NEWS RELEASE
COUCHICHING CONSERVANCY
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The Couchiching Conservancy, a dedicated group of individuals committed to advancing environmental conservation and community science, is thrilled to announce the outstanding success of A Night Out for Nature.
This fundraising event, generously hosted by Brewery Bay Food Co., and with the support of numerous silent auction donors and participants, raised over $13,000 for the Angela Rehhorn Community Science Fund.
The Angela Rehhorn Community Science Fund is a critical driving force behind the organization’s community science efforts, empowering a network of nearly 200 volunteers trained in identification, monitoring protocols, reporting, and more. With 10 diverse programs in place, the impact of this fund extends to the heart of the local community.
This fund was established in 2019, in memory of Angela Rehhorn. Angela was born and raised in Orillia. She was on her way to a career in marine biology when she became a volunteer with the Couchiching Conservancy in the winter of 2019, as part of the Canadian Conservation Corps program.
Angela was passionate about protecting nature and was eager to make a difference in the community that raised her. She was selected as a Canadian Youth Delegate for the 2019 United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, and was on her way there when she fell victim in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A matching donation of $5,000 was made to the fund by her parents, Roland Rehhorn and Joan Vincent.
Speaking about the success of A Night Out for Nature, president of the board Kathy Hunt expressed her gratitude: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters and the enthusiasm of our community, with special thanks to Angela’s parents and Brewery Bay for making this such a special fundraiser. Because of the dedication and commitment of everyone involved, its success will play a vital role in sustaining our community science initiatives.”
One exemplary program supported by the Angela Rehhorn Community Science Fund, and which Angela helped to initiate, is bat monitoring. The program aims to shed light on the eight species of bats in our region, four of which are endangered. It involves a team of 23 volunteers who monitor 13 sites, armed with echometers and specialized software from Wildlife Acoustics, to record bat sounds. It is a challenge to gather this data on such an elusive species, but is critical information to help us preserve valuable ecosystems.
The funds raised from this event will enable the Couchiching Conservancy to continue to co-ordinate and empower volunteers, acquire essential monitoring equipment, and contribute to species-at-risk observations for the Natural Heritage Information Centre. These resources are pivotal in sustaining our mission to protect our environment and its unique biodiversity.
For more information about the Couchiching Conservancy and its community science programs, please visit www.couchichingconserv.ca.
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