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Ontario Stewardship
Leeds County Stewardship Council and the
Grenville Land Stewardship Council
Below are listed many of the projects in which the Leeds County Stewardship Council and the Grenville Land Stewardship Council are involved. Although some of these programs are not geared towards school-age children, they are a great resource for environmental information. Please feel free to contact the offices regarding any of these programs.
Envirothon
(gr: 7 to 12 - spring)
Envirothon is a national high school team-based competition where students participate in three workshops each having a specific theme: forestry and soils, wildlife and aquatics, and the third having the competition event. The 2006 event took place April 12th, 19th and 26th with 11 teams entered from area high schools.
Rideau St. Lawrence Science Fair
(gr: 7 to 12 - spring)
The Grenville Land Stewardship Council provides financial and volunteer support to the Science Fair. The Grenville Land Stewardship Award (Environmental Award Category) is presented to a student whose project encompasses environmental issues and meets the council criteria.
Stewardship Rangers
(gr: 7 to 12 - all year)
The Stewardship Rangers program gives young people in Ontario hands-on experience working in natural resources management. In this shared program with the Lanark and Leeds County Stewardship Councils, education and training experiences are deliberately sought out. Activities can include anything from a falcon watch to tree planting to trail maintenance.
Species at Risk- Black Rat Snake, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey Recovery
(gr: 1 to 12 - all year)
Our area has many unique and endangered species. Many nesting sites both for the birds and the reptiles have been put in place to ensure they have a place. Young peregrine falcons have also been introduced to the area successfully.
Trees for Peace
(gr: 1 to 12 - all year)
Encourages youth to undertake environmental stewardship activities in rehabilitating and conserving fish and wildlife habitat by providing a direct solution to erosion and drainage problems along Grenville County shorelines. The program also provides landowners with information and resources to manage their environmentally significant and sensitive river and stream shorelines.
Pond Demonstration
(gr: 1 to 12 - all year)
What started as a gravel pit and pond has been transformed into a demonstration of restoration and good stewardship practices. The rehabilitation of this gravel extraction pit continues as it is transformed and naturalized with the planting of trees, shrubs for wildlife, aquatic plants and wildflowers.
Limerick Forest
(gr: 1 to 12 - all year)
The Grenville Land Stewardship Council continues to support this very important initiative that is taking place around the management of the local community forest.
Energy Efficiency Lifestyle Fair
(gr: 1 to 12 - all year)
In 2006, over 250 people attended the yearly event at Kemptville College. Grenville Land Stewardship Council brought together many experts, such as Bill Kemp author of "The Renewable Energy Handbook".
International Ploughing Match
(gr: l to 12 - fall)
LCSC expects to play a significant role in the presentation and profiling of stewardship and property management at the ploughing match.
Kemptville Woodlot Conference
(resource program - all year)
The Kemptville Woodlot Conference continues to draw landowners together from eastern Ontario to this one-day event. Topics and themes change from year to year but landowners come looking for practical solutions to land management.
Who's Doing What Web Site
(resource web site - all year)
GLSC, in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, developed an online catalogue of ongoing environmental projects and initiatives in the region. By providing this information to conservation organizations, researchers, and the general public, GLSC hopes to stimulate communication between the various groups, and to increase awareness of ongoing conservation initiatives in the region.
Old Growth Forest Workshops
(resource program - all year)
Workshops on old-growth forests are given in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Model Forest and eastern Ontario Stewardship Councils. The emphasis is to give landowners the tools and criteria to make informed decisions, on the importance of these features, and whether of not these features are important for them to protect on their properties.
Chippen Hook Creek
(resource program - all year)
In June of 2005, staff from South Nation Conservation provided direction and assistance to members of the Grenville Land Stewardship Council with an electrofishing and benthic study. An inventory was conducted at three locations and the findings indicated a high level of biodiversity in the creek.
Caring for the Land Series
(resource program- all year)
These courses appeal to a wide range of audiences from teachers to environmental professionals.
- Tree identification
- Old growth forest
- Shoreline protection
- Biodiversity indicators for woodland owners
- Erosion and sediment control
Forest Nutrient Management
(resource program- all year)
In partnership with the Limerick Forest Advisory Committee, the Council has undertaken a project to look at the effects of fertilization and nutrient deficiencies on conifer stands. This investigation is aimed at finding ways to improve these deficiencies.
Charleston Lake Management Plan
(resource program- all year)
The plan is a long-term project entering its fourth year. A shoreline review has been completed and from the information obtained a lake-wide management plan will be developed. This will guide the future use and development of the lake for years to come.
Buells/Butler Creek Assessment Project
(resource program- all year)
In partnership with community organizations, schools and funders, the stewardship council undertook to assess the stream using the very detailed Ontario Stream Assessment protocol. Extensive mapping and rehabilitation planning was carried out. Students from local elementary and high schools have assisted stewardship volunteers and staff with tree planting and major fish habitat rehabilitation projects along the creek system. This project is ongoing.
Bellamy to Irish Lake Watershed Project
(resource program- all year)
Forty-five individual landowners received the services of a resource professional to inventory their properties and write management plans that combined their objectives with options to improve the greater ecosystem. 65,000 trees have been planted on strategically identified sites on farms and non-farm rural lands in the area so far. |