THE NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM

The Natural Heritage Committee conserves natural areas by encouraging private land stewardship.  In the first ten years of our operation, the Foundation acquired a voluntary commitment from 340 private landowners in Muskoka to protect more than 31,000 acres of diverse Muskoka landscape including 51 miles of shoreline. Today, information and assistance is provided to private landowners on ways to conserve the natural amenities of their property.

Shoreline Stewardship Awards are presented to individual property owners who have kept or restored their property to a natural state.

The Committee has organized the Naturalize Muskoka Challenge that challenges local businesses and property owners to ‘green’ Muskoka through the planting of native trees, shrubs, and ground cover on their properties.

Committee members also provide environmental advocacy support with such issues as shoreline and road development, and protection of natural areas, e.g. wetlands.

Our most recent and very successful project has been the Bracebridge Bay Restoration Project, a partnership with the Town of Bracebridge and Evergreen, a national charity focused on bringing nature to urban areas through re-naturalization projects. We utilized funds from the Town, Evergreen, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to fund the re-naturalization of 200 feet of shoreline in Bracebridge Bay, as a demonstration project. Go to the Evergreen Project registry to read more about the project    http://www.evergreen.ca/en/registry/view_project.php?ID=00692

The goals of the Natural Heritage Committee are:

• To foster a “Conservation Ethic” by means of public education and involvement
• To promote stewardship of natural resources by their owners
• To promote good stewardship of public lands

NATURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE 2005-2006 Jan McDonnell Michael Foster David Story                          Bert Sugg                             Robert Allen  Dave Rasmussen Marty Heichert Kelly Eggers Geri Poisson Mark Casas