Kawartha Land Trust Receives $2.9-Million Investment To Help Protect 1,400-Acre Nature Reserve

After a $2.9-million investment from the Province of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership, Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) has purchased its largest conservation property of the 1,400-acre Hammer Family Nature Preserve announced in Trent Lakes on Monday.

(Left to right) Chief Keith Knott, Curve Lake First Nation; Dave Smith, MPP, Peterborough-Kawartha; Hon. Andrea Khanjin, Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks; Mike Hendren, Senior Advisor to the Ontario Conservation Community, The Schad Foundation; John Kintare, Executive Director, Kawartha Land Trust; Paul Downs, Chair of the Board, Kawartha Land Trust; Laurie Scott, MPP, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock; Mayor Terry Lambshead, Municipality of Trent Lakes. Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Lake for Kawartha Land Trust.

The purchase is the largest in the organization’s 22-year history.

The property contains acres of forests, wetlands, fields and natural shoreline along Pigeon Lake. The preservation of this property ensures the protection of its important ecological values, maintains vital natural connectivity in the region, and provides future opportunities for public access and nature connection according to John Kintare, KLT executive director.

“Kawartha Land Trust is extremely grateful for the government funding partners and private donors who made this ambitious project possible,” he said. “The protection of this natural gem of the Kawarthas is an important investment in nature, in the Kawarthas, and Ontario at large. It was only through our strong partnerships that we were able to achieve such a positive conservation outcome.”

“The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) congratulates Kawartha Land Trust on protecting the amazing Hammer Family Nature Preserve,” said Alison Howson, OLTA executive director. “The Greenlands Conservation Partnership protects habitats for many species at risk and has made significant increases in the availability of green spaces for the people of Ontario to enjoy.” 

Funding for this project was also received from the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) and private donors. The fund helps conserve, restore and enhance the management of ecosystems such as wetlands, forests, and grasslands to help tackle the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss according to a press release.

Three-quarters of KLT’s Hammer Family Nature Preserve is home to tracts of forests and wetlands. KLT says this property's preservation will ensure that the vital ecological services it provides — clean air, clean water, and mitigating the effects of climate change — will be protected for current and future generations.

“The support and financial investments from the Province of Ontario, Government of Canada, and private donors, has resulted in the creation of a regional and provincial community asset,” said Kintare. “This conservation outcome would also not have been possible without the countless contributions of KLT’s dedicated community of volunteers, donors, partners, and supporters throughout our 22-year history.”

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Kawartha Land Trust Launches Inaugural Passport to Nature; A Guide to a Year-Long Series of Events in Nature

Just in time for the peak of summer, Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is officially launching its inaugural Passport to Nature (P2N) program — a year-long series of free, guided adventures in nature.

photo courtesy of kawartha land trust.

Throughout July and August, residents and visitors to the Kawarthas can attend a wide range of free KLT Passport to Nature events, including a tallgrass seedling planting, new-to-nature trail walk, roll or stroll, outdoor puppet show and a tour of the Alderville Black Oak Savanna.

As part of the planning for KLT’s inaugural Passport to Nature, KLT brought together a group of passionate and talented volunteers to form the People and Nature Working Group to help plan the project and bring it to life.

“Kawartha Land Trust’s Passport to Nature is a great way for people to get outside, explore, and connect with the nature all around us,” says John Kintare, KLT’s Executive Director. “We’ve heard from public health experts that being outside, even for an hour, provides physical and mental health benefits.”

Some KLT fall events include tree planting, forest bathing, an opportunity to gaze upon the wonders of the night sky and more.

“I got involved in this project because it’s a simple idea that I couldn’t resist — create a way for people to explore and enjoy nature — with their own passport to nature,” said Susan Scott, a KLT volunteer and Co-Chair of the People and Nature Working Group. “Some of the events we’ve included in KLT’s Passport to Nature are popular activities that Kawartha Land Trust has held in the past. But now, we hope to attract a wider audience to these popular outings, and help people learn more about KLT, its protected lands, and the vital work the organization does in preserving land for all of us.”

Kawartha Land Trust’s Passport to Nature print booklets will be available widely throughout the Kawarthas this summer at information and tourism centres and other locations. A PDF of the booklet can also be viewed and downloaded from our website. KLT is grateful for Cambium Inc.’s sponsorship of our 2023-2024 Passport to Nature.

“I encourage everyone to experience their own nature adventures this year,” concludes Scott. “We look forward to seeing you outside.”

To find out more about KLT’s Passport to Nature and upcoming events, visit the website.

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Kawartha Land Trust to Receive $1.7 Million from Environment and Climate Change Canada

Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is set to receive $1.7 million over five years from Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF), furthering its land protection efforts in the Kawarthas announced Monday.

Shoreline of Kawartha Land Trust’s new Otonabee River Property, secured with support from the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (Photo by Veronica Price-Jones/KLT)

As a direct result of the funding, KLT acquired 200 more acres of wetlands and forests in the Kawarthas through the securement of two new properties. They now protect over 5,070 acres of land in the Kawarthas, including 1,739 acres of wetlands.

The newly protected 200 plus additional acres of wetlands and forests includes 154 acres in Kawartha Lakes and 58 acres in Otonabee-South Monaghan township. Both properties include Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) and the Kawartha Lakes property is noted as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

The goal of this project is to protect CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) conversion through the protection of natural habitat in the Kawarthas by inspiring landowner participation in protecting carbon on their lands through a mix of land protection options and the outright purchase/protection of land with high carbon storage value vital habitat for plant and animal species, including a number of at risk species.

“We are so lucky in the Kawarthas to live where people have been caring for the land for generations, leaving a lasting natural legacy for today,” says John Kintare, executive director of Kawartha Land Trust. “The funding from ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solution Fund will allow Kawartha Land Trust to reach out to key landowners across our landscape to help them understand the part their land plays in our local ecosystem. We will work with all who are willing to secure important carbon stores and enhance land management so that our local lands can have a global impact.”

ECCC announced the details of the investment over five years to support KLT’s ‘Sequestering Kawarthas’ Carbon Through Partners in Conservation’ project through the ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

The NSCSF is a $631 million, ten-year fund to support projects that restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands and grasslands that store and capture carbon through nature-based solutions.

“Canada matters in the global fight to conserve and protect biodiversity. We are home to twenty four percent of the world’s wetlands, twenty five percent of temperate rainforest areas and twenty eight percent of remaining boreal forests,” says The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change. “These ecosystems are globally significant as they absorb carbon, mitigate against the impacts of climate change, and protect biodiversity.”

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Kawartha Land Trust Receives 61-acre Woodlot From Two Anonymous Donors

A 61-acre woodlot featuring deep forest habitat was recently donated to Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) by two donors who wish to remain anonymous.

This mature woodlot, which is situated on limestone bedrock, is part of a connected, extensive forested area in Peterborough County.

Because of the donors’ long-time interest in land stewardship and sustainable forestry, the property contains a wide diversity of flora and fauna. It is also home to several species at risk, including the Butternut tree, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Wood Thrush.

“It's been a pleasure learning about the donor's intimate knowledge of the property and their inspiration to protect it forever,” said Thom Unrau, Director of Community Conservation. “Development pressures and high-grade logging are fragmenting woodlots like this one and I'm grateful to know that under KLT’s care this land will forever be managed to ensure its long-term health.”

The donors gifted the property, which they purchased several decades ago, to Kawartha Land Trust to ensure the forest and abundant wildlife would not be disturbed by future development.

“We’re extremely grateful to the donors of Pipers’ Woods for their generosity and commitment to protecting land in the Kawarthas,” said John Kintare, Executive Director. “This mature forest will continue to be home to species like the Barred Owl that prefer older forests that cannot be quickly or easily re-established once gone.”

The dedication of Kawartha Land Trust’s donors, volunteers, and supporters has resulted in the acquisition of 11 new properties in the past two years, which has expanded KLT’s protected lands to almost 5,000 acres, providing additional safe havens for wildlife in the Kawarthas and securing important ecological landscapes help combat climate change.

At the request of the donors, Pipers’ Woods will not be open to public access and its location will not be disclosed in order to ensure the preservation of its sensitive habitats.

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Dr. Patricia And David Morton Donate 133 Acres Of Land To Kawartha Land Trust

Local philanthropists Dr. Patricia and David Morton have donated 133 acres of land to the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT).

Kawartha Land Trust's 133-acre Morton Nature Sanctuary features 1.5 km of natural, undeveloped lakefront shoreline. Photo courtesy of Thomas Unrau/KLT

The densely forested land includes 1.5 kilometres of undeveloped, natural lakefront shoreline and at least two at-risk species including the Eastern Ribbonsnake and Eastern Wood Pewee.

“Our major goal and great wish [was] to protect, conserve and preserve this land, forest and habitat now and for the foreseeable future as, in effect, our legacy and gift to our Mother Nature,” said Dr. Morton.

The Morton Nature Sanctuary is part of the “The Land Between” transitional landscape zone and almost 60% of the property falls within the Kawarthas Naturally Connected (KNC) natural heritage system.

“I had the pleasure of visiting the property for a habitat inventory prior to the donation,” said Thomas Unrau, KLT’s Director of Community Conservation. “During a lunch break, we paused in a majestic stand of Red Pines overlooking the lake, birds calling all around us. Sitting in that forest, I experienced a great moment of peace, knowing the land would be protected through our collaboration with the Mortons.”

The dedication of Kawartha Land Trust’s donors, volunteers, and supporters has resulted in the acquisition of 10 new properties in the past two years, which has expanded KLT’s protected lands to 4,800 acres, providing additional safe havens for wildlife in the Kawarthas and securing important ecological landscapes help combat climate change.

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$215,000 Federal Investment Supports Work Of Kawartha Land Trust To Protect Cation Wildlife Preserve

On Saturday (June 22nd), Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, and Member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha, announced on behalf of Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, that the Government of Canada invested $215,000 in support to the work of the Kawartha Land Trust for the protection of the Cation Wildlife Preserve.

“We are on track to meet our climate change targets because we have a 50-point plan and it’s working,” says Monsef. “It includes pollution pricing, phasing out coal and plastics, investing in clean technology and protecting our land and waters. The protection of the Cation Wildlife Preserve is part of our government’s plan to double the amount of nature protected in our lands and oceans.”

MP Maryam Monsef speaks with crowd at the grand opening of the Cation Wildlife Preserve.

Kawartha Land Trust acquired land donated by David and Sharon Cation and conserved land, adding 270 hectares to Canada's protected areas network.

The Cation Wildlife Preserve is in a natural conservation corridor that sits right in the middle of several important protected areas including Balsam Lake, Indian Point, and Queen Elizabeth Wildlands Provincial Parks, the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve and the Carl Sedore Wildlife Management Area.

Tara King, development manager for Kawartha Land Trust, with MP Maryam Monsef

The 668.5-acre Cation Wildlife Preserve includes marked trails for passive recreational use by the public, such as hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

“We are grateful for the federal government's contribution to support the protection of the Cation Wildlife Preserve and also Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Ecological Gift program that provides tax incentives to land owners to protect private lands in perpetuity,” says Tara King, Kawartha Land Trust Development Manager. “This landscape is vibrant and so full of life.”

Dave and Sharon Cation address crowd at the grand opening of the Cation Wildlife Preserve

The celebratory grand opening of the Cation Wildlife Preserve featured guided tours of the trails to the general public.

Dave Cation points out something in the distance during a guided walking tour

“Canadians like the leaders at Kawartha Land Trust asked our government to introduce a program to incentivize more conservation, and we listened,” adds Monsef. “Working together, we will ensure the wealth of our region is protected for our kids and grandkids.”

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