A look at volunteer and staff activities at some of the properties we help to protect and care for with your support! Check back often.
You can Help Protect the Black River Wildlands
The Couchiching Conservancy has a rare opportunity to protect more than 4 kms of Black River shoreline, winding through 730 acres of intact wilderness. Working with Ontario Parks, the Conservancy is racing to raise $575,000 to purchase this parcel which will fill a significant gap in Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park.
Special: When the land gets a hold on you
Sometimes a little patch of earth seeps into you until it gets a little hard to discern where it ends and you begin.
It’s funny that we don’t have a word for that feeling, though countless people have experienced it across the ages.
Non-hibernating Mode; Nature in Winter
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a huge fan of winter. In fact, that would be putting it mildly.
Given that humans have not evolved to hibernate through winter, I must figure out a way to make it through to springtime
All You Need is an Hour on the Alvar
It was October 1st, 2016, with one whole hour to spare before heading back to the campground just west of Carden, Ontario. I wondered where I should head out for a hike. Given the vastness of the near-by Carden Alvar landscape in terms of natural and recreational resources, I thought I would make a decision on-the-fly as to where to explore.
The ins and outs of Conservation Easements
The Couchiching Conservancy land trust is involved with land protection in three ways: We own the land, we partner with other organizations (for example, Ontario Parks, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust) to acquire and manage the land, or we work with private landowners to protect their land using a conservation easement.
Notes from the Field: Scout Valley
This summer drought has dried up may creeks around the region, and highlighted the importance of protected headwaters. Mill Creek originates in the wetland above Scout Valley and then winds it way through the forest and downhill to join up with Ben’s Ditch.
Property Stewardship: The Long Walk In
Follow along with Volunteer Property Team Leader, Tom Wilson, as he recalls the ‘long walk in’ at Wolf Run Alvar.
New discoveries at Grant Wetland
Our water monitoring project is growing and moving into town this year. Every time we add a new site we learn so much we wish we had done it sooner. We console ourselves with the adage: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.
Column: Praise for the Conservancy
Humbleness has never been my strong suit.
But you see, sometimes bragging is for the greater good. Take for example the Couchiching Conservancy. Starting with a few like-minded people sitting around a kitchen table, back in 1993, dreaming about a better way to protect local ecology.