OLTA’s Expanding Horizons Conference

Toronto – The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA), a community based network of land trusts that protects natural landscapes across Ontario, is hosting its 9th Annual Gathering this month. The conference, called Expanding Horizons, runs October 28-30 at the Holiday Inn in Peterborough, Ontario. Visit the OLTA website for more information and registration details.

“This year’s Annual Gathering recognizes the need for building partnerships when it comes to land and cultural conservation issues across the Province,” says Ian Macnab, executive director of OLTA. “The Gathering is a meeting place for knowledge sharing and networking with land and cultural conservation-related professionals, business leaders and community members.”

This year’s program will feature a series of panel discussions, inspirational speakers, and workshops in the land and cultural conservation field including a new additional theme of Cultural Heritage.

As a bonus to the conference, participants can attend field trips and special events including an evening dinner and tour at the Canadian Canoe Museum, heritage walk through historic downtown Peterborough, and a tour of Alderville First Nation’s breathtaking Black Oak Savanna on the Rice Lake Plains. Other field trips include a tour of host land trust, Kawartha Heritage Conservancy‘s Dance Nature Sanctuary along with Otonabee Conservation Foundation and Ontario Heritage Trust properties at Young’s Point and nearby Lock 27 of the Trent-Severn Waterway. A student Poster Session is new this year, with post-secondary students receiving a chance to display their land-related research at the conference.

The Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Natural Resources, will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon on Friday, October 29, while Dr. Thomas H.B. Symons, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Trust open the conference on the morning of October 28.

Presenters will range from executive director and staff members of land trusts and related environmental organizations, to professionals in the areas of land use planning, biology, law, cultural heritage conservation, project management, communications and branding!

From conservation land securement and land use planning, to preserving cultural landscapes and charitable gift planning, the Gathering will prove to be beneficial for anyone involved in land issues in Ontario.