The Couchiching Conservancy today announced the protection of the Deverell-Morton Nature Reserve, a 169-hectare (417-acre) parcel in Carden Township, 35 km east of Orillia.
The property has been in the Deverell family since the mid 1800s. The family were settlers in the area, and had a sawmill, sugarbush and gravel pit. As farmers, they had pasture lands and a deep connection to the land, according to a news release.
The first parcel of land the family bought was $2 an acre. Today, the family and descendants have enjoyed exploring the landscape – finding fossils and salamanders.
“To protect the land, that’s in our nature,” said a member of the Deverell-Morton family. “We always wanted the property to go to The Couchiching Conservancy and it was the right time to make that happen.
“Our family members who have passed, my husband, my father, my grandfather, would all be happy to know we have done this. The land is a part of our family’s legacy.”
The Deverell-Morton property falls within the Carden Alvar Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and fills in a significant piece of the broader Carden corridor, the release added. This area connects to the Black River Wildlands Corridor to the north. It is directly adjacent to Wolf Run Alvar Nature Reserve and North Bear Nature Reserve. The property provides ecosystem goods and services to the community, including carbon storage, the removal of air pollution and flood water storage.
There are many species relying on this landscape, including Redheaded Woodpecker (endangered), Golden-winged Warbler (threatened), Eastern Ribbonsnake (special concern), and Eastern Whip-poor-will (threatened).
“Together with our partners in conservation, we are now within reach of achieving an ambitious goal: A continuous corridor of nature reserves reaching 16 kilometres from Canal Lake in the south to Q.E. II Wildlands Provincial Park in the north,” said Dorthea Hangaard, the conservancy's executive director.
“This is a substantial legacy for our region.”
Kahty Hunt, president of the board for The Couchiching Conservancy, said protecting land is vital.
“We have a powerful tool to fight against the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss — nature,” said Hunt. “This is where the Couchiching Conservancy comes in. By protecting natural habitats, we are supporting a nature-based solution to help mitigate the destructive effects of the climate crisis.”
This project was made possible by the Government of Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund and the Government of Ontario through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership Program.
A portion of this project was donated to the Couchiching Conservancy under the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. This program provides enhanced tax incentives for individuals or corporations who donate ecologically significant land.
“Through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program and the Ecological Gifts Program, the Government of Canada is making progress toward its goal of conserving a quarter of land and water in Canada by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030," said Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.
"By working with partners such as the Couchiching Conservancy, and thanks to generous landowners like the Deverell Morton family, we are helping to protect the natural environment in Ontario and across the country. Protecting land plays a vital role in helping to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and contributes to the recovery of species at risk and the storage of carbon. Only by engaging in a whole-of-society approach, and working together, can we meet our conservation goals.”
FACTS:
- The property includes a willow thicket swamp which connects Deverell's Creek to the Head River and Lake Dalrymple;
- With partners like Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ontario Parks, over 10,000-acres of land is now protected in the Carden Alvar;
- Connecting properties like this are important for large mammals like Moose, which have a 50-square-mile home range.
ABOUT:
The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation and recognition of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $440 million in the program, which has been matched with more than $870 million in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community leading to the protection and conservation of more than 700,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands.
To learn more about the Ecological Gifts Program, please visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/pde-egp/.
Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership Program helps conserve ecologically important natural areas and protect wetlands, grasslands and forests that help mitigate the effects of climate change. Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, a total of $38 million has been invested to date by the Ontario Government. Additional match funds are raised from other sources, such as individual donations and foundation support through the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, and other levels of government.
The Couchiching Conservancy is a non-profit, non-government land trust powered by a community of people, businesses and foundations dedicated to protecting nature for future generations. You can take action for nature by becoming a member, volunteering or donating to power local efforts to safeguard wilderness in our region. To learn more, please visit couchichingconserv.ca.
