Brechin, Ontario – June 30, 2026 – The Couchiching Conservancy has permanently protected the Lake Dalrymple Alvar Nature Reserve, a 174-hectare (nearly 430-acre) property located 7 kilometres northeast of Brechin, Ontario in Ramara township. This milestone expands the Carden Alvar Important Bird & Biodiversity Area and marks a historic moment in local conservation efforts.
The newly secured reserve is a mosaic of alvar, wetland, and forest, including 1.9 km of pristine alvar shoreline – the only undeveloped stretch of lakeside alvar in the region. Designated as a critical waterfowl staging area, it provides food and habitat for aquatic life, including manoomin (wild rice). It supports an extraordinary diversity of species, including 21 Species at Risk, seven “extreme” alvar indicator plants, and five species ranked “high”. The parcel is in the territory of the Anishinaabe, specifically in Williams Treaty.
This marks the 60th property the Couchiching Conservancy has helped protect, bringing the total to 15,654-acres protected (6,335-hectares) . This acquisition is part of the Conservancy’s Land for Life campaign, a multi-year initiative to protect significant habitat in the territory of the Anishinaabe, specifically in the treaty 16, 18, 20 and 61 areas. Priority areas have been identified based on Species at Risk occurrences, connection to existing natural areas, wildlife migration routes and more.
The Lake Dalrymple Alvar protection has been the largest fundraising effort in the Conservancy’s history, with a budget of $1,643,700. The Conservancy extends its deepest gratitude to its partners and funders, including the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, the MapleCross Fund, Echo Foundation, the Ontario Conservation Accelerator including various funders such as The Schad Foundation, other funders, and the countless individuals who made this achievement possible.
“Protecting 60 properties is an incredible achievement and a testament to the Couchiching Conservancy’s longstanding leadership in conservation,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “This investment will help preserve a unique and ecologically significant landscape while expanding critical habitat for wildlife. We are proud to work alongside organizations like the Couchiching Conservancy to safeguard our natural spaces for generations to come.”
“What makes this protection meaningful is its permanence” said Dorthea Hangaard, outgoing Executive Director of The Couchiching Conservancy. “Too often, we watch natural spaces slowly disappear to development, piece by piece, until they’re gone. This land won’t be one of those places. It’s a lasting legacy for the people of Ramara township and our region, and for the plants and wildlife that depend on it — protected not just for now, but forever.”
Tanya Clark, Fundraising & Engagement Manager for the Conservancy echoed Dorthea’s comments, “This isn’t just about protecting land – it’s about safeguarding biodiversity, clean water, and resilience against climate change. It’s a legacy for future generations.”
Alvars are among the most endangered landscapes in Ontario, supporting over 250 bird species, 38 mammals, and countless butterflies and dragonflies. The Carden Alvar is one of only two areas in Ontario that supports the endangered Eastern Loggerhead Shrike, making this protection effort even more vital.
The Lake Dalrymple Alvar expands on a 20-kilometre conservation corridor stretching from the Turnbull Ranch Nature Reserve in the south to QEII Wildlands Provincial Park (Ontario Parks) in the north. This collaboration, alongside the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, has now protected over 14,000 acres of critical habitat.
“The pressures on our landscapes are intensifying – development, climate change, and habitat loss don’t wait,” Tanya added. “But neither can we. The success of Lake Dalrymple Alvar proves that we can act fast and act together.”
To learn more about the Land for Life campaign, please visit here.
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The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program
The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure and manage private ecologically important land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, leverages private and other non-provincial dollars to acquire, restore, and manage privately owned natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands, and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations, and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has invested $60 million into the program, which has helped to protect nearby 637,530 acres (approximately 258,000 hectares of private land across the province – more than 4 times the size of Toronto.
The Ontario Land Trust Alliance
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) focuses on providing community, knowledge sharing, and support to land trusts across Ontario. It empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts that engage their communities to protect forests, wetlands, nature, and water sources and provide natural climate solutions. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs, connecting land trusts to each other, resources, and their communities, leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work, sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to land conservation, promoting organizational excellence, providing access to current research, and acting as a voice for land trusts among the public, governments, and other rightsholders. OLTA’s impact is Ontario-wide through 56 connected charities and communities. Local land trust members currently collectively own and steward over 2,000 natural areas and green spaces across Ontario, with the leadership of thousands of supporters and volunteers annually. To support your local land trust, visit OLTA.ca.
About The Couchiching Conservancy: The Couchiching Conservancy is a non-profit, non-government land trust dedicated to protecting nature for future generations. Since 1993, the Conservancy has secured more than 15,654-acres of critical habitat across the Couchiching region, providing safe haven for species at risk, strengthening ecological corridors, and connecting people with nature through trails and programs.
Photos: Black Swallowtail (Kathryn Frank), White-tailed Deer, exposed alvar, staff member Tanya Clark