City of Kawartha Lakes, January 25, 2008) Kawartha Conservation has received 25 acres of environmentally significant land in the Township of Scugog. Through Environment Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, Leslie Beauchamp gave the land worth more than $20,000 to Kawartha Conservation to help protect the East Cross Creek headwaters and maintain the integrity of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
“For a long time, I’ve envisioned a large conservation area connected with the Test Hill area, and this is a way of making that happen,” says Ms. Beauchamp. “It has been a great experience working with Kawartha Conservation, who made the whole process seem easy. Having them as its ‘guardian,’ I know the property will be safe.”
“Kawartha Conservation is really grateful to Ms. Beauchamp,” says Kristie Virgoe, Kawartha Conservation Manager of Environmental Protection and Restoration. “Her gift will have benefits that trickle through the whole watershed. It’s a pleasure to work with people who are truly dedicated to environmental stewardship.”
The property contains mostly wetland and is located within Kawartha Conservation’s East Cross Forest project boundary. It is recognized as an important source of water for the East Cross Creek and surrounding aquifers.
The East Cross Forest project was initiated after many properties in the area were devastated by off-road vehicles and other illegal activities. Kawartha Conservation is rehabilitating and managing acquired lands to ensure abundant clean water for surrounding residents and businesses, and to protect cold-water habitat and sensitive species such as Brook Trout.
Kawartha Conservation is incorporating the land into the East Cross Forest Conservation Area, which will be open to the public in 2009.
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