— Carol Currie
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