It all began with the opportunity to acquire 204 acres near Parham. The owner had carefully nursed his property back to health and wanted to make sure it would remain a place for nature, forever. He offered to donate one-quarter of its value to the Land Conservancy. We agreed to fundraise for the rest.
This set off the $250,000 “Save this Place” campaign with Rod and Judith Fraser as the fundraising campaign chairs. The goal was to pay for the Millen property and have a little extra for other acquisitions.
And so, when Ernest Mast and Carmen van Dongen approached us about their 13-acre peninsula property near Verona, we were able to say “yes” and take on the survey work that was needed before accepting the donation. Then, five owners of a property near the east side of Frontenac Provincial Park wanted to give the Land Conservancy an undeveloped parcel that they had acquired in 1998 to preserve natural habitat near their summer homes. What a delight to visit it in September 2019 and discover a bivouac of Monarchs readying for their trip south. This 8.5 acre property has 1374 feet of shoreline at the bottom of a steep slope.
This year, the owners of 217-acres next to what we now call the Fourth Lake Nature Reserve North asked us to accept the donation of their property. The completion of this donation created a 421-acre nature reserve.
We can all celebrate these four new nature reserves. Places for nature, protected forever.
- Fourth Lake Nature Reserve North, part donation, part gift – 2019
- Mast van Dongen Nature Reserve, donation – 2019
- Rock Ridge Nature Reserve, donation – 2020
- Fourth Lake Nature Reserve South, donation – 2021