20th anniversary for MacNaughton-Morrison Section of South Huron Trail
The MacNaughton-Morrison Section of the South Huron Trail celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024.
Happy birthday, South Huron Trail!
The ribbon was cut to officially open the MacNaughton-Morrison trail, on Sunday, October 3, 2004.
The celebration of the trail’s 20th anniversary is fittingly celebrated on Ontario Hiking Week, held the first week of October.
Dave Frayne is Chair of Friends of South Huron Trail. He says the trail is only possible thanks to donors, volunteers, and the landowners, along the trail, who permit the trail to cross their property. The creation of the trail was a momentous task made possible by a partnership of service organizations and the local community.
The benefits of the trail are many, he said, from preserving nature to enhancing physical and mental health through outdoor recreation to the social benefits of meeting neighbours to the economic benefits of attracting visitors and new residents to the area.
Find out more about this community success story by reading this article on Celebrating 20 years of the South Huron Trail.
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Full moon expected to light up the night for Owl Prowl on November 15, 2024
Register now for Owl Prowl at Morrison Dam Conservation Area east of Exeter; There are two groups of 75 – one starting at 5:30 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m.
A full moon is expected to light up the night on Friday, November 15, 2024 for Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s popular annual Owl Prowl.
The event takes place at Morrison Dam Conservation Area (MDCA), east of Exeter. People must pre-register to take part.
The event includes one group from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A second group is from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is a maximum of 75 participants in each group.
It is confirmed that participants will have a chance to view live owls, courtesy of WILD Ontario.
This event is a hoot! ... and educational, too.
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Elizabeth Balfour is new Program Co-Supervisor for Drinking Water Source Protection
In this issue of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation newsletter, we introduce you to Elizabeth Balfour.
Elizabeth is the new Program Co-Supervisor for drinking water source protection in the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region.
She supervises the program along with fellow staff member Donna Clarkson.
Elizabeth takes over in her new role upon the retirement of Mary Lynn MacDonald, who has worked in various source protection roles over the past 17 years.
Elizabeth has worked at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority for nine years and has a strong background in watershed management, agriculture, and GIS analysis.
She is already familiar with the drinking water source protection program and has successfully completed the province’s Risk Management Official training.
Elizabeth says she looks forward to her new role:
“I am looking forward to working in partnership with local municipalities, landowners, and the source protection committee to protect our municipal drinking water supplies,” she said. “I am excited to take on this new role and work alongside Donna. I have worked closely with stakeholders in the past to understand the connections between land use practices and watershed health. I believe that these experiences will help our local communities to mitigate threats to our drinking water supplies.”
The new Program Co-Supervisor grew up in Kirkton, Ontario. She lives with her husband and two children on a farm near Mitchell, Ontario.
She obtained an education degree as well as degrees in geography and history while studying at Nipissing University in North Bay. Later, she attended Niagara College where she obtained a diploma in GIS and Geospatial Management.
She has GIS work experience at both ABCA and the County of Huron.
At Ausable Bayfield Conservation, Elizabeth also conducted water quality monitoring and analysis. She has been involved at Huronview Demonstration Farm near Clinton monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices.
Welcome, Elizabeth, to your new role.
(… and thank you, Mary Lynn, for your years of dedicated service … best wishes on your retirement!)
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Seeking your feedback on Conservation Land Management
Ausable Bayfield Conservation (ABCA) is preparing a Conservation Lands Strategy to provide an over-arching framework that guides management planning, and implementation on all ABCA properties.
The strategy recognizes the mission, and vision of the ABCA, and includes further management goals, objectives, and considerations that subsequently guides property-level management planning and implementation.
Last winter, ABCA completed preliminary public engagement to better understand how the community uses ABCA property. Through this engagement, ABCA learned more about the properties that people are using, and how often they visit the properties; what type of activities people are participating in, how they felt ABCA should invest in the properties, and how the community felt management objectives should be prioritized.
ABCA received positive feedback through these engagement efforts, and the feedback was incorporated into the development of the draft Conservation Lands Strategy.
ABCA is currently seeking your feedback on the draft Conservation Lands Strategy.
Written comments may be provided by email to Nathan Schoelier, Stewardship and Lands Manager, at nschoelier@abca.ca by Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 4 p.m.
Download the draft Conservation Lands Strategy now on our public consultation web page.
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Greek Night in Parkhill on October 21 is fun, fundraising dinner in support of Parkhill trail project of Friends of North Middlesex Trails
Tickets must be purchased in advance for dinner; seating at fundraising event is limited to 140 people; Greek-themed night at Nikos Restaurant to raise funds for Friends of North Middlesex Trails for Parkhill accessible trail enhancements
A Greek-themed dinner at Nikos Restaurant in Parkhill is planned to help raise funds for expansion of the trail system in North Middlesex.
To order tickets to the Greek dinner, contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
The Greek Night fundraiser takes place on Monday, October 21, 2024.
Seating is limited to 140 people and tickets must be purchased in advance. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is served between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
To learn more visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation events web page.
The cost per ticket is $50. Twenty dollars from each ticket sold goes to the Parkhill trail expansion project of Friends of North Middlesex Trails (FNMT). Ticket buyers receive a $20 charitable gift receipt, for income tax purposes, from Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation.
Tracey Puchala is Chair of Friends of North Middlesex Trails.
“We look forward to this enjoyable evening of good food, fellowship and support for the trail expansion project in Parkhill and area,” she said. “We invite people to buy a ticket for this evening of culture and cuisine in support of this enhancement to trails in our community.”
With your support of the Parkhill trail project, of Friends of North Middlesex Trails, you can help to expand the trail system in Parkhill and area, allowing people to ‘Discover, explore and connect’ with outdoor recreation and nature appreciation.
To learn more about the Parkhill trail project, of Friends of North Middlesex Trails, or to donate, please visit the FNMT web page.
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