Continue tree planting legacy - order trees
Legacy of tree planting provides benefits to water, soil; contributes to healthy, prosperous community
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is now taking orders during January, February for spring tree planting; Planting trees can protect soil; improve crop yields; reduce winter heating and summer cooling costs; and more
People aren’t necessarily thinking ‘spring’ at this time of the year but now is a good time to order trees for planting windbreaks or other reforestation projects, according to Ausable Bayfield Conservation. Trees provide many benefits. You add to a long legacy of tree planting in Ausable and Bayfield River watersheds by planting trees, said Ian Jean, Forestry and Land Stewardship Specialist.
To learn more visit this link:
Financial incentives for tree planting are available. Ian encourages interested landowners to give him a call to find out more.
“We are happy to help with project design and to make it very easy to apply for funding,” he said. Funding programs and amounts vary depending on the type of project and the project location.
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World Wetlands Day is February 2
Benefits of local stormwater improvements, wetlands shared on social media, in local libraries for World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day observed locally, globally on February 2, 2019; Local landowners help provide water quality, quantity benefits with area projects
World Wetlands Day is observed around the planet on February 2 of each year. This global day is also a time for local efforts to promote the value of wetlands and other stormwater improvements.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation has launched a social media information campaign leading up to 2019 World Wetlands Day. Conservation educators are also sharing the benefits of wetlands through programs at Bayfield and Seaforth libraries.
The theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day is Wetlands and Climate Change. Wetlands provide many benefits including capture of carbon. Only two per cent of the Ausable Bayfield area is wetlands. This makes wetland restoration, and other stormwater management improvements, vital for water, soil, habitat, and adaptation to weather extremes, according to staff of Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
To learn more click on this link:
There are many stormwater improvement projects landowners can do. Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff can help with technical advice and grants with funding support from the Urban and Rural Stormwater Improvements (URSI) for Lake Huron Project and the Healthy Headwaters Wetlands Initiative.
Landowners in the area have been adding and enhancing wetlands for more than a decade with support of local wetlands programs.
You are invited to visit www.abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 to find out more or to talk to staff about a site visit.
Wetlands are often considered “nature’s kidneys.” Kidneys remove impurities and waste from the human body. Wetlands do the same for land and water.
Wetlands are vital natural systems that reduce erosion and flooding and filter sediment and pollutants from water and recharge groundwater supplies. That means wetlands help with water quality and water quantity. They help to store and filter water when there is too much water on the landscape and they help to release water during droughts and times of water shortage when that water is needed.
To learn more visit www.abca.ca and www.worldwetlandsday.org or use the #WorldWetlandsDay hashtag at Twitter.com.
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VanDriel Excavating Inc. makes $5,000 donation to Jones Bridge Project
A generous platinum-level donation of $5,000, from VanDriel Excavating Inc., of the Clinton area, to the Pedestrian Bridge on the South Huron Trail Project, is bringing the community closer to reaching the fundraising goal needed to complete the Jones Bridge Project.
Presenting the donation, from left to right in the photo, are VanDriel Excavating Inc. owners Simon VanDriel, Yolanda VanDriel, and Derrick VanDriel along with (at far right in photo) project coordinator Brandon Boyd. Accepting the donation, on behalf of the Pedestrian Trail Bridge Community Working Group and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, are bridge working group community members Linda Wilhelm and Tom Prout.
To learn more visit this link:
Thanks to this generous community donation, and others like it, there is now less than $30,000 left to raise to complete the Jones Bridge Project. The community has pledged or donated more than $270,000 so far to this project, building a bridge to a safer, more active community.
Thanks to Jones Bridge, people can now walk on a pedestrian bridge joining the two sections of the South Huron Trail - instead of walking beside vehicle traffic on the roadway. To donate please visit abca.ca or speak with one of the community working group members.
Donate now at this link:
You may also talk to one of your Community Working Group Members or phone us at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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Donation by B. M. Ross and Associates Limited of Goderich supports Jones Bridge Project
B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, of Goderich, has made a generous donation of $2,500 to support the community project to build a new pedestrian bridge on the South Huron Trail, giving people a safer, more scenic alternative to walking beside vehicle traffic.
Accepting the donation, on behalf of the Pedestrian Bridge Community Working Group, are volunteers Linda Wilhelm and Peter Darbishire. Presenting the donation, on behalf of B. M. Ross, are Stacey Jeffery and Ryan Munn.
To learn more visit this link:
Thanks to generous donations like this one the community is within $30,000 of its fundraising goal to complete the Jones Bridge Project.
Donations are still needed – to donate visit abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
The bridge has been placed on the South Huron Trail and is open for use – work in the new year to complete the project includes applying stone dust to the surface of the approaches and site restoration and seeding as well as ancillary structures such as stairway steps.
Donate at abca.ca or talk to one of your Community Working Group members - or, phone us at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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Winner of Early Bird Prize Draw to arrive at 30th Conservation Dinner in limousine
Early purchasers of tickets to charitable auction have chance to win limo ride, for up to 14 people, to and from fundraising event in Exeter, courtesy of Wave.limo, of Grand Bend
There are many reasons to buy a ticket early for the 30th Conservation Dinner on April 11, 2019. There is a limited number of tickets, the charity fundraiser is a sold-out show year after year, and the Dinner Committee expects a great deal of excitement for this year’s event – as it is the Dinner’s 30th year.
Here’s another reason to get your ticket early: Wave.limo, of Grand Bend, is donating a limousine ride for up to 14 people, to and from the event, to this year’s winner of the Early Bird Prize Draw, drawn from early purchasers of Dinner tickets. (Some restrictions may apply.) Only people who buy Conservation Dinner tickets before Monday, February 11, 2019 at 4 p.m. are eligible for the Early Bird Prize Draw.
To learn more visit this link:
Co-Chairs Jim Beckett and Larry Taylor say the donation from Brad Oke and Wave.limo is generous indeed and will add further pizzazz to this 30th anniversary edition of the event.
“Supporting projects in local communities is one great reason to buy a Conservation Dinner ticket and this year’s amazing Early Bird Prize is a great reason to buy a ticket early,” said Beckett.
To buy tickets, or to donate to the 2019 Conservation Dinner, visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation office east of Exeter at 71108 Morrison Line (just south of Highway 83) or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca
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Office closed on Family Day, Monday, Feb. 18, 2019
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) office, east of Exeter, is closed on the Holiday Monday, February 18, 2019 for Family Day.
To learn more visit this link:
From all of our families here, to you and your family, we wish you a wonderful Family Day.
We invite you to enjoy some of the Family Day activities in local watershed communities - including free family snowshoeing (weather permitting), courtesy of Friends of the South Huron Trail and Ausable Bayfield Conservation, at Family Day WinterFest South Huron.
To learn more, visit www.familydaywinterfest.ca
Notices of Service Disruptions are posted here:
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We are updating website to serve you better
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is updating its website to serve you better. The changes are being made because more people are finding information with their smart phones and other smart devices.
The former website was designed primarily for personal computers - the new website is designed to work on smart phones, smart devices, and personal computers.
As we make the transition to the new website we are updating content and some former page names have changed. Until the transition is complete we encourage you to phone us at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 if there is content you cannot find.
Thank you for your patience as we refine this more robust system which will, upon completion, better serve our clients. Thanks.
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Managed forest plans offer benefits to woodland owners
Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) provides landowners opportunity to learn more about their forest while benefitting from reduced property tax rates
The Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP) recognizes the significance and environmental value provided by privately-owned forests in Ontario. The MFTIP program promotes management, by participating landowners of these privately-owned forests, to increase forest stewardship. The program also brings greater fairness to the property tax values of these lands, according to Certified Managed Forest Plan Approvers with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
Find our more at this link:
If you are interested in learning more about the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program, or would like to begin the process to enroll your property in the program, contact Ian or Nathan at Ausable Bayfield Conservation at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 to learn more.
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Ausable Bayfield Conservation invites public to nominate person, farm, business or organization for conservation award
Conservationist of the Year Award winner to be recognized at March 21, 2019 evening to honour partners in conservation; Conservation authority has presented annual award for 35 years
Do you know a person, business, farm, or group doing great work to protect water, soil, and living things in Ausable Bayfield watersheds? If so, Ausable Bayfield Conservation invites you to nominate them for the Conservationist of the Year Award.
To submit a nomination, visit abca.ca for the nomination form and award information or visit the office east of Exeter at 71108 Morrison Line for a printed copy of the form.
Learn more at this link:
We are accepting nominations for the award until Friday, February 15, 2019. The award winner will be recognized at the Partner Appreciation Evening, an early-evening event to be held at Ironwood Golf Club, on Thursday, March 21, 2019 to show appreciation for conservation partners.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation will make an offsetting donation to Carbon Footprints to Forests (footprintstoforests.com) on behalf of everyone who attends the Partners in Conservation Evening on March 21. Trees will be planted locally, and maintained for the long term, to capture the equivalent of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced in travel to the event.
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Grants help schools do environmental projects
Grant offered to schools in Ausable Bayfield watersheds for winning proposals for projects to improve water quality, forest cover, watersheds
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is inviting local schools help their community and to become Watershed Champions. As part of the initiative, the local conservation authority has announced it is offering up to four grants of up to $500 each.
The grants are for local schools to complete projects that: improve surface and groundwater quality, forest cover, and overall watershed health; and may also include public education about their local watershed.
An application form and guidelines are available online at abca.ca.
To find out more visit this link:
Download Application Form now:
Download Watershed Champions Grant for Local Schools Guide:
Please email completed applications to diszczuk@abca.ca by February 1, 2019.
All funded projects will be notified by the end of February 2019.
“We are excited to provide the Watershed Champions Grant for local schools,” said Denise Iszczuk, Conservation Educator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). “We invite our watershed schools to consider stewardship projects that create awareness and that are positive actions that benefit our watershed communities.”
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is looking for school projects that provide solutions to environmental challenges with measurable and manageable actions which can be completed within the school year and with goals that are realistic and attainable.
“We want to enable schools to improve their community’s watershed health,” Denise said. “Whether the project is to plant some trees, make a garden, or host a special event, we hope that this grant helps local schools with their goals too.”
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Registration now open for WILD Nature Day Camp 2019
Looking for local outdoor day camp? Ausable Bayfield Conservation has two planned
Campers at one of two nature day camps offered by Ausable Bayfield Conservation will spend a week “wondering, investigating, learning, and discovering” the natural world through engaging activities, according to conservation educators.
This program is ideal for young people who love being outdoors and who enjoy hiking and exploring, staff say.
The WILD Explorers Nature Day Camp, for ages 6-9, takes place July 8-12, 2019. At press time, there were only a few spaces left in the WILD Explorers camp. “We are thrilled to now have safe access to both sections of the South Huron Trail thanks to Jones Bridge, the new pedestrian bridge,” said Denise Iszczuk, Conservation Educator. “We know our Explorers will make good use of it.”
To learn more visit this link:
The WILD Adventurers Nature Day Camp, for ages 10-12, takes place July 22-26, 2019. New this year, the Adventurers are to take a bus trip to Rock Glen Conservation Area in Arkona to visit Rock Glen Falls, search for fossils, and learn more about the natural history of the area. You may register for Adventurers before April 19 and save $20.
“We are excited to take our Adventurers to Rock Glen to find brachiopods and horned coral fossils and to visit the falls and explore the unique Carolinian ecosystem,” said Nina Sampson, Conservation Educator.
Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until camps are full. Space is limited. To find out more visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation website at www.abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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Spring tree order form available
The spring 2019 Tree Order Form is now available.
For spring tree order form visit this page:
Download the Spring 2019 Tree Order Form now:
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Family Day WinterFest on Holiday Monday, February 18, 2019
Community partners, sponsors join to host popular Family Day WinterFest South Huron on Family Day Holiday Monday on February 18
A Family Day winter festival, that draws thousands of people to the South Huron area, is only weeks away. Family Day WinterFest South Huron has been providing entertaining winter activities for almost a decade.
The event takes place on the Family Day Holiday Monday on February 18, 2019.
Event Co-Chair Dave Frayne calls the festival “a great community event” and Co-Chair Jeff Musser says you should “mark your calendars” for this family-friendly winter festival.
To find out more visit the website at familydaywinterfest.ca
More than 20 community groups join to organize this winter event with the support of local donors, businesses, and local organizations. Some events take place at South Huron Recreation Centre and some events are at MacNaughton Park as well as other Exeter and area locations. Most events are free.
To learn more visit this link:
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Young people to learn about wetlands in Bayfield, Seaforth libraries
World Wetlands Day is approaching and conservation educators from Ausable Bayfield Conservation invite local young people to “celebrate the importance of wetlands” at Bayfield Public Library on Friday, February 1, 2019.
Bayfield Public Library is located at 18 Main Street North in Bayfield, Ontario.
The library invites you to “find out what a wetland is and discover what lives in them.” This interactive presentation on wetlands helps to answer questions such as, “Do we have wetlands in the Bayfield area?” The program is for young people ages 5 to 12 and starts at 3:45 p.m. and runs for about an hour. This is a free program with a nature craft. Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation has funded this program. Parents or guardians of interested children need to register with the library.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation is also hosting a Backyard Nature event at Seaforth Public Library, on Friday, February 1, 2019 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. This program is geared towards families and the program is funded by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation.
Seaforth Library is located at 108 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario.
The library invites you to “join the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority to explore the wonders of nature that can be found in one’s own backyard!”
To learn more about the library programs visit https://www.huroncounty.ca and https://www.abca.ca
To learn more visit this link:
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