Gala Celebration of Environmental Excellence 2010
Review
(This news story first appeared in the June 2, 2010 edition of the Minden Times)
Those at the forefront of the county’s environmentalist movement were honoured at the third annual Wild About Nature gala hosted by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust on May 28.
Some 150 people packed the Minden Hills Community Centre Saturday evening for dinner and an awards ceremony.
Hosts for the night were Jack Brezina and Jerelyn Craden.
In a Friars Club-esque act, Brezina proceeded to roast a number of the evening’s guests, including event organizers and politicians.
"We’re blessed with a number of politicians tonight," Brezina quipped. "Did I say that right?"
One of the those politicians was MP Barry Devolin, who gave a brief speech where he praised the land trust for its efforts to preserve Haliburton’s natural heritage.
"Before I was elected, I had no idea how much was going on in our small towns," Devolin said.
Also taking the podium was Ian MacNab of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.
MacNab said that with two employees, the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust was just the ninth of Ontario’s 35 land trusts to have paid employees.
He said that in general, he felt there needs to be more education about, and promotion of, land trusts.
"Wherever I go, I always find out that people don’t know anything about land trusts," he said.
Then it was time for the awards.
This year’s judging panel consisted of Haliburton’s Fleming College founder Barb Bolin, Haliburton County Warden Dave Burton and Barrie Martin, environmental educator and volunteer with numerous environmental and arts-related committees who was recently named chair of the province’s Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network.
Winner of the Enviro-Hero award for stewardship was Jerry Walker, who was not able to be at the ceremony due to his duties as a director for Ducks Unlimited Canada.
Walker was recognized for being the impetus behind wetlands mapping in the county and for starting the Haliburton and Minden chapters of Ducks Unlimited, as well as his work with Haliburton Forest and the county’s schools.
In the arts category, Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore shared the award.
Both accomplished artists whose works centre on environmental themes, Barkhouse has works in the National Gallery in Ottawa while Belmore is about to open a solo exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York City.
Haliburton Highlands Water Trails won the award for business of the year.
One of the jewels of Algonquin Highlands township, the network incorporates 70,000 acres, 70 lakes, 185 campsites, 13 access points, 80 portages and 40 kilometres of hiking trails.
Accepting the award on behalf of the township was Councillor Carol Moffatt.
Moffatt credited the success of the water trails network to its coordinator Mark Coleman, whom Moffatt described as "a dedicated grant-writer."
"We can run a sustainable business and we can do it right here in Haliburton County," Moffatt said.
The Haliburton-Muskoka Children’s Water Festival and Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning were the award winners in the education category.
The festival, which educates children all about the importance of water, is heading into its sixth year and last year had more than 700 attendees.
"What a splash, shall I say," organizer Irene Heaven said as she accepted the award along with Heather Ross and festival chair Rick Whittetaker.
Sue Shikaze took home the Enviro-Hero award in the health category, although not literally, since Shikaze was actually at a conference in Ottawa on the night of the ceremony.
An avid promoter of healthy living, Shikaze is chair of the county’s Communities in Action committee and a member of the Haliburton Highlands Cycling Coalition.
Last year she spearheaded the county’s Share the Road campaign, funded by the province’s transportation ministry.
The evening also included silent and loonie fundraising auctions and musical performances by Craden and cellist Bethany Houghton.
The land trust was founded in 2005 and works to acquire, through donation or purchase, properties of significant ecological value.
So far, the trust has acquired the 22-acre island known as Norah’s Island on Kennisis Lake and the 500-acre Dahl Forest near Gelert.
Last Updated: Jul 8 2011 3:06:18 pm.
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Photo: Lyn Winans
Did You Know...
As of August 2009, 7 new species that have been identified in Haliburton County have been added to the Ontario government's Species at Risk list. Chimney Swift and Whip-poor-will are now listed as Threatened. Snapping Turtle, Common Nighthawk, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Canada Warbler and Bald Eagle are listed as Special Concern. Read the full article.
