The Late John Pitts and Kathleen Milligan honoured at Sweetwater Farm Nature Reserve unveiling ceremony Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Orillia, Ontario – Supporters of the Couchiching Conservancy, including family and friends, celebrated the unveiling of the Sweetwater Farm Nature Reserve. The 75-hectare (185-acre) property in the heart of Ramara, located …
Celebrate Pollinator Week with Pollinator Bingo
Register for Pollinator Bingo Here National Pollinator Week is from June 19-25, 2023. Pollinators play an important role in the ecosystem by transporting pollen and fertilizing plants. The Couchiching Conservancy has helped to protect over 14,000 acres in the Couchiching and Severn region. This protected land provides connected, species-rich habitat …
An antidote to despair is action
Canada is on fire from coast to coast. And ironically, today is Clean Air Day. As of June 2nd, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in an unprecedented way. So far, more than 2,200 fires have broken out across the country …
Meet our summer staff!
Hi! My name is Quinlan MacDonald and I am one of the Summer Interns with the Couchiching Conservancy for this season! I am currently in my 4th year at Trent University, completing my bachelor’s degree in biology which I will be finishing over the summer. During this time, I focused …
Supporter Story: Crowther family
This month’s Supporter Spotlight features Richard and Joan Crowther, and their daughter and son, Barbara Crowther and Hugh Crowther. Growing up in the United States, the love of birding started with mom, Joan. Once the family moved to Washington, coastal birds peaked Richard’s interest and he was hooked. Whether it …
Carden Challenge participants raise $30K & count hundreds of species!
Beautiful blue skies and warm weather greeted the 74 people who took part in the 19th annual Carden Challenge. It was fun being together in celebration of this landscape and the species who call it home. All together, participants raised an impressive $30,000 for alvar stewardship efforts. Thank you to …
Unveiling the Frantzke-Williamson Easement
On a beautiful sunny day, staff and friends of Evelyn Frantzke and Robert Williamson gathered at their home to celebrate the completion of their 44.5-acre easement. The easement was completed in January 2023 – check out the OrilliaToday article here. The area that this easement is in is a key strategic …
A Big Thank You to the Youssef-Warren Foundation
The Youssef-Warren Foundation is a Canadian family foundation that has benefitted conservation, arts, and healthcare organizations worldwide since 1997. They took a chance on our fledgling Community Science Program in 2017, and became annual supporters. As the foundation closes this year, we wish to send our heartfelt thanks for both …
Sweetwater Farm Nature Reserve Unveiling
Our thanks to everyone who joined us for the unveiling of the Sweetwater Farm Nature Reserve in Ramara. Thank you for a beautiful day. Thank you to the family and friends of John Pitts and Kathleen Milligan. Thank you to our community, our supporters. Thank you John, thank you Kathleen.
Notes From the Field- Spring 2023
June 16, 2023- A Rare Reptile Find Since we started the Reptile Monitoring Community Science program in 2018 we have had a few species at the top of our ‘must find’ list. Some of these include Spotted and Wood Turtles, Eastern foxsnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, and Massasauga Rattlesnake. These are …