Brighton, ON – The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) celebrated Earth Day today with 18 student volunteers from Brighton’s East Northumberland Secondary School. The students and two teachers from the school’s outdoor education program helped plant shrubs and trees in an effort to enhance bird and plant species diversity at Willenroth Woods. Local business owner Michael Richardson of Richardson Tree Care and Landscaping was also on hand to offer expertise during the planting event.
“The efforts of these students will help restore natural tree cover to the once forested Willenroth Woods, providing more habitat for the wildlife that live here,” remarked Todd Farrell, NCC’s Central Ontario Science and Stewardship Coordinator. “Volunteers can help us complete necessary management work on our properties that we couldn’t do with staff alone.”
This event also coincides with National Volunteer Week in Canada (April 19-25). The benefits of environmental volunteering for participants has been well-documented including improved mental wellbeing and physical health, and increased connectedness to nature. It also has the ability to empower individuals to make environmentally beneficial changes in their day-to-day lives. Added benefits of outdoor volunteering for youth have been noted as greater creativity and concentration, and well-developed social skills.
Willenroth Woods is part of the 2,400-acre (970-hectare) complex known as the Presqu’ile Bay Marshes. Not surprisingly, this significant habitat supports many provincially rare plant species and is also a significant feeding and roosting area for the provincially significant Black-crowned Night-heron.
NCC’s Conservation Volunteers program engages people in the protection of Canada’s biodiversity while providing a meaningful, hands-on educational experience in ecologically significant natural areas. Carefully designed projects ensure that volunteers’ time is dedicated to critical conservation action. To find out more about how to become involved with NCC’s volunteer events, please visit the Conservation Volunteers website at www.conservationvolunteers.ca.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading land conservation organization. Since 1962, NCC has helped to protect more than 2 million acres (800,000 hectares) of ecologically significant land nationwide.
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Contacts:
Todd Farrell
Central Ontario Science and Stewardship Coordinator
705-749-6604
todd.farrell@natureconservancy.ca
