Kawartha Land Have confidence in increasing resources to build a network of trails from Stony Lake to Lakefield

By Minnie V. Muir 3 years ago
Kawartha Land Trust, a non-government charitable organization committed to protecting land in the Kawarthas, is seeking $300,000 in donations to create a 14-kilometre trail route stretching from Stony Lake to Lakefield. The proposed trail route is situated on a stretch of land chosen for its appealing natural features for visitors to enjoy. It is also a vulnerable and important stretch of land in the Kawarthas that is still naturalized. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Kawartha Land Have confidence in, a non-authorities charitable group committed to safeguarding land in the Kawarthas, is seeking $300,000 in donations to generate a 14-kilometre trail route stretching from Stony Lake to Lakefield. The proposed trail route is positioned on a extend of land selected for its pleasing pure options for guests to love. It is also a susceptible and significant extend of land in the Kawarthas that is nonetheless naturalized. (Image courtesy of Kawartha Land Have faith in)

Kawartha Land Believe in, a non-government charitable organization committed to safeguarding land in the Kawarthas, is boosting cash to generate a 14-kilometre path route stretching from Stony Lake to Lakefield.

The path route job is influenced by Kawartha Land Trust’s prosperous 2020 marketing campaign to elevate money for to invest in the Christie Bentham Wetland, a provincially major wetland residence just south of Burleigh falls.

Previously identified as the Clear Lake North Wetland, the house was renamed soon after Christie Bentham in honour of a donation she still left to Kawartha Land Belief in her will. A section of that donation was utilized as the major gift toward the order and protection of the land and motivated hundreds of other donors, who collectively elevated $750,000 for Kawartha Land Trust to address the invest in price tag of the residence, as effectively as other expenses connected with the sale and the ongoing stewardship demands of the house.

The proposed trails network would create a contiguous corridor of protected land from Stony Lake to Lakefield, conserving important wetland habitats that are populated by wildlife including Ontario's threatened turtle species. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
The proposed trails network would develop a contiguous corridor of safeguarded land from Stony Lake to Lakefield, conserving critical wetland habitats that are populated by wildlife which includes Ontario’s threatened turtle species. (Photograph courtesy of Kawartha Land Rely on)

Kawartha Land Trust’s executive director John Kinatre says the vision for the proposed path route from Stony Lake to Lakefield, which would come to be Kawartha Land Trust’s longest trail network, is to spark a “conservation boom” in the region, with new trails, conservation easements, and new donated land.

“This venture is coming from the group and the idea that we desired to guard the trails and path network on the Christie Bentham Wetland assets,” Kinatre points out. “As the project and marketing campaign took off, the desire from the local community and donors came to say, ‘Can we make it more substantial? Can we keep going with it?’”

The proposed path route will include trails previously located on the Christie Bentham Wetlands house, which Kinatre says will open up for public use this slide.

Wildflowers are common along the proposed trail network, such as the eastern purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea), a native species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Wildflowers are common together the proposed path community, this kind of as the eastern purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea), a native species of flowering plant in the sunflower household. (Photograph courtesy of Kawartha Land Rely on)

Extra current attributes protected by Kawartha Land Rely on in the space incorporate the McWilliams house adjacent to the Christie Bentham Wetland and the Ayotte’s Issue Woods property, situated north of Young’s Level. Even though there won’t be trails as a result of all of these qualities, they are element of the pure corridor the trails community will enable safeguard.

The group is also producing an agreement with Otonabee Area Conservation Authority to incorporate two of its qualities into the path route: the Heber Rogers Wildlife Location south of Burleigh Falls and the Young’s Level and Leidra Lands Conservation Parts.

The rest of the qualities the opportunity trail network would traverse are held by private landowners. Kawartha Land Belief will will need to perform with these proprietors, showing them how the path could move through their land and finding their arrangement.

Some landowners may perhaps concur to permit a trail about their land and set it on their land title or put a conservation easement which include the trail on their land title, though some others may possibly want to incorporate a very simple path administration agreement to make it possible for the trail.

“We’re hoping that landowners in this place will share our eyesight and take part in it,” Kinatre states.

To shift ahead with the job, Kawartha Land Trust calls for local community donations. Not only could donations fund the probable security of new attributes, but they can also fund the trail progress and securement section — a system that will choose some time.

The proposed trails network would run through forests, wetlands, and fields, all of which would be protected from development by Kawartha Land Trust. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
The proposed trails network would run via forests, wetlands, and fields, all of which would be protected from development by Kawartha Land Have faith in. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Have faith in)

“We’re seeking for donors in the community who can help us fiscally,” Kinatre points out. “It will just take a great pair yrs of organizing and conversations and marriage setting up at all amounts — landowners, municipalities, and hopefully with Initial Nations as nicely — to make this path community and organic corridor almost everything it can be.”

Kinatre claims the venture specifically requires the guidance of Selwyn Township, because street allowances could also sort portion of the route, and the township could aid resolve accessibility and parking issues that may well come up.

To donate to the trail task, you can go to the Kawartha Land Rely on internet site at kawarthalandtrust.org/trailsproject/. The organization’s objective is to elevate $300,000 to make the new path route a actuality.

The white oak can grow to be more than 35 metres tall and can live for several hundred years. Birds, squirrels, and other animals eat acorns from the white oak. Wood from the white oak is waterproof, so it's used to make barrels for storing liquids. The Vikings also used the white oak for their ships due to its strength. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
The white oak can mature to be additional than 35 metres tall and can reside for many hundred years. Birds, squirrels, and other animals try to eat acorns from the white oak. Wooden from the white oak is waterproof, so it’s applied to make barrels for storing liquids. The Vikings also used the white oak for their ships because of to its strength. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Have confidence in)

Although their most pressing have to have for the job is for funds, you can also assistance the trail route challenge by spreading the phrase and voicing your support. Kinatre suggests municipalities are more possible to assist with the task if they see it has group assist.

As the venture moves ahead, Kawartha Land Trust will also will need volunteers for a regional stewardship staff to build and mark the trails. To convey your curiosity in volunteering, you can email your resume to Patricia Wilson, Neighborhood Conservation Coordinator, at [email protected].

The proposed community of trails is a following stage for Kawartha Land Rely on in their mission to broaden the total of guarded land in the Kawarthas. Kinatre notes the trails route job provides a implies for facilitating conversations with landowners, many of whom have under no circumstances viewed as how to conserve their properties but may possibly be fascinated in doing so.

More than 20 per cent of Ontario's species at risk rely on wetlands for survival. Southern Ontario has lost more than 70 per cent of its wetlands, with losses increasing to 85 per cent in southwestern Ontario, Niagara, Toronto and parts of eastern Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Far more than 20 per cent of Ontario’s species at danger depend on wetlands for survival. Southern Ontario has shed much more than 70 for each cent of its wetlands, with losses increasing to 85 for each cent in southwestern Ontario, Niagara, Toronto and areas of japanese Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Have faith in)

“The trail community alone is a connector piece to give us a rationale for landowners to communicate to us,” Kinatre clarifies. “It will allow us to get out and have discussions with landowners and offer you them information guides to maintain onto, so they’ll have a greater knowledge of the ecological value of conserving their land.”

The proposed trail route is located on a extend of land picked for its desirable purely natural attributes for visitors to take pleasure in. It is also a susceptible and essential extend of land in the Kawarthas that is nevertheless naturalized.

Kinatre points out that preserving this naturalized corridor is vital for Ontario’s ecosystem.

The proposed trail route runs through The Land Between, an area of transition between the ecosystems of the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It contains elements from the ecosystems it borders, including the ancient rock of the Canadian Shield and the fertile wetlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
The proposed path route runs by way of The Land Among, an area of transition in between the ecosystems of the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It contains aspects from the ecosystems it borders, together with the ancient rock of the Canadian Defend and the fertile wetlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Have confidence in)

“Having these corridors of normal land is important for species migration, in particular as we see the impacts of climate adjust,” Kinatre notes. “It’s generally crucial to figure out, celebrate, and defend these corridors when we obtain them. It’s a ton easier to defend present trees than it is to try to reforest an space by planting new ones.”

The proposed path route operates via “The Land Between”, an space of changeover regarded as an “ecotone” involving the ecosystems of the Canadian Defend and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It consists of components from the ecosystems it borders — such as the historical rock of the Canadian Shield and the fertile wetlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands — as effectively as its very own exceptional ecological treasures.

Hikers would move less than lush forest canopies and wander past endangered butternut trees while listening for the unmistakable connect with of the japanese wooden-pewee, all the while figuring out the path is also preserving wetlands that clean up the region’s ingesting water and give habitat for wildlife these kinds of as Ontario’s threatened turtle species which include the Blanding’s turtle.

Along with helping to protect biodiversity, the proposed trail network would provide another way for people to experience the many proven benefits that arise from connecting with nature, including the mental health benefits of being surrounded by flora and fauna. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Alongside with helping to safeguard biodiversity, the proposed path community would provide an additional way for men and women to experience the many tested positive aspects that occur from connecting with nature, which includes the psychological health benefits of currently being surrounded by flora and fauna. (Picture courtesy of Kawartha Land Belief)

Together with aiding to protect biodiversity, the proposed trail network would deliver a different way for people today to knowledge the numerous tested benefits that crop up from connecting with nature — from the mental wellbeing benefits of remaining surrounded by flora and fauna to the physiological and cognitive gains of walking on a path.

“Just from going for walks on a trail like that, our brains have to make all sorts of conclusions about in which to place your foot and the place to place your pounds,” Kinatre explains. “We’re not mindful of it, but it retains our brains nimble and younger.”

All through the pandemic, men and women developed a new appreciation of the worth of public trails. Building a new one, Kinatre states, offers one more prospect to get people again into mother nature.

On the proposed trail network, hikers would pass under lush forest canopies and walk past endangered butternut trees while listening for the unmistakable call of the eastern wood-pewee. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
On the proposed path network, hikers would go beneath lush forest canopies and wander earlier endangered butternut trees whilst listening for the unmistakable contact of the jap wooden-pewee. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Belief)

“It ideally will aid folks acquire a better have an understanding of of why nature’s important to our way of lifetime and our nicely-staying,” Kinatre points out. “When we can hook up folks with mother nature, it would make them better advocates for mother nature and higher supporters of our perform.”

“Having a trail network designed — exactly where we can exhibit individuals the success of security and clearly show individuals the final results of conservation — assists them to have an understanding of the importance of that function in other spots, as properly.”

Kawartha Land Rely on at this time guards 22 houses in the Kawarthas, comprising extra than 4,500 acres of vital and varied sorts of land. For more info about Kawartha Land Believe in and to guidance the path network campaign, pay a visit to kawarthalandtrust.org.

A view of Stony Lake from the Jeffrey-Cowan Forest Preserve. one of the 22 properties protected by the Kawartha Land Trust. The proposed trail network provides a way to connect protected properties and maintain a natural corridor of undeveloped land that's important for species migration, especially during climate change. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
A look at of Stony Lake from the Jeffrey-Cowan Forest Protect. a single of the 22 houses safeguarded by the Kawartha Land Have faith in. The proposed trail community presents a way to join secured attributes and preserve a normal corridor of undeveloped land which is critical for species migration, specially during climate modify. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Believe in)

 

This story was designed in partnership with Kawartha Land Believe in.

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