I have a confession to make. I’m a bit jealous of David Hawke.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Dave, he acts as the eyes and ears on over 40 properties, works with volunteers to care for our land and is our Stewardship Program Manager.
It’s easy to feel envious since Dave visits Conservancy properties every day and gets to experience firsthand how special our region is. Every time I see him, he may be kind of dirty and tired from a day in the field, but he always has a new story to share. One of my favourites is from a visit to the Kris Starr Sanctuary. As he walked along the trail, he heard a commotion not too far away. Dave crept up behind a birch tree and peered over to the stream. And there they were. Two otters splashing and playing together.
It might seem like a simple experience, but hearing stories like that revitalizes my passion and curiosity for the world around us. It’s a reminder of how amazing our ecosystems are and why they are worth protecting.
I’m sure that you too have stories like this from time spent with friends and family enjoying the special experiences of nature. In fact, a lot of these stories wouldn’t be possible without the people; who have passion and foresight to help protect the habitat of so many species.
Our supporters allow the Conservancy to safeguard the properties in our care and work on expanding our influence. We are working hard for the community and for future generations to ensure that donations are used efficiently. Did you know that 83% of all money raised annually goes towards Acquisition and Land Stewardship? Each year we spend roughly $1,000,000 on stewardship activities in our region. These on-going expenses are associated with keeping these lands protected and keeping these stories coming.
“Dave crept up behind a birch tree and peered over to the stream. And there they were. Two otters splashing and playing…”
The community showed their commitment to protecting nature and, thanks to your generous support, we have been able to protect more than 12,000 acres of land in our region including the new Adam’s Nature Reserve in Washago that was opened on October 30th. But threats to healthy ecosystems, species at risk and beautiful natural forests don’t stop coming.
I am writing today to remind you that there is more work to do and to ask you to make a choice for the future of our region. Will you stand by and let our wild spaces disappear? Or will you join in taking action by supporting our conservation efforts? Your help makes these special moments in nature possible for everyone to enjoy today and for future generations.
The protection of thousands of acres of land needs an entire community of nature lovers working together to be successful year round. Join us for this year`s annual appeal and become a member.
To become a member visit our membership page, call our office 705-326-1620 or drop by Grant’s Woods, 1485 Division Road West to pick up a membership form.
You can also support us this week by bringing family and friends together to our Tuesday November 21st fundraiser at Brewery Bay. Tickets are $55.00 per person and settings are at 5:30 and 7:30. Please go to Brewery Bay for tickets. $50.00 from each ticket goes directly to The Couchiching Conservancy’s conservation efforts.
Tanya Clark is the Development Coordinator for The Couchiching Conservancy, a non-profit land trust dedicated to protecting nature for future generations.