Landowner Leader John O'Brien
The Landowner Leaders Program took great strides this year to move from moral support to on the ground support in terms of creating prairies, wetlands, forests, connections between existing natural areas, and snake hibernation sites, as well as many other habitat features that all combined to greatly improve the quality and quantity of habitat on private properties in the rural areas of Carolinian Canada. In 2017-18, Carolinian Canada's Landowner Leader network expanded by an additional 14 landowners, raising the Program's total affected area to over 800 hectares. We also engaged over 500 volunteers in planting trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, in addition to helping construct wildlife structures.
The hyper-engaged Landowner Leaders network is positioned to strategically steward, restore and promote healthy habitat for priority Species At Risk in south-western Ontario. Over 40 private and corporate Landowner Leaders are now serving as ambassadors for informed habitat stewardship across Ontario's Carolinian life zone, and habitat is being stewarded and improved by caring landowners for at least 36 Species At Risk.
In 2017-18 we created habitat for Eastern Foxsnake and Gray Ratsnake by constructing hibernacula and by improving connectivity of forest, thicket and edge habitat on 8 program properties; for Yellow-breasted Chat, by creating thicket habitat on one property near Walpole Island; for Red-headed Woodpecker and Acadian Flycatcher, by rehabilitating Carolinian forest habitat on three program properties; and for American Badger, Dense Blazing Star and Monarch butterfly through prairie restoration on six program properties. A number of other species at risk that will benefit from the Program include Spotted Gar, Blanding’s Turtle, Spiny Softshell, Barn Swallow, Eastern Meadowlark and American Chestnut.
Snake brushpile for nesting and shelter - Karolyne Pickett
Landowner Leaders at Go Wild Grow Wild
At the 3rd annual Go Wild Grow Wild (GWGW) Green Expo at the Western Fair District in London, Ontario on April 8, 2017, a total of 22 Landowner Leaders (LL) participated in the GWGW Landowner Leaders networking lounge, during which long-term LLs interact with, inspire and share stories with those LLs who have just recently joined the program.
Landowner Leaders Across the Zone
LLs also shared stories and project photos via the “Landowner Leaders of Carolinian Canada” Facebook page. Across the Zone, the LL program was promoted at numerous public events organized by CCC or partners throughout the year. The program was featured at the Point Pelee Festival of Birds (presentation at the Point Pelee National Park Visitor Centre theatre on May 18), at Carolinian Canada Big Picture Collaborative events (June 29 – London, November 13 – Hamilton, Western University Masters of Sustainability Program (November 7 – London), Seedy Saturday (London Master Gardener's Assoc. in April, 2017), Landscape Ontario Gardening Event (February 2018), November 15 – London, November 16 – Essex), the Ontario Biodiversity Council (December 6 -Toronto), CCC's Ecosystem Recovery Forum, “Shifting the Paradigm: Growing the Native Plant Industry through Collaboration and Innovation” on March 7, 2018, at the St. James Cathedral Centre in Toronto, and numerous other presentations to community groups in tandem with its sister program, In the Zone.
Planting 750 trees at the Living Centre