GBA 2021 - Summer Update

4 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2021 W ith its beautiful, vast, open spaces, and its water, rocks, and trees that seem to go on forever, Georgian Bay has provided generations with places to explore, reflect, and immerse themselves in nature. As the home of 50 species at risk, including the highest diversity of reptiles and amphibians in Canada, and with more islands than any other freshwater lake in the world, it is no surprise that Georgian Bay is recognized by the United Nations for its unique and important ecology. But 30 years ago, concerns began to grow amongst Georgian Bay residents that this extraordinary environment was at risk of permanent damage. Increasing road development and recreational property expansion, coupled with a lack of regional planning oversight, left little protection for the majority of Georgian Bay’s natural environment outside of a few established parks. Communities needed a way to protect the land they cared about. Inspired by North America’s growing land trust movement, a dedicated group of volunteers came together to form the Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT) under the leadership of Wally King. The vision was to create an organization that could protect and preserve private property as conservation land along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and the North Channel. A land trust is a charitable organization whose purpose is to hold and conserve land for public benefit. Through donation, purchase, or conservation easement, land trusts protect and steward significant places for present and future generations of people and wildlife. Land trusts are almost always local in scope, made up of community members with a deep knowledge and commitment to the area they represent. The GBLT’s conservation program began with two property donations in its first year – a tiny 0.3 acre island in Nares Inlet donated by Robert Thomson, and Pointe au Baril’s Friend Island, now protected forever as a community picnic destination. In the intervening years, more acres have been added through the tireless efforts of volunteers and the generosity of environmentally minded land donors. The land trust was also able to respond to community concern when properties were put up for sale. In 1997, the GBLT conducted its first major fundraising campaign to purchase Sans Souci’s Umbrella Island. Since then, GBLT has worked with communities to protect Sandy Island (Sans Souci, 2008), Little McCoy (Pointe au Baril, 2012), Steamboat Channel Reserve (Pointe au Baril, 2016), and Rose Island Nature Reserve (West Carling, 2020). The GBLT is the only organization currently working to conserve land on eastern Georgian Bay. As of 2021, the Georgian Bay Land Trust: Thirty Years Protecting Nature GEORGIAN BAY LAND TRUST Conservation intern Melissa Webb assists with turtle research. Scientists from Blazing Star Environmental conduct habitat surveys. Kids’ Conservation Quest at The Lizard, Cognashene, protected 2001. By Bill Lougheed, Executive Director, GBLT