CVC launches a new program for rural landowners

"What can I do to help?" is a question frequently asked by landowners when they want to help their environment.

A new workshop being held by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) in partnership with the Caring for the Moraine project will help answer that question. The workshop introduces landowners to The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide, a specially designed self-assessment manual developed by the University of Guelph with input from rural landowners across Southern Ontario. Modeled on the highly successful Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) for agricultural landowners, the guide will help rural landowners evaluate their property and create an action plan to enhance their property's natural spaces and protect the environment.

For more than a decade farmers have benefited from the EFP, but there was no comprehensive program to serve the needs of non-farm rural landowners. With this realization researchers at the University of Guelph began to develop a guide for Ontario non-farm rural landowners. Prof. Wayne Caldwell and Prof. Karen Landman of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) spearheaded the project. The guide was piloted last year in Huron County along the Lake Huron coastline, and an inland version of the manual is being introduced across the province this fall.

"We all need to be thinking about the daily decisions we make that contribute to water quality; it's these small, individual actions that can make a positive improvement to our environment. This program is a great starting point for rural landowners wanting to make those changes," said Mike Puddister, director of restoration and stewardship at CVC.

The guide itself consists of a series of worksheets that are completed over the course of the workshop. Worksheets cover all aspects of managing a rural property from septic systems to forest management, energy conservation and construction activities. An understanding of these issues will also prepare landowners to take action and respond to any challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. The workshop is also a great opportunity to meet with other property owners and exchange information and experiences.

The free workshop will be held Oct. 25 at the Caledon Community Complex. Interested landowners should contact Alison Qua-Enoo at Credit Valley Conservation, 1-800- 669-5557 ext. 438 or e-mail them at: stewardship@creditvalleyco ns.com for more information or to register.

The CVC was established by an Act of the province in 1954 with a mandate to protect all natural resources other than minerals in the area drained by the Credit River.

They have been working for more than 50 years with partner municipalities and stakeholders to protect and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed for present and future generations.