Gala Celebration of Environmental Excellence
2009 Review
(This news story first appeared in the June 2, 2009, edition of the Haliburton County Echo.)
More than 170 people attended the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust's second annual gala fundraiser at the Minden Hills Community Centre on May 22. Entitled Wild About Nature, the evening honoured this year's Haliburton enviro-heroes and featured a buffet dinner, silent and loonie auctions and musical entertainment.
While the amount of money raised had not yet been calculated, the trust's chair, Sheila Ziman, called the event "very successful" and noted there was a significantly larger crowd than last year.
Donald Benson won the Enviro-Hero Stewardship Award for his work with the Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council and as the president of the Mountain Lake Association.
Wendy Bateman was the winner in the Enviro-Hero Arts category. Much of Bateman's work has a strong environmental message and some of her past projects include a sweat lodge woven from 5,000 grocery bags, a curtain created from garbage found in Haliburton ditches and a teepee made from recycled wool rugs.
The evening's Enviro-Hero Youth winner was Kyla Suchovs, a member of Haliburton Highlands Secondary School's EcoSchools Committee and Envirothon.
A dietician with the Haliburton-Kawartha-Pine Ridge District Health Unit, Rosie Kadwell, took home the Enviro-Hero health award and Paul and Irene Heaven won the business category for the operation of their geo-surveying company, Glenside Ecological Services.
This year's judges were Dysart et al Reeve Murray Fearrey, Barb Bolin, former principal of the Haliburton Campus of Fleming College, and land trust member Barrie Martin.
The land trust was created in 2005 and is dedicated to acquiring and conserving ecologically significant lands in the county.
Last year the trust acquired the 22-acre Norah's Island on Kennisis Lake and just recently the Dahl family of Gelert announced it would be donating a 500-acre forest to the organization.
Last Updated: Jul 6 2009 5:43:02 pm.
Photo: Lyn Winans
Did You Know...
that the Dahl Family has planted over 100,000 trees on their 500-acre property. For over 50 years, they have spent their time on tree planting, conservation and preserving the property. Find out more about The Dahl's Forest.
