About

The Land Conservancy has no paid staff. It is run entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to preserving vital habitat for species survival.

Every penny the Land Conservancy receives from members, donors, and funders is used for land acquisition and stewardship. Annual operating and property stewardship costs are $8,000.

We set aside money in a land acquisition fund so that we are ready to cover acquisition costs, such as appraisals, when a donor offers a property to us or when we buy a property that is important to preserve in its natural state. We have a land acquisition policy and a Natural Heritage Plan which identifies priority areas for protection.

To cover the ongoing costs of property ownership and conservation easement management, we maintain a stewardship account to generate sufficient annual income to cover property taxes, property insurance, and other expenses related to property responsibilities. We also have money set aside in the Natural Areas Protection Fund which is endowed with the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area.

We follow the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices and are members of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, a charitable organization supporting land conservation and land trusts in Ontario.

Thanks to the generous donations of landowners, members, supporting individuals, and funders, the Land Conservancy now protects 13 properties with a total area of 452 hectares (1100 acres), providing habitats for 18 species at risk. To preserve these habitats for all the animal and plant species that thrive there, most Land Conservancy properties are not open to the public. They are nature reserves for the purpose of conservation.

Our mission is to preserve and protect natural sites and landscapes
in Kingston and Frontenac and Lennox and Addington counties.

Guiding Vision

To create a Land Conservancy that people throughout Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties will recognize as a trustworthy and far-sighted organization, preserving and protecting natural sites and landscapes in this area. The communities will see value in our goal of protecting representative significant natural habitats, supporting biodiversity and connecting natural areas across the counties, and will respect efforts to encourage land stewardship through cooperation with other environmental organizations and support for landowners. The Land Conservancy will be seen as a key partner in protecting the ecological integrity of this part of Ontario.

Incorporated as a federal not-for-profit corporation in 2004.

Authorized to:

  • issue charitable receipts, Canada Revenue Agency
  • receive EcoGift, Environment Canada

Board of Directors: 11 members
Membership: 131 members

Downloads:

  • Strategic Plan 2023 to 2027, including regional maps
  • By-laws
  • We are very grateful to funders who have supported land acquisition, stewardship projects, training, and other activities.

Annual operating and property stewardship costs

Memberships, donations, and investment revenue support the Land Conservancy’s work.

For any new acquisition, by gift or purchase, we set aside at least 10% of the appraised value of the property in a stewardship account. This ensures our capacity to preserve the property over the long term.

Board of Directors

Directors

Murray Beckel
Chris Cannon
John Donihee
Kathleen Laird
Paul Mackenzie
Anne Robertson
Marc Sandaluk
Thom Snowman

 

Officers

Vicki Schmolka, President
613.549.1707

Mary Alice Snetsinger, Vice President
613.376.6916

Marc Sandaluk, Secretary 
613.376.6916

Roger Healey, Treasurer
613.546.5873

Chairs

Land Acquisition Committee, Chair
Murray Beckel
613.389.7454

Mapping Committee, Chair
Kate Laird
613.900.6302

Finance Committee, Chair
Roger Healey
613.546.5873

Communications Committee, Chair,
Marc Sandaluk
613.770.4361

Mailing Address
Land Conservancy KFLA
P.O. Box 825
Kingston, ON
K7L 4X6

Contacts
Call or email a
Board member

Past AGM speakers

2022 Dr. Lenore Fahrig, Carleton University, The value of small spaces for biodiversity conservation
2021 Dr. Vett Lloyd, Mt. Allison University. Lyme disease and other tick vectored diseases — and how not to get them
2019 Amelia Cox, Queen’s University Biology Dept., the effect of weather changes on tree swallows
2018 Dr. Kate Laird, Chair, LC-KFLA Mapping Committee, Natural Heritage Plan project
2017 Dr. Warren Mabee, Canada Research Chair. On potential impacts of climate change to our local environment
2016 Mitchel Kellar, Adrienne Parsons, Rebekah Short, and Elizabeth Travers, Fleming College students. On best stewardship practices for Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark breeding success
2015 Dr. Gray Merriam, landscape ecologist. On the importance of natural processes to ecosystems
2014 Dr. Barrie Gilbert, retired wildlife biologist. On restoring wild spaces to provide better habitat for bees, birds, and beavers
2013 Michael Runtz, author, photographer. On “Beavers: Nature’s Wetland Engineers”
2012 Dr. Chip Weseloh, researcher, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada. On 35 years of research on the waterbirds of eastern Lake Ontario
2011 Anne Robertson, Land Conservancy Board member, a virtual tour of Meyer Woods
2010 Howard Clifford, donor of a conservation easement, cliffLAND, a 506 hectare (1250 acre) property in Lanark. On the love for and protection of nature
2009 Raleigh Robertson, retired Queen’s University professor of biology. On preserving land for science, education, and conservation using the Queen’s University Biological Station as an example
2008 Wayne Grady, author. On the future of the Great Lakes
2007 Don Ross, Executive Director, Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. On the Reserve’s UNESCO designation
2006 Dan Kraus, Ontario Conservation Science Manager, Nature Conservancy of Canada. On the Conservation Blueprint for the Great Lakes region
2005 Dale Kristensen, Queen’s University. On ecological restoration