Lambton Shores Nature Trails wins Conservationist of the Year Award
Close to 100 people attend Partner Appreciation Evening on March 20; Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority presents award to Lambton Shores Nature Trails
Lambton Shores Nature Trails (LSNT) is the winner of the Conservationist of the Year Award.
Close to 100 people attended the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Partner Appreciation Evening on March 20, 2025 at Ironwood Golf Club east of Exeter.
The Chair of the ABCA Board of Directors, Ray Chartrand, presented the award to LSNT directors Mary Lou Tasko and Diane Smith.
“We’re honestly overwhelmed and very humbled in being recognized with this award,” said Mary Lou Tasko, after the group received the award. “Thank you for this award tonight. We really appreciate it and we look forward to many more years working with the ABCA to do good things for our community.”
She also thanked ABCA staff for their positive approach and collaboration. “We all know we’re working from the same point of view which is, ‘Let’s make this incredible place we live protected but also allow the public to enjoy the trails and make them accessible.’ ”
Nathan Schoelier, ABCA Stewardship, Lands and Education Manager, introduced the award winners. He has worked closely with LSNT in recent years. He said their volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to protecting the natural environment and providing recreational opportunities. “They really balance the environmental need with the community need,” he said.
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Happy World Water Day!
Tomorrow (Saturday, March 22, 2025) is World Water Day.
Water connects us all as it runs through fields, creeks, rivers, and wetlands, eventually making its way to our Great Lakes.
Protecting and sustainably managing our landscape protects our water.
How can you make a difference today? Talk to local conservation authority staff about projects you can do on your property to manage stormwater.
What is the state of water resources in your local watershed? How can you protect water in your community?
Find out in the Watershed Report Card.
#WorldWaterDay #HealthyLakeHuron #LandtoLake
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Wetland at Serenity Nature Reserve in Grand Bend is growing collaboration, speaker says
David Carter, director with Phil McNamee Charitable Foundation, spoke to close to 100 guests, at Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Partner Appreciation Evening on March 20, about collaboration to create Serenity Nature Reserve wetland
A new wetland, at Serenity Nature Reserve in the Grand Bend area, is a growing community collaboration, said David Carter, a director on the Board of Directors of Phil McNamee Charitable Foundation (PMCF).
He spoke to close to 100 guests at Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s annual Partner Appreciation Evening on March 20, 2025.
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Meet Our Healthy Watersheds Manager
With World Water Day tomorrow, it's a perfect time to introduce you to Mari Veliz, Healthy Watersheds Manager with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
She has been with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority since 2000.
Before joining ABCA, Mari has served as an aquatic ecologist and university research and teaching assistant as well as other positions in the environmental and agricultural sectors.
She is originally from Stayner, Ontario.
Mari and her husband Stew farm in Lakeside, Ontario, near St. Marys.
Mari said she enjoys working with other staff at ABCA because they are passionate about building prosperous, sustainable communities and learning more about plants and animals and about building the habitat they need.
She enjoys working with the agricultural community in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of best management practices to the benefit of soil health and water quality.
Mari has many connections to water and, as a young person, Mari enjoyed swimming in Wasaga Beach.
When not working at Ausable Bayfield Conservation, Mari said she enjoys working with cows and going to Pinery Provincial Park to ski in the winter, swim in the summer and hike in the shoulder seasons.
In April, you will find Mari working on the three T’s – taxes, pruning apple trees, and picking up twigs.
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