As the amount of undisturbed land continues to dwindle in southern Ontario, it becomes even more important to consider the way that our practices modify the land and impact species. With 95% of the land in the Carolinian Life Zone being privately owned, private landowners can play a vital role in restoring protecting and conserving the very habitats that make Carolinian Canada so unique. This is why Carolinian Canada Coalition has developed its Landowner Leaders Program.
Carolinian Canada Coalition's Landowner Leaders Program provides opportunities to learn more about becoming a good steward, setting goals for habitat projects, and help in developing and implementing a CHAP for your land.
"Stewardship" means caring for the land in a responsible way to ensure that healthy ecoystems are passed on to future generations. Habitat stewardship involves best practices that maintain or recover the quality and amout of habitat required by rare, significant or other target species. Anyone who contributes to the health of the natural environment and takes action to look after it is a habitat steward.
Through this program, Carolinian Canada Coalition helps landowners by:
- assessing the habitat that’s important to steward and restore on their property, based on regional priorities;
- being a “one-stop-shop” linking landowners to our extensive network of experts, agencies and funding sources to support priority habitat actions;
- providing the tools and resources to lead, mentor and inspire other interested landowners in their communities;
- monitoring the progress of the stewardship and restoration work.
SAVE = Habitat Protection - save existing habitat and species. Leave it be!
STEWARD = Habitat Improvement - includes practices like controlling invasive plants, providing nesting boxes for birds and bats, and building a snake hibernaculum.
SEED = Habitat Creation - includes practices lik planting trees, establishing a grassland or tallgrass prarie, or constructing a wetland
By learning about significant species and their habitat, and by implementing a Carolinian Habitat Action Plan (CHAP) for your property, you will help the species that share your land with you, and help to maintain the native biodiversity in our province.
As a Landowner Leaders Ambassador you will occasionally be asked to use your experience in the program to mentor future Landowner Leaders, as well as to act as a representative of the program in the media, at community events, on the Carolinian Canada Coalition website, at workshops, tours or other outreach events. Your participation in these community-building activities will be voluntary and at your discretion.
Contact us for more informaiton
stewardship@carolinian.org
"I have attached the beautiful CCC LL/CHAP sign onto a natty signboard, together with other plaques recognizing help with conservation projects at MeadowWoods over the years. The signboard faces South along Gray Line. The Carolinian Canada sign is definitely the highlight of the display!"
-Stan Caveney
photo: Chad Day