News Updates
May 2008
Environmental activist Heather Ross was honoured as Haliburton’s Enviro-Hero of the Year on Saturday night in Minden. Ross’s contributions were recognized by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust at its first annual Gala, called Wild About Nature. The first president of Environment Haliburton!, Ross has worked tirelessly on such issues as gravel pits, wetland preservation and uranium mining. The tribute to Ross was the centre piece of the Gala, which also featured an art auction. The event raised funds for future land acquisitions, education and research by the Land Trust. Enviro-Heroes also were recognized in five other categories. They were: Margaret and Peter Brogden for Health and the Environment; Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve and Peter Schleifenbaum for Green Business; John Lennard, Arts and the Environment; Jim McHardy, for Environmental Education; and Ed Poropat, for Stewardship.
Read more information about the Trust’s Wild About Nature gala.
April 2008
There was a changing of the guard at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting as Sheila Ziman took over from Ian Daniel as chair and three new members joined the board.
Ziman, Daniel and returning vice chair Jeanne Anthon have been with the board since it started in 2005.
Sheila Ziman, an artist and retired teacher who lives near Carnarvon, had been the Land Trust’s secretary and chair of its fund-raising committee.
Ian Daniel, a resident of Toronto and Mountain Lake, led the drive to set up a Land Trust for Haliburton County. He will remain active with the board as past chair.
New board members filled the other executive positions. Minden writer Shirley McCormick of Minden replaces Ziman as secretary and Alan King of Wilberforce takes over from Lon Duncombe of Haliburton as secretary.
The other newcomer to the board is director Thom Lambert of Haliburton. Returning directors are Barrie Martin of West Guilford and Neil Campbell of Minden. Duncombe and Mary Anne Barkhouse of Gelert retired from the board.
Board members were elected by acclamation by Trust members attending the AGM at the Haliburton campus of Fleming College, then assigned the executive positions at a board meeting that followed the AGM.
Highlight of the meeting was a presentation by ecologist Paul Heaven of his report, Species At Risk Natural Heritage Strategy, which was commissioned by the Trust and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Species At Risk Stewardship Fund.
The full text of Heaven’s report can be found on the Species At Risk page on this web site.
February 2008
The Trust has been telling school children in Minden and Haliburton village about the county’s 13 Species at Risk (SAR).
A colourful poster, prepared as part of the Trust’s SAR Mapping Project by consultant Glenside Ecological Services Limited, includes photographs of the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Five-Lined Skink and Spotted Turtle.
Glenside’s Irene Heaven and Nicole Tuyten, coordinator of the Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council, have taken the poster and other background material into classrooms at Archie Stouffer in Minden and J. Douglas Hodgson and Stewart Baker in Haliburton village.
They were joined there by Sciensational Snakes, giving students a hands-on opportunity to get "up close and personal" with a variety of snakes.
Glenside’s Paul Heaven is to present his report, Species At Risk Natural Heritage Strategy, at the March meeting of the Trust’s board. He will also be guest speaker at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Glenside’s work is funded by a $25,200 grant from the Ontario Ministry Natural Resources Species At Risk Stewardship Fund 2007-2008. A new SAR section will be added to this site in the spring.
Two big dates are coming up for the Trust. First is the Annual General Meeting on April 26 at Fleming College’s Haliburton Campus. Coming up after that is the Trust’s Enviro-Heroes Gala in Minden on May 31.
Please watch this web site for more information on both events.
January 2008
Consultant Paul Heaven’s work on a study of Species At Risk in the county is almost complete.
Only minor tweaking is needed on Heaven’s report, funded by a $25,200 grant from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Species At Risk Stewardship Fund.
Heaven has been identifying suitable habitats for Haliburton’s 13 SAR species. Newspaper stories on the SAR study prompted calls from a number of people who had seen one of more of the rare species in the county, most notably the Five-Lined Skink, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake and American Ginseng.
A new section on Species at Risk will be added to this site in the spring.
The Trust’s Annual General Meeting will be held April 26 at Fleming College’s Haliburton campus. Members will be asked to approve a constitutional change that will allow future meetings to be held in June, as they have been in the past.
Heaven will be the main speaker. Mailed notices of the meeting will go out to all members in the weeks ahead.
Plans are being laid for a fund-raising gala in Minden on May 31. Watch this site for more information.
Last Updated: May 23 2009 2:44:37 am.
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.
