caring for our coast - carolinian canada | cover collage pictures supplied by parks canada and...

CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION

FORUM 2009

CARING FOR OUR COAST Envisioning a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network

OCTOBER 22 & 23, 2009

POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK & PELEE DAYS INN, LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO

Forum Cover Collage pictures supplied by Parks Canada and Kathryn Arthur [1]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2009 FORUM SPONSORSHIP ......................................................................................................................... 3

IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 3

FORUM COMMITTEE ..................................................................................................................................... 4

CCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS ........................................................................................................................... 4

KEYNOTE ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

CHAIR’S WELCOME ....................................................................................................................................... 6

THE LAKE ERIE STEWARDSHIP TRAIL CONCEPT ............................................................................................ 7

LANDSCAPE CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................... 8

DAY 1 – THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 .................................................................................................................. 9

FORUM AT A GLANCE – DAY 1 .................................................................................................................... 15

FORUM AT A GLANCE – DAY 2 .................................................................................................................... 16

DAY 2 – FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 ...................................................................................................................... 17

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES ........................................................................................................................... 24

CCC LAKE ERIE COASTAL ZONE PROGRAM ................................................................................................. 28

CCC FORUM 2010 ........................................................................................................................................ 30

HOTEL LAYOUT ............................................................................................................................................ 31

C C C F o r u m 2 0 0 9 : C A R I N G F O R O U R C O A S T P a g e | 3

2009 FORUM SPONSORSHIP

IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS


FORUM COMMITTEE

CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION

Cathy Bingham Virginia Lambdin Caroline Biribauer Michelle Kanter Bronwen Buck Gordon Nelson Brian Craig Scott Peck Megan Ihrig Nancy Walther

PARKS CANADA ESSEX REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY Dan Dufour Kevin Money

CCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPRESENTATION

Individual Peter Banks Paul General Bill Graham

Group Cathy Bingham County of Oxford Caroline Biribauer Conservation Ontario Tara Borwick Stewardship Ontario Peter Carson Ontario Nature Alice Casselman Association Canadian Educational Resources Brian Craig Parks Canada Wendy Cridland Nature Conservancy of Canada Dr. Gordon Nelson University of Waterloo Scott Peck Ontario Professional Planners Institute Nancy Walther Ontario Federation of Agriculture Kerrie Wilcox Bird Studies Canada Ron Wu-Winter Ontario Forestry Association

Carolinian Canada Mission

Protect and restore natural heritage in the Carolinian Life Zone for healthy, balanced and sustainable landscapes through stewardship, cooperation and research.

Big Picture Vision

A network of Habitat Cores and Corridors is critical green infrastructure for thriving wild and human communities. CCC programs use the Big Picture as a basis for exploring key issues, networking between stakeholders, promoting a researched understanding and catalyzing effective action.

Explore Carolinian Canada: www.carolinian.org


KEYNOTE Working Together To Leave No Child Inside

7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009, Pelee Days Inn [Theatre], Leamington, Ontario

Martin LeBlanc¹s keynote will focus on how community-based strategies can be utilized to connect children with the outdoors. The keynote will begin with a history of the Leave No Child Inside Movement.

It will then focus on the current actions being taken in both the public and private sector that focus on giving every child a special place in nature.

Participants will receive information on how to empower their local communities, strategies to influence policymakers, and tips on how they can create non-traditional partnerships to ensure that every child has an opportunity to experience nature.

artin LeBlanc is the National Youth Education Director for

the Sierra Club, where he oversees the Sierra Club¹s youth programs and advocacy efforts relating to children and nature. His advocacy work has been focused on California, New Mexico and Washington State, as well as at the federal level.

Martin has also been instrumental in forming partnerships with the military and health organizations. Martin is a founding Board member and Vice President of the Children and Nature Network, (www.Childrenandnature.org).

He is responsible for helping build youth leadership with the Leave No Child Inside Movement. Martin was a troubled youth who had his life turned around through an outdoor experience as a teenager. He truly believes that we owe the next generation of children a special place in nature so they can be empowered to solve the environmental challenges of the future. Martin has worked as an outdoor educator in Seattle, Washington, as well as an outdoor-education advocate for Texas Parks and Wildlife in Austin, Texas. He is the Chairman of the No Child Left Inside Committee in Washington State and a member of the North American Association of Environmental Education’s Advocacy Committee.

- Entry by Donation [Suggested $10] -

We extend a welcome to our local high schools students

M

http://www.childrenandnature.org/


CHAIR’S WELCOME Saving the Lake Erie Coast: Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use

Welcome to Forum 2009,

As a researcher, this year’s theme of Caring for our Coast is one that I have been working on for over 30 years. Now, thanks to a significant contribution from Parks Canada, the Carolinian Canada Coalition is launching an ambitious project that unites coastal stewardship, species at risk recovery and community engagement. The Coastal Stewardship Trail is a potential tool that, through collaborative effort, could help achieve this goal.

There has been a great deal of environmental and conservation work focused on the Great Lakes. Yet the future ecological health of the Lake Erie coastal ecosystem (and consequently the well-being of those who depend upon it), is still precarious. Historic and growing new pressures on the coast include fluctuating lake levels, flood and erosion, extensive land use change, decreasing water quality and loss of natural areas and biodiversity. We risk severely damaging or losing the many remaining natural qualities and ecological services the coastal zone offers. This could happen in less than a decade if present development trends continue.

Since the 1950s, governments on both sides of the border have expressed concern about the state of the Lake Erie Coast, especially regarding the various flood and erosion patterns or "hazards" arising from fluctuating Lake water levels. The resulting U.S. Coastal Zone Act passed in 1972 and The International Joint Commission and the Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) are examples of such initiatives. Though less prominent in Lake Erie, the LaMP process could play a role in building bridges to address watershed, coastal and island issues and planning.

Despite these policy and planning efforts, the loss of biodiversity and ecological integrity is continuing along the Lake Erie Coast (for example at Pt. Pelee National Park). The lack of any overall civic assessment of the last decade’s challenges and opportunities has led Carolinian Canada Coalition to identify a need to focus on the urgent issues here. By using a Stewardship Trail to highlight the geologic, biologic and human dimensions of the coast, we hope to Care for the Coast using an ecosystem, or integrated approach. We plan to focus on three interrelated areas: changes along the shore; changes in the watersheds; and changes in the islands. With this in mind, I ask you to carefully consider the needs and opportunities for linking public and private stewardship in a search for better future directions.

We are holding this working conference in order to determine what has or has not worked and recommend a more fruitful way forward. By bringing together experts, concerned citizens and decision-makers from both sides of the lake, we will lay the groundwork for building sustained awareness and commitment for a healthy coast.

Over the next two days, I invite you to investigate, discuss and brainstorm ways to care for Lake Erie’s Carolinian coast. Sincerely, Gordon Nelson, Chair, Carolinian Canada Coalition


THE LAKE ERIE STEWARDSHIP TRAIL CONCEPT CCC’s new initiative is currently a concept, to be fleshed out through this conference and follow-up workshops over the next 2-3 years. We want to know how you envision this project taking shape.

The following is up for discussion.

What is a Stewardship Trail?

Can it be used to promote natural and cultural heritage with emphasis biodiversity and species at risk?

Can it be used to further links between public and private stewardship, for example by development of natural and cultural corridors?

Should there be a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network?

What is included in the ‘coast’?

Is it one connected trail or a web of trail opportunities?

Does it include multiple forms of enjoyment e.g. walking, biking, birding, geo-caching, driving, boating?

How do we link with public trails vs. voluntary landowner sites?

Does it include roads?

Who should be involved in each area?

What type of interpretive material is needed?

What key conservation, heritage and stewardship messages should be associated with it?

How can we implement it together?

How can we promote it together? Some criteria & features to consider:

Biodiversity; Species at Risk; Critical Aquatic & Terrestrial Habitat

Geologic, Geomorphic and Ecological Integrity of the Coast

Linkages Between Watersheds and Coastal Processes

Sites of Interest for Historical Ecology or Landscape History

Examples of the Water Quality, Climate Change and Ecological Services Provided by Carefully Managed Woodlands, Wetlands and Protected Areas

Examples of Effective Private Stewardship; Examples of Effective Approaches by First Nations

Examples of Governance Systems that Contribute to Environmental Conservation, Sustainable Land Use and Economy

Big Picture Habitat Cores and Corridors

Opportunities to engage trail users, managers and new audiences in conservation

Goals of Carolinian Canada Coalition’s Environment &

Sustainability Forum

CCC Strategic Direction: Work with diverse partners to host a

series of collaborative workshops.

Explore Key Issues Associated with Natural Heritage Research and Stewardship

Examine New Science and how it Applies to Southwestern Ontario

Provide Links Between Specialists, Professionals, Decision-Makers and Citizens

Build Capacity of Groups and Communities to Deal with Growing Issues of Landscape Sustainability

Promote Multi-Stakeholder Participation to Develop and Share Strategies

Further Goals of Forum 2009:

Caring for Our Coast

Highlight Serious and Longstanding Challenges in the Management of Great Lakes Coasts, focused on Lake Erie

Launch the Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Initiative

Inform, Inspire and Engage Coastal Stakeholders and Potential Partners


LANDSCAPE CONTEXT


Envisioning a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network

DAY 1 – THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK [VISITOR CENTRE]

Refreshments Compliments of Friends of Point Pelee

9:30 A.M.

A. PLENARY PANEL: Exploring Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast [VISITOR’S CENTRE] MASTER OF CEREMONIES: DR. GORDON NELSON

Sandy beaches, unsurpassed bird watching, delicious local food and historic settlements. These attractions characterize Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast, enriching the area for residents and visitors alike. Canada’s southernmost shore is also critical habitat for abundant wildlife and native plants, terrestrial and aquatic, common and rare. The coast has many important functions in protecting our environment, economy and quality of life in the region. Yet changing lake levels, erosion and other pressures threaten this landscape. Can a Stewardship Trail Network be part of the solution to these issues? Can it link communities through collaborative conservation and provide health-laden recreational benefits while revitalizing tourism? Are these ideas far-fetched or realistic? By introducing you to coastal zone processes, best trail management practices and the Stewardship Trail concept, our panelists challenge you to be the judge. This plenary will whet your appetite for the upcoming sessions, where you will have ample opportunity to express ideas of your own.

Opening Remarks

MAYOR JOHN ADAMS, Mayor of Leamington

KEN SCHMIDT, General Manager, Essex Region Conservation Authority

MARIAN STRANAK, Park Superintendent, Point Pelee National Park

Defining the Coastal Zone Dr. Gordon Nelson, Carolinian Canada Coalition

Dr. Nelson sets the stage for the two-day forum. The CCC Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program is a potential way for public and private partners to work together, to manage the coastal zone in a way that allows for multiple land uses, recreation and tourism opportunities, and education and demonstration areas, all the while considering the ecological integrity and conservation of the coastal zone. One way to highlight the beauty and significance of the coastal zone is through a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network.

With the aid of trail groups, public and private landowners, conservation groups and all interested stakeholders, the basis for a strong coastal zone trail for all partners can be identified. Implementation of a suitable network will provide youth, trail, land owner, visitor and other groups with stewardship and educational opportunities. The important agricultural contributions of this highly productive zone can be highlighted through this project, along with natural areas that provide sites for maintaining rare species, biodiversity and valuable ecosystem services.


DAY 1, THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 [CON’T]

The Thin Green and Blue Line: An Overview of Coastal Processes and the Nearshore of the Lake Erie Dr. Patrick Lawrence, University of Toledo

An essential, yet often ignored or forgotten, element of Lake Erie is the important roles and functions of the coastal and nearshore environments. The bluffs, beaches, dunes, shorelines, barrier islands, wetlands, rock cliffs and platforms, river mouths, and other critical natural ecosystems along the Lake Erie coast are a key aspect of maintaining the ecosystem health of the lake and associated watersheds. However, since European settlement, the coast has also experienced significant impacts and dramatic changes through the alteration by human activities and land uses. So much of the coast has been altered to make way for urban and residential development, industrialization, dredging and infilling, cottages and marinas, recreational access and usages, resource extraction, and other changes wrought by economic growth and land use. Our planning and management efforts to address these problems and advance improvements as to decisions made in regards to the Lake Erie coast have not always been very effective or resulted in reducing the human footprint. This presentation will focus on the current “state” of the Lake Erie coast and nearshore and ongoing challenges and opportunities. Issues to be discussed include key natural processes and landforms, water levels and climate change, land uses and impacts, shoreline hazards and impacts, conservation and public access, and emerging future concerns. An examination of how critical the coast is to the environmental well being of Lake Erie will also allow for consideration of the changes and impacts driven by human issues and reflect on progress and envision a new future for the Lake Erie coast.

Wetland Water Quality & Biodiversity on the Georgian Bay & Lake Erie Coasts Dr. Pat Chow- Fraser, McMaster University

Coastal wetlands are highly productive, biodiversity hotspots in the Great Lakes basin. Unfortunately in many settled areas of Lakes Ontario and Lake Erie, these wetlands have become degraded by agricultural and urban development, marina operations, and introduction of exotic invasive species. My research confirms clear linkages between marsh degradation and land-use activities related to agricultural and urban development in wetland watersheds. There is, however, little evidence that cottage development or expansion of road networks in sparsely populated areas of the Great Lakes basin can affect wetland quality. Consequently, much of the existing science does not apply to areas where human disturbance is limited to recreational properties along the shoreline of primarily forested watersheds (such as Georgian Bay, Lake Huron). Our research shows that road density is an effective measure of human disturbance for 59 quaternary watersheds that include heavily impacted areas of Lakes Erie and Ontario, and relatively unimpacted areas of Georgian Bay. Primary nutrients and specific conductivity increased significantly with RD (p<0.05), both when data were analyzed separately for Georgian Bay and when they were combined with more degraded sites in Lakes Erie and Ontario. The number of exotic fish and plant taxa also varied significantly with RD as did index scores of three published ecological indices. While marshes in the majority of Georgian Bay watersheds are currently in very good to excellent condition, a few areas with heavy cottage development contain wetlands showing signs of water-quality impairment similar to those in settled areas of the lower Great Lakes. Wetlands showed signs of degradation above a RD threshold of 10 m•ha-1, and we recommend that this level be used to guide conservation efforts to protect Great Lakes coastal marshes.

Best Practices for Increasing Trail Usage by Hikers and Walkers William M. C. Wilson, Hike Ontario

The five "best practices" discussed in Hike Ontario’s manual were adapted from strategies found to be successful by other individuals and organizations that have planned and managed trails and activities using them. Their experiences were solicited and many were interviewed. Their success stories , along with others researched in print and Internet sources, were then presented and discussed at a workshop of experienced hikers and trail builders at Hike Ontario's Annual General meeting in Oct. 2006. The outcomes of those discussions were organized, analyzed and consolidated into the five "Best Practices" described in this manual.



The Bruce Trail Conservancy: Demonstrating the Concept of Trails as a Link between Community and Conservation Beth Kümmling, Bruce Trail Conservancy

As Canada's oldest and longest footpath, the Bruce Trail is a well-known, natural icon in the Province of Ontario. Thousands visit the Bruce Trail each year to enjoy the scenery and participate in an active, healthy lifestyle. What is less well known is the role the Bruce Trail has played in conservation of a natural resource - the Niagara Escarpment. The talk will provide an overview of the origins of the Bruce Trail Conservancy as a fledgling conservation organization, and the role that the Trail played and continues to play in raising public and political

awareness and support for conservation of the Niagara Escarpment.

11:00 A.M.

ATTENTION: OUTDOOR WORKSHOP DIRECTIONS

B3 ONLY – BOARD SHUTTLE @ POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE [BOX LUNCH PROVIDED EN ROUTE]

B1, B2, B4 - DRIVE TO PELEE DAYS INN

HEALTH BREAK [BREAKFAST AREA]

B1 & B2 ONLY – PICK UP BOXED LUNCH BEFORE BOARDING

ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE TO BOARD BUSES PROMPTLY @ 11:20 A.M.

11:30 A.M.

B. OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS: Investigations in Community Stewardship along Canada’s Southern Shore [CONCURRENT BUS TRIPS - WITH LUNCH]

Time to go outside and explore Carolinian Canada’s coastal southern gems! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a field trip is worth a million. Regardless of which outdoor adventure you choose, you will experience first-hand the opportunities and challenges associated with the stewardship of ecosystems, habitats and trails. Hear from experts in the field and compare with your own experiences. Shoreline management, significant habitat recovery, eco-tourism, creating community linkages, climate change and sustainable green economics are just some of the issues that will be tackled enroute. Discuss how these factors are all connected on the landscape; and how we can work together to enhance those connections.

B1. Saving Our Coast [Conserving Coastal Ecosystems – Interaction of Geologic, Biologic, and Human Processes]

[BUS 1 @ PELEE DAYS INN – PICK UP BOX LUNCH BEFORE BOARDING]

Field Leaders: Brian Craig (Parks Canada), Jeremy Wychreschuk (Essex Region Conservation Authority)

Now you see it, now you don’t. How and why is Lake Erie’s Carolinian shoreline disappearing at an alarming rate? Your workshop leaders will unravel this mystery during a tour of the southeast Leamington coast, once part of a large wetland complex. (Clue: shoreline actions can have significant effects as far as 30 km away). After discussing coastal erosion and wetland restoration, your field trip leaders will also address economic challenges related to infrastructure needs. In spite of the complexity of the situation, this workshop will illuminate viable options for economic, ecological and social sustainability.

1) East of Wheatley Park, Zion Sideroad 2) Wheatley Harbour (northeast side: mouth of Muddy Creek) 3) North Beach Hillman 4) Overlooking Point Pelee Wetland & Marentette Marsh 5) Point Pelee National Park/ Tip Erosion



B2. Habitat Restoration [Leading Edge Approaches to Recover Rare Habitats and Unique Ecosystems]

[BUS 2 @PELEE DAYS INN – PICK UP BOX LUNCH BEFORE BOARDING]

Field Leaders: Kathryn Arthur & Mike Nelson (Essex Region Conservation Authority), Brett Groves (Essex Stewardship Council)

Tour important Essex sites where the first steps in restoring habitats are taking place. This workshop will demonstrate how science and species at risk recovery planning are used to direct and inform habitat restoration initiatives across the landscape, in partnership with local communities. The Essex Region Conservation Authority and the Essex County Stewardship Network are working across the county with different partners to recreate and restore habitats for many reasons. Whether for recreation, agriculture or water quality and quantity the fragmented habitats of Southwestern Ontario need the help of these groups to be reconnected and to restore functions needed by the whole community. 1) Hillman Marsh

- Shorebird Cell and tree planting - Migration stop over – benefits to all wildlife including rare species - Eastern Foxsnake projects – presentation over lunch hour

2) Hickson Farm - Large scale, multi-partner habitat creation initiative - Wheatley Harbour Area of Concern - Watershed approach to habitat restoration

B3. Preserving and Presenting Point Pelee National Park [SHUTTLE 3 @POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTRE – BOX LUNCH PROVIDED]

Field Trip Leader: Dan Dufour (Parks Canada)

For a National Park, Point Pelee is small. But it is well-loved. Each year, over 250,000 visitors enjoy relaxing on the beaches and exploring the habitats this 15 square km peninsula has to offer (note: two-thirds of the park is marsh). It probably comes as no surprise that ensuring a quality experience for visitors while striving towards ecological integrity is therefore a tricky business. By taking you to some of the Park’s nationally significant features, leader Dan Dufour will reveal how Park Staff use innovative methods to ensure visitors have access to nature while preserving it at the same time.

1) Tip Trail Walk – Discuss means of controlling visitor access to unique natural experiences. 2) Henry Community Youth Camp – Lunch and video 3) Species at Risk at Point Pelee – Home to significantly more Species at Risk than any other national park. 4) Marsh Boardwalk – Walk Point Pelee’s iconic floating boardwalk and experience the UNESCO “Wetland of

International Significance.”

B4. Linking the Landscape through Community Trails [Landscape Stewardship through Cooperation]

[BUS 4 @ PELEE DAYS INN – RESTAURANT LUNCH INCLUDED]

Field Trip Leader: Kevin Money (Essex Region Conservation Authority]

This tour showcases the ways trails enhance the community and our way of life. Participants will see what trails are currently being built in the Essex Region, how businesses can flourish when connected to trails, and how trails can allow you to experience the best of what nature has to offer.

1) Leamington Trail Development – with Alex DelBrocco, Municipality of Leamington 2) Ruthven Greenway extension 3) Mettawa Train Station – with Anthony DelBrocco, restaurant owner 4) Schwab Chrysler Canada Greenway Entrance – walk/drive to Cedar Creek Bridge 5) Pelee Island Winery – with Vineyard Manager



PELEE DAYS INN [THEATRE]

2:30 P.M. HEALTH BREAK

3:00 P.M. C. ROUND TABLE WORKSHOPS: Connecting Trails to Landscape Health [CONCURRENT]

What exactly is a Stewardship Trail? How does it apply to the Lake Erie coast? Can you apply this concept in your area? These small round-table sessions will give you a chance to distill thoughts from the day, share examples, brainstorm a coastal vision and hammer out some of the social, environmental and logistical best practices for a strong trail network that enhances, rather than impacts, a significant landscape. Whether you are creating habitat, awareness, trails or tourism, we anticipate you will uncover ideas and suggestions that you can apply in your own work. Participants will take part in:

5 minute updates - find out what’s happening in the Big Picture neighbourhood (please register in the morning and bring maps).

Big Picture community mapping with a focus on the coast & watershed connections Best Practices Brainstorm – your perspective is wanted for identifying criteria that should shape a

community stewardship trail network.

C1. Coastal Stewardship [THEATRE]

Facilitator: Dr. Patrick Lawrence (University of Toledo) Special Guest: Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation

How can a trail network protect shorelines? Participants will work together to identify effective ways that trails can create opportunities to restore degrading ecosystems.

C2. Save Our Species [BOARD ROOM]

Facilitator: Mike Nelson (Essex Region Conservation Authority) Special Guest: Jarmo Jalava, Carolinian Woodland Recovery Team

How can a trail network protect, restore and interpret significant habitat and enhance stewardship for aquatic and terrestrial species at risk?

C3. Inspiring Community [DINING ROOM]

Facilitator: Caroline Biribauer (Essex Region Conservation Authority) Special Guest: Martin LeBlanc, Sierra Club

How can a trail network engage landowners, youth, cottagers & community in healthy landscapes?

C4. Social Marketing & Tourism [BREAKFAST AREA]

Facilitators: Bronwen Buck (Carolinian Canada Coalition) and Chris Lemieux (Ministry of Natural Resources)

How can a stewardship trail network attract visitors to the region and promote environmental and economic development?



4:30 P.M.

D. WRAP UP: Coastal Evolutions [THEATRE] MC: Brian Craig, Parks Canada

Round Table Report

Find out what happened in other round-table sessions and compare results.

Perspectives on Day 1 Guest: Jim Oliver, Norfolk County Councillor, Honorary Director, Carolinian Canada Coalition

Insights from the day about working together for a coastal vision that offers opportunities to build awareness, enhance biodiversity and inspire stewardship action.

6:00 P.M. 100 KILOMETRE BANQUET [THEATRE] CHEF: Mike Ingratta

Salad -------- Garden Entrée Options -------- Lake Erie Perch or Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Red Peppers Vegetarian Entrée -------- Eggplant Parmesan Vegetable -------- Leamington Baked Potato & Locally Grown Vegetables Dessert -------- Apple Crisp Cash Bar -------- Try local wines

7:30 P.M.

E. PERFORMANCE & KEYNOTE [THEATRE] MC: Scott Peck, Carolinian Canada Coalition

BKEJWANONG ECO-KEEPERS, WALPOLE ISLAND FIRST NATION

“BEK IT UP!”

This skit will creatively depict youth working with species at risk on Walpole Island First Nation portrayed through the experiences of the Bkejwanong Eco-Keepers youth stewardship group. This fledgling program uses community-based, holistic, approaches and Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge to provide valuable experience, knowledge, and skills to young community members in the hopes that they might choose educational or career paths related to the environment.

The Bkejwanong Eco-Keepers are Aimee Johnson, Stewardship Coordinator; Ciarra Classens, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper crew leader; Tyler White, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper crew leader; Harmony Blackbird, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper; Luke Isaac, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper; Oakis Isaac-Sands, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper; Suzi Isaac, Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper

KEYNOTE MARTIN LEBLANC, NATIONAL YOUTH EDUCATION DIRECTOR, SIERRA CLUB “WORKING TOGETHER TO LEAVE NO CHILD INSIDE”

We invite you to join us for a very special evening with Martin LeBlanc, as he speaks on a topic that is important to all of us! Martin LeBlanc, National Youth Education Director for the Sierra Club believes that "the next generation of children deserves a special place in nature so they can be empowered to solve the environmental challenges of the future."


FORUM AT A GLANCE – DAY 1

THURSDAY OCTOBER 22

8:30 POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK [ADMISSION INCLUDED IN REGISTRATION] FORUM

SPONSORS Registration, Networking & Refreshments [VISITOR CENTRE]

9:30 A. PLENARY PANEL: Exploring Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast [VISITOR CENTRE]

By introducing you to coastal zone processes, best trail management practices and the Stewardship Trail concept, our panelists challenge you to be the judge. This plenary will whet your appetite for the upcoming sessions, where you have ample opportunity to express ideas of your own.

DR. GORDON NELSON, Carolinian Canada Coalition

DR. PATRICK LAWRENCE, University of Toledo DR. PAT CHOW-FRASER, McMaster University

BILL WILSON, Hike Ontario BETH KÜMMLING, Bruce Trail Conservancy

11:00 PELEE DAYS INN HEALTH BREAK & BUS DEPARTURE [BREAKFAST AREA] / DISPLAY SET-UP [THEATRE] 11:30 B. OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS: Investigations in Community Stewardship along Canada’s Southern Shore [CONCURRENT]

B1. Saving Our Coast [BUS 1]

Conserving Coastal Ecosystems – Interaction of Geologic, Biologic, and Human Processes

Wheatley to Pt. Pelee

B2. Habitat Restoration [BUS 2]

Implementing the first steps to recovering rare habitats and unique ecosystems.

Essex area

B3. Innovative Park Trails [PARK SHUTTLE 3]

Building Awareness and Stewardship Through Trails

Pt. Pelee National Park

B4.Linking the Landscape through Community Trails [BUS 4]

Landscape Stewardship Through Cooperation

Cedar Creek to Kingsville

2:30 PELEE DAYS INN HEALTH BREAK & VISIT DISPLAYS [THEATRE]

3:00 C. ROUND-TABLE WORKSHOPS: Connecting Trails to Landscape Health [CONCURRENT]

Participants will share perspectives on current trail systems, recovery challenges, collaborative opportunities and criteria for trails that promote understanding and conservation. Trail networks may include multiple forms of enjoyment e.g. walking, biking, birding, geo-caching, driving, boating. Participants are invited to bring 5-minute updates.

C1. Coastal Stewardship [THEATRE] How can a trail network protect shorelines?

C2. Save Our Species [BOARD ROOM] How can a trail network protect, restore and interpret significant habitat and enhance stewardship for aquatic and terrestrial species at risk?

C3. Inspiring Community [DINING ROOM] How can a trail network engage landowners, youth, cottagers & community in healthy landscapes?

C4. Social Marketing & Tourism [BREAKFAST AREA] How can a stewardship trail network attract visitors to the region and promote environmental and economic development?

4:30 D. WRAP-UP: Coastal Evolutions - Insights from the day & working together for an ambitious coastal vision [THEATRE]

6:00 100-KILOMETRE BANQUET [THEATRE]

7:30 E. KEYNOTE [THEATRE]

MARTIN LEBLANC, CHILDREN AND NATURE NETWORK & NATIONAL YOUTH EDUCATION DIRECTOR, SIERRA CLUB, UNITED STATES

“WORKING TOGETHER TO LEAVE NO CHILD INSIDE”


FORUM AT A GLANCE – DAY 2

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 PELEE DAYS INN

FORUM SPONSORS

7:30 – 8:30 BREAKFAST [BREAKFAST AREA]

8:30 Registration, Networking & Display Set-up [THEATRE]

9:00 F. PLENARY PANEL: Managing Rare Species and Rare Experiences along the Coast [THEATRE]

This expert line-up will focus on uncovering the potential of a coastal Community Stewardship Trail.

SCOTT PARKER, Fathom Five National Marine Park MYEENGUN HENRY, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation

DAN KRAUS, Nature Conservancy of Canada MARLAINE KOEHLER, Waterfront Regeneration Trust

10:30 HEALTH BREAK & VISIT DISPLAYS [THEATRE]

11:00 G. PANEL WORKSHOPS: Developing New Cooperative Approaches to Habitat Protection and Enjoyment [CONCURRENT]

G1. Exploring Eco-Trails [THEATRE]

Many trails exist or are in development in Carolinian Canada. How can local trails be linked to landscape and species recovery?

G2. On the Path to Recovery [DINING ROOM]

In Carolinian Canada, habitat stewardship is closely tied to human dimensions. Can trails play a role in recovery of species at risk and healthy ecosystems? Can they be used to enhance awareness, understanding and stewardship in the coastal zone?

12:30 100-KILOMETRE LUNCH & SPECIAL GUEST: PATRICK CONNOR, Ontario Trails Council [THEATRE]

1:30 H. ROUND-TABLE WORKSHOPS: Growing a Trail Network for Ecosystem Recovery [CONCURRENT]

Participants will examine innovative approaches to map a trail vision for Lake Erie’s unique coastal landscapes.

H1. Erie West [THEATRE]

Discovering Islands, Marshes & an Agriculture Heartland from Essex to Chatham-Kent

H2. Erie Centre [DINING ROOM]

Exploring Cliffs, Beaches and Hidden Creeks from Elgin to Norfolk

H3. Erie East [BOARD ROOM]

Uncovering Estuaries, Sloughs and Salamanders from Haldimand to Niagara

H4. The Big Picture [BREAKFAST AREA]

Linking across the Coastal Zone Regions

3:00 I. WRAP-UP: Stepping Forward - Linking Workshop Results and Identifying Next Steps [THEATRE]

4:00 CLOSE

PLAN A

WEEKEND

GETAWAY

Legends of the Night, Point Pelee National Park, October 23 and 24, 6:30 p.m. Sit around the campfire. Listen to creatures of the night while an interpreter guides you though story-telling and exploration about the true tales of these mysterious animals.

All conference participants will receive a complimentary park pass, courtesy of Parks Canada.

MARK YOUR

CALENDARS Carolinian Canada Coalition & Ontario Nature FORUM 2010, Exploring Our Watersheds, May 28 & 29, 2010, Sarnia, Ontario

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile=1&id=46083753670


Envisioning a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network

DAY 2 – FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 PELEE DAYS INN, LEAMINGTON

9:00 A.M.

F. PLENARY PANEL: Managing Rare Species and Rare Experiences along the Coast [THEATRE]

Drawing from personal and professional experience, this expert line-up will focus on uncovering the potential of a coastal Community Stewardship Trail. By providing case studies, historical perspectives and trail-building tools, they will focus on how to anticipate and overcome challenges while capitalizing on new opportunities. Building upon yesterday’s momentum, this panel will set the stage for today’s conversations by highlighting strong connections between culture and nature.

The Coastal Conservation Approach at Fathom Five National Marine Park, Lake Huron Scott Parker, Fathom Five National Marine Park

Canada’s National Marine Conservation Area program was launched in 1987 with the establishment of Fathom Five National Marine Park at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron. As one of the few aquatic protected areas on the Great Lakes, Fathom Five has charted its own course in coastal conservation. The obvious first steps of conservation such as outreach and coastal zone planning have been implemented with some measure of success. The ongoing challenge of sustaining the seemingly unsustainable such as invasive species and biodiversity loss remains. Our advantage as a protected area is in the opportunity we create for authentic ecological and cultural experiences and as a source of knowledge (e.g., research, monitoring) in which to learn. Given the complexity and importance of our conservation issues, a well informed, morally generous, and committed society is needed. Fathom Five’s role in lake wide planning initiatives will also be discussed.

Coastal Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Species at Risk on the Lake Erie Shore Dan Kraus, Nature Conservancy Canada

Ecosystems along the shores of Lake Erie are formed and influenced by their proximity to the coast. The unique environmental conditions of the coast result in a very high diversity of rare vegetation communities and species. Lake Erie has over 2,600 km of coast, 1,770 islands, four major sand-spits, extensive coastal wetlands and a diversity of shoreline types including sand beaches and dunes, bluffs, bedrock shores and cobble beaches. The coast supports high numbers of species at risk and provides important migratory stop-over habitat for birds. Land use within this coastal band can have a significant influence on biodiversity and water quality within the adjacent nearshore zone. While the Lake Erie coast is more altered that all the other Great Lakes, it offers extraordinary and urgent conservation opportunities. In both Canada and the US, federal, provincial and state obligations to conserve biodiversity and Great Lakes water quality cannot be achieved without a coordinated focus on Lake Erie coastal conservation.

Use of Trails by First Nations Myeengun Henry, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation

Trails were historically used by First Nations as travel routes and to disperse news, medicine and other important items. Trails had to be designed around various landscape features, such as access to water and food. Myeengun will provide both a historical and a current day perspective on how trails currently fit into the landscape and play various roles, including stewardship and education.


DAY 2, FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 [CON’T]

The Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail: 20 Years of Trail Building—How We Did It and Continue To Do It Marlaine Koehler, Waterfront Regeneration Trust

2009 marks the 17th Anniversary of Regeneration the Royal Commission Report that set into motion the creation of a Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario. The Trail was part of a larger strategy to regenerate Lake Ontario’s waterfront. Since that time the Waterfront Trail has tripled in scope and now connects 41 communities from Niagara to the Quebec border along the Canadian Shores of Lake Ontario and the provincial shores of the St. Lawrence River. What mechanisms and processes were used to implement the ambitious vision set out in Regeneration? What are the operating principles of waterfront partnership and why have they been instrumental in making it so effective? How have we fared in our journey to realize our objectives and what have we learned about building community support to advance the work? How does the Trust work with the various landowners? Most important, how can these lessons serve the Lake Erie community? In sharing the ongoing story of the Waterfront Trail with attendees, we hope to offer one possible model, ideas and resources to inform the work to create a Trail network for Lake Erie.

Report Back on Day 1 Results Megan Ihrig, Coastal Program Coordinator, Carolinian Canada Coalition

10:30 A.M.

HEALTH BREAK [THEATRE]

11:00 A.M.

G. PANEL WORKSHOPS: Developing New Cooperative Approaches to Habitat Protection and Enjoyment [CONCURRENT]

What is happening on the ground to promote recreation, conservation and tourism? These concurrent sessions will update you on significant initiatives in eco-tourism and ecosystem recovery and how they overlap. Management principles, transferable lessons, best practices and mutual benefits are key take-aways for participants.

G1. Exploring Eco-Trails [THEATRE]

Facilitator: Cathy Bingham, Oxford County

Discover what is happening with eco-trails across southwestern Ontario. Local and provincial groups will report on how they are successfully promoting nature-based recreation and tourism in their neck of the woods. In particular, they will delve into the role trails can play in promoting overall ecosystem health.

Organizational Structure, Partnership & Education: Links to Landscape & Species Recovery in Chatham Kent [A Case Study: Bicycling, Birding and Bed and Breakfasts in Chatham Kent]

Jan Marquez & Tom Beaton, Municipality of Chatham-Kent

There are excellent Bed and Breakfasts in Chatham Kent; new and exciting bike routes, canoe routes and beautiful trails which are being created. The birding in this part of Southwestern Ontario is amazing, to say the least. Take all of these wonderful gifts and combine with them the fact that they can all be found in a region brimming with Carolinian forests and you will find the perfect concoction for a great tourism opportunity for travellers to Southwestern Ontario. Partnerships across the province are being forged and the experiences await their audience. Trail development is intrinsically tied to our natural environment. Chatham Kent is uniquely positioned to influence a great area of development due to amalgamation. 23 former entities became Chatham Kent under a single tier government. The ability to create and manage trails over 115 kilometres of Lake Erie Shoreline advantages us from the perspective that we can affect organizational structure, partnerships and education over that great area. Our relationship with the Lower Thames Valley CA through our Greening Strategy and Council's support of an Active Communities Strategy and through its Strategic Direction and Goals positions us to be a strong partner for this exciting opportunity.



Trails, Tourism, Technology, and Taking Care: The Promise and Pitfalls of Facilitating Access to Natural Heritage Destinations Dr. David Brown, Brock University

Recent developments in digital technology (including Internet, GPS, and personal digital devices) have made it easy to discover, locate, and visit natural and cultural heritage destinations, including unmarked trails and unsigned natural areas. Site managers, NGOs, and user communities can harness these sophisticated tools to develop dynamic, community-focused databases of educational and interpretive information about these areas, their features, and their conservation. Many possibilities also emerge for economic development by promoting sustainable tourism, encouraging low-impact visitor activities, and championing alternative transportation (including hiking and cycling trails, and rail or public transit where available). Developing these tools also amplifies the debate about the wisdom of facilitating public access into environmentally sensitive areas. The Niagara Greenbelt Gateway Website (www.niagaragreenbelt.com) is one such interpretive resource. Using online and other digital resources, site users are able to obtain information about individual destinations, trails, features, or other points of interest (POIs) in the Greenbelt, and to construct custom trip itineraries. The site features a comprehensive variety of options for users to enhance their personal tours, including audio multimedia tours for download, tips and reviews from other users, and thematic tours for use or modification. Interpretation on the tour is also a possibility based on new locational multimedia technologies which trigger interpretive information on portable digital devices. An overview of the multitude of options offered by this project will be discussed.

Why Trails? Looking At Social, Economic, Health and Environmental Benefits of Trails Mark Schmidt, International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Canada

In recent years the importance of trails has come to the attention of various groups from many different sectors. As an active participant in the concept, creation and trail-building of many trails throughout Canada, a personal and professional view of the benefits of trails for communities and individuals will be discussed. Considerations relevant to the trail concept phase will also be examined, including examples from previous work with trail-building near Species at Risk and with Parks Canada.

Trails as a means of Strengthening Conservation Efforts - Two Examples Alan Ernest, Conservation Support Services

Alan Ernest draws upon his experience with the Bruce Trail Association and the Hamilton Naturalists' Club to discuss examples of how the creation of new trails can support and enhance efforts to protect, conserve and link key natural heritage areas and related features. Successes and challenges from the early days of the Bruce Trail show how trails can create constituencies for conservation and mobilize public support for the protection of natural features and landscapes. The building of the Bruce Trail was a key element in pushing the Province of Ontario to enact legislation to protect the Niagara Escarpment. The Bruce Trail continues to be an essential resource in connecting people with the importance of protecting the Niagara Escarpment while mobilizing tremendous volunteer and financial resources in this cause. The experience of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club in developing the Bruce W. Duncan Memorial Trail at the Cartwright Nature Sanctuary in Dundas provides a micro scale example of how trail projects can create energy and resources for protecting key natural heritage features. This project was extremely successful in attracting new volunteers, building relationships with the local community, engaging new project partners and funders, as well as in identifying and protecting important natural heritage values.

http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/



G2. On the Path to Recovery [DINING ROOM]

Facilitator: Brett Groves, Essex County Stewardship Network

In Carolinian Canada, species at risk stewardship is closely tied to human dimensions. Find out how communities, First Nations, youth and volunteers are getting involved in species and habitat recovery. Hear about what is working in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and how it might link with a coastal Stewardship Trails.

Lake Erie Coastal Ravines Initiative Stan Caveney, Thames Talbot Land Trust

Compared to the Great Lakes coastline in other parts of southwestern Ontario, the Lake Erie shoreline in Elgin County, with its steep wooded ravines and scenic creek valleys, is predominantly rural in character. The Lake Erie Coastal Ravines area (LECRA) remains largely untouched by intensive residential and recreational developments such as strips of estate homes along the lakeshore concession roads, vacation resorts, and golf courses on the bluffs. But times are changing as the Boomer generation approaches retirement. The Elgin shoreline is now recognized as prime real estate by developers. Parcels of land are being bought for speculative purposes at prices considerably higher than current farmland values would indicate. LECRA contains an extensive network of provincial parks, conservation areas and MNR-designated natural areas, many including steep ravines surrounded by intact tableland woodlands. New development along the shoreline will likely compromise LECRA’s role as a key migration corridor for raptors and as breeding habitat for rare songbirds, for example. The purpose of the Thames Talbot Land Trust’s LECRA initiative is to prepare a conservation plan for the area to help guide the land trust’s future conservation and land securement activities. This will involve partnerships with other ENGOs to help complete a natural heritage mapping project. We hope to identify opportunities to enhance, as well as identify threats to, the area’s ecological integrity. Furthermore, we will compile a database of conservation-minded landowners in the area and support local initiatives that help publicize LECRA’s natural heritage features.

Trails and Their Importance: The Pelee Island Experience Rick Masse, Mayor of Pelee Island

This presentation will be on the importance of developing trails and trail systems, and their impact on the environment, the community, and the economy. The dialogue will take you on the Township of Pelee’s experiences in dealing with the various stakeholders in the development of the municipality’s vision for the

trail system in its community.

FORUM SPECIAL

Thames River Watershed: A Heritage Landscape Guide By Michael Troughton and Cathy Quinlan

Purchase at the Sales/Registration desk now and save on shipping costs

This guide to the Thames River watershed and region was written largely by the late Dr. Michael Troughton, who had a love for the geography and culture of southwestern Ontario. The guide describes the natural and cultural heritage of the Thames watershed and adjoining Lake Erie watersheds and some of the most interesting sites within and close to the region. The purpose of the guide is twofold: to provide a background to the watershed and to serve as an introduction to its exploration.



BEK It Up: Bkejwanong Eco-Keepers, Walpole Island First Nation Aimee Johnson- Stewardship Coordinator Tyler White- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper crew leader Ciarra Classens- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper crew leader Luke Isaac- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper Harmony Blackbird- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper Suzi Isaac- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper Oakis Isaac-Sands- Bkejwanong Eco-Keeper

The BEK team members involved in this dynamic summer employment program will talk about the plethora of experiences that they gained this past summer working in the unique ecosystems of Walpole Island First Nation and will also discuss the BEK program’s path forward into the future. The BEK team will also share information about the Natural Heritage of Walpole Island First Nation including discussions about species at risk, internal and external environmental pressures, and our community’s environmental aspirations.

Fighting Island Lake Sturgeon Habitat Restoration Project & the Detroit River Blueway Matthew Child, Essex Region Conservation Authority

In 2008 the first binational fish habitat restoration project ever undertaken in the Great Lakes was completed at Fighting Island. Post-construction monitoring results from spring, 2009 confirm that lake sturgeon are using the constructed reefs for spawning – one of the only known locations that the federally threatened fish is known to spawn on the Detroit River. Through a unique partnership of Canadian and US partners from the public and private sectors, the project has resulted not only in a productive spawning habitat, but has also advanced understandings of preferred substrates. As one of many fish habitat restoration and related projects undertaken on the Detroit River in recent years, the project contributes to the importance of the river as a Blueway.



12:30 P.M. 100 KILOMETRE LUNCH [THEATRE]

Salad -------- Garden Entrée ------- Homemade Italian style sausage sautéed with onions,

mushrooms and peppers Vegetarian Entrée -------- Penne Marinara Vegetable -------- Oven baked potatoes & locally grown vegetables

1:00

P.M.

MARIAN STRANAK, POINT PELEE NATIONAL PARK HIGHLIGHTS [THEATRE]

SPECIAL GUEST: PATRICK CONNOR, Executive Director, Ontario Trails Council “A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON ONTARIO'S TRAILS”

1:30 P.M.

H. ROUND TABLE WORKSHOPS: Growing A Trail Network for Ecosystem Recovery

[CONCURRENT]

Are you keen on promoting stewardship, cycling, hiking, education, agriculture or local tourism? What other types of opportunities do you envision a coastal Stewardship Trail network might bring? Let your interests and the checklist of best practices we have developed over the past two days, guide you. This is your chance to collaborate with your Big Picture neighbours to sketch out a coastal vision and identify potential natural trail linkages. You may choose to use a regional or “big picture” approach – our workshops will suit your sense of place and scale.

H1. Erie West [THEATRE]

Facilitators: Mike Nelson and Kevin Money (Essex Region Conservation Authority)

Discovering Islands, Marshes & an Agricultural Heartland from Essex to Chatham-Kent

H2. Erie Centre [DINING ROOM]

Facilitator: Bernie Solymar (Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation)

Exploring Cliffs, Beaches and Hidden Creeks from Elgin to Norfolk

H3. Erie East [BOARD ROOM]

Facilitator: Dr. David Brown (Brock University)

Uncovering Estuaries, Sloughs and Salamanders from Haldimand to Niagara

H4. The Big Picture [BREAKFAST AREA]

Facilitator: Michelle Kanter (Carolinian Canada Coalition)

Linking across the Coastal Zone Regions



3:00 P.M. I. WRAP UP: Stepping Forward

Wrap up the conference by sharing reports from the round-table sessions. What did we learn from sharing opinions, ideas and visions from many perspectives? Hear what we have accomplished together and how our results can be linked to next steps for an ambitious coastal vision.

4:00 P.M. - CLOSE -

ON YOUR WAY OUT THE DOOR, ENTER YOUR EVALUATION INTO A DRAW FOR AN:

OVERNIGHT DINNER THEATRE PACKAGE PELEE DAYS INN, LEAMINGTON

PLAN A WEEKEND GETAWAY!! Legends of the Night, Point Pelee National Park, October 23 and 24, 6:30 p.m. Sit around the campfire. Listen to creatures of the night while an interpreter guides you though story-telling and exploration about the true tales of these mysterious animals. All conference participants will receive a complimentary Pt. Pelee National Park Pass in their conference bags for use within a year after the forum, courtesy of Parks Canada!

YOU ARE INVITED! DON’T FORGET THAT WHEN THE FORUM ENDS, CCC’S COASTAL PROJECT IS JUST BEGINNING!

STAY CONNECTED BY JOINING OUR COASTAL NETWORK [email protected]


PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

TOM BEATON's career, since graduating from the Niagara College Department of Horticulture, has spanned the past 30 years. His career started with golf and landscape interests. It then expanded to include the Welland Parks Department, 3 years with the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, the Horticultural Department in Chatham, the Parks Department in Chatham, the Cemeteries Department in Chatham and is currently Manager Parks, Cemeteries and Horticulture. Tom has worked with the Ministry of Health Promotion from it's inception on trails development in Ontario. Tom was instrumental in forming a partnership agreement in support of a Greening Strategy for the Municipality of Chatham Kent. Council approved the creation of a Reforestation Coordinator and Assistant. In the last 3 years over 200,000 trees have been planted. The coordinator has since become involved with trails through the inventory of Municipal wood lots and other trail development opportunities. Tom was the Project Manager for the development of the Trails Master Plan which is being presented to Council on October 26/09. It was realized through these two initiatives how intrinsically tied the two strategic initiatives were to each other. The Municipality has also formed an Active Communities Committee of Council that is responsible for budget control in Trails Development, Active Transportation, Accessibility Design and Integration, Health Promotion and Planning Services affecting new development in Chatham Kent. This strategic initiative is also requesting the creation of a coordinator position through the Trails Master Plan RTC that will report to Tom.

BKEJWANONG ECO-KEEPERS is a summer youth work experience program, which aims to provide Walpoole Island youth with practical experience and skills in a wide range of career opportunities in the Natural Heritage and Environmental Fields, while allowing them to learn traditional and local aboriginal knowledge. The Program has just completed its second year with great success and is hoping to expand on its accomplishments.

DAVE BROWN is a founding faculty member of the Dept. of Tourism and Environment at Brock University, an innovative new academic program (2005) which focuses explicitly on sustainable tourism in natural and built environments. He has been actively mapping and promoting natural and cultural heritage destinations in the Niagara Region for almost 20 years, from pioneering work with the Niagara Greenways Network in the early 1990s identifying and protecting trails and greenways through to current collaborative initiatives with the Ontario Greenbelt Foundation, Tourism Niagara, and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation. Dr. Brown’s diverse academic background in ecology, urban and environmental studies, systems theory, sustainability, and environmental policy informs his current work on heritage

mapping and sustainable tourism. Dave has worked at Brock as a researcher, professor, and senior administrator since 1988, doing research and university development work around the world. He holds a Doctorate in Evolutionary Ecology and Renewable Resources Management from McGill University and a B.Sc. in Environmental Biology from Macdonald College.

STAN CAVENEY is an emeritus professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario, where he taught courses in insect biology for many years. He is currently president of the Thames Talbot Land Trust and serves on the board of directors of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. He is active in several naturalist clubs in Middlesex and Elgin counties. Stan and his wife Anita own an old farm along a wooded ravine close to the Lake Erie shoreline in West Elgin, where as a retirement project they are attempting to restore and enhance the ecological functions of the property’s pre-settlement Carolinian swamp and upland forest habitat.


MATTHEW CHILD is Director of Watershed Restoration at the Essex Region Conservation Authority. Matthew is actively involved in the Detroit River Remedial Action Plan, Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan, Essex-Erie Fish Species at Risk Recovery Process and their related focus on the region’s coastal zone. Matthew holds Bachelor of Science and Master in Environmental Studies degrees from the University of Western Ontario and York University, respectively.

DR. PAT CHOW-FRASER is Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Ecology and Biodiversity. She has conducted ecological research on aquatic ecosystems throughout Canada, including remote lakes in northern Quebec, inland lakes of south central Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Since 1991, Dr. Chow-Fraser has focused her attention on wetland restoration and management of Great Lakes coastal marshes. She and her students have published over a dozen papers on the use of models to predict the effect of water level, impact of invasive species, and human disturbance on marsh vegetation and fish habitat. Her current research

and passion is to identify and conserve pristine wetlands of eastern and northern Georgian Bay, and to prevent them from suffering the same fate as degraded urban marshes of Lakes Erie and Ontario.

PATRICK CONNOR is a Director of the National Trails Coalition and Vice President of the Canadian Trails Federation. His involvement in trails speaks to the direct observation of his professional experience – that is he is keenly aware of the human cost when persons are deprived of a connection to nature through institutionalization.

BRIAN CRAIG is a landscape ecologist with Parks Canada, Southwestern Ontario Field Unit. His interests include biodiversity conservation, landscape restoration, and ecological monitoring. He is a Director with the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association, the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation and the Carolinian Canada Coalition. Brian joined the Carolinian Canada Board of Directors in 2007 and holds the office of Secretary.

ALAN ERNEST has worked as an environmental planner and conservation land securement specialist for over 25 years. A graduate of the Masters program in Geography at the University of Waterloo, Alan spent 12 years with the Bruce Trail Association (Conservancy) coordinating trail planning, land acquisition and development of the Bruce Trail Comprehensive Plan. Since 1997 he has operated Conservation Support Services - working with conservation organizations and landowners to help protect and secure natural lands. He has been involved in more than 200 successful land conservation projects and is the author of several research papers on topics related to the protection of the Niagara Escarpment. Alan is a past governor of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and is an active volunteer with

the Hamilton Naturalists' Club and other environmental groups in the Hamilton area. His contributions to conservation have been recognized with a Hamilton Environmentalist of the Year Award of Merit and a Carolinian Canada Lifetime Achievement Award.


MARLAINE KOEHLER is the Executive Director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, a registered charity committed to the completion, enhancement and expansion and promotion of Ontario’s Waterfront Trail. She coordinates a partnership of over 50 communities and conservation authorities all of whom share the vision of a regenerated waterfront. On the partnership’s behalf, she has successfully spearheaded a number of initiatives including major infrastructure programs, trail-wide events and promotional programs. In 2007, she launched the annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure—an 8-day supported bike ride for families and recreational cyclists on the Trail. Prior to joining the Commission in 1989, she worked at a national television network in the research department. She was appointed Executive

Director in 2006 and has traveled the 730 km Waterfront Trail end to end dozens of times. She has two daughters (13 and 9) who share her love for the Waterfront Trail and who have traveled it extensively.

DAN KRAUS is the Manager of Conservation Science and Planning for The Nature Conservancy of Canada - Ontario Region. He has been guiding the application of the Great Lakes Conservation Blueprint and had directed a variety of strategic conservation planning projects including plans for the Western Lake Erie Islands, the Northern Bruce Peninsula and the Northwestern Lake Superior Coast. Dan is currently working with partners to complete the Lake Huron Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and the Great Lakes Islands project. He has published several reports on Great Lakes coastal biodiversity and conservation including the chapter on coastal terrestrial ecosystems in the upcoming report “Nearshore Areas of the Great Lakes”.

BETH KÜMMLING has been Executive Director of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) since July 2004. She started as a volunteer on the Environment Committee of the BTC in 1993, and chaired that committee for 4 years, focusing on policy review and environmental education projects. From April 2001 to July 2004 Ms. Kümmling served on the BTC Board of Directors. Prior to her work as the BTC's Executive Director, she worked for 15 years in the field of toxic chemical impacts and management. Ms. Kümmling holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Guelph.

DR. PATRICK LAWRENCE received his BES in Honors Geography from the University of Waterloo, MSc in Geography from the University of Guelph, and PhD Geography from the University of Waterloo. His research interests include watershed planning, Great Lakes management, natural hazards, parks and protected areas, land use change and the use of GIS and remote sensing, and community decision-making. Over the last twenty years he has been involved with a range of activities associated with Great Lakes shoreline flooding and erosion hazards, national park planning in the Bruce Peninsula National Park, wetland planning, environmental education, and a leadership role with Maumee Great Lakes Area of Concern. Recent projects include the preparation of watershed restoration plan for the Maumee AOC, examination of rural land use changes and conservation tillage using

Landsat imagery, and urban stream restoration at various sites within Toledo, Ohio. Since 1999 Dr. Lawrence has been a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toledo, Ohio.

JAN MARQUEZ has worked in the Accommodation, Travel Services and Transportation sectors of the tourism industry over the past 25 years. While working for Sunquest Vacations, Jan had the opportunity to create a destination which had never had tourism en masse before the arrival of the first charter aircraft in 1986-that destination was Los Cabos and it has been a booming tourist destination ever since. Jan’s education includes an undergraduate degree in Languages from Wilfrid Laurier University; a college diploma in Travel and Tourism; and a Master’s degree in sustainable tourism planning from the University of Waterloo. Jan received the Graduate Researchers award for her thesis research from the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) in 2006. Jan’s thesis focused on sustainable tourism in parks and protected areas in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Jan currently works as the Tourism Product Development officer for the Municipality of Chatham Kent.


RICK MASSE grew up in Windsor, Ontario. He has a Business degree with a major in Accounting and a minor in Economics. A tax consultant, Rick and his wife Darlene moved to Pelee Island in 1998. He was elected Mayor in 2006. Currently, Rick is the president of Peerless Fabrications Inc., which owns and operates Comfortech Bicycle Rentals on Pelee Island. He is also the president of DARRIC COUNSULTING INC. a business consulting firm.

DR. GORDON NELSON is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo where he has taught and conducted research since 1975. He is Past Chair of the Parks Research Forum of Ontario and the Heritage Resources Centre, University of Waterloo, and is currently active in the conservation and land use field as a member of the Bruce National Park Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors of both Ontario Parks and Waterloo Heritage Committee. Dr. Nelson’s professional accomplishments include the publication of numerous books, articles and reports. His latest book, Places, Linking Nature, Culture and Planning, was published by University of Calgary Press in spring 2009. Dr. Nelson has served as Chair of Carolinian Canada Coalition since 2005.

SCOTT PARKER is an ecologist with Fathom Five National Marine Park and Bruce Peninsula National Park. He has worked with Parks Canada for 20 years - from the mountaintops of Haida Gwaii to the lakebed of Lake Huron. He holds a Hon. B.Sc. and M.Sc. Degree and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Waterloo.

MARK SCHMIDT is a professional trail expert with six years experience working across North America. Mark is currently working as Director of the Canadian office for the International Mountain Bicycling Association. In addition to his role at IMBA, Mark teaches Park and Trail design at BC’s Capilano College as part of the Mountain Bike Operations Certificate Program. Mark is also an active member with the Professional Trail Building Association.

WILLIAM M. C. WILSON is an Executive member of Hike Ontario and Director of Hike Ontario Policy and Government Relations Committee. Bill spent the major part of his professional life (25 years) as an Environmental Coordinator with the Ontario Civil Service, Ontario Realty Corporation. He has held a number of other professional and volunteer positions in the environmental and planning field, including with the Ontario Society for Environmental Management, the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice. With respect to community, stewardship, and trails initiatives Bill has been a member of the Bolton Community Action Site Steering Committee (Chair), the Humber Watershed Alliance and the Humber Report Card Committee, the Humber Valley Heritage Trail Association, the Cold Creek Conservation Area Stewardship Committee, the

Caledon Countryside Alliance, the Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee and as the Environment Columnist with Caledon Enterprise for 18 years. Bill has also been recognized for his work through the Ontario Heritage Foundation Community Recognition Natural Heritage Award (2000) and the Government of Canada International Year of the Volunteer Medallion (2002).


CCC LAKE ERIE COASTAL ZONE PROGRAM Introduction

The North Shore of Lake Erie is a 592 kilometre shorelinei containing a diversity of ecosystems and rare species,

along with areas of urban and rural human settlement. The north shore of Lake Erie, “Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast” is located within the Carolinian Life Zone, a hotspot for biodiversity and home to many species at risk (SAR) in southern Ontario. The coast is also home to Canada’s southernmost National Park, and a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

The coastal zone represents a diverse area of southwestern Ontario, with much natural, cultural, and historical heritage, and attracts many residents and visitors for tourism and recreation purposes. Much of the coastal zone is highly settled and developed for human land uses. Public and private landowners have helped to maintain the diversity of land uses in the area and have long acted as stewards of the coastal zone, but no comprehensive strategy for the entire north shore of Lake Erie exists. The Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program aims to include the entire coastal zone to promote ecological integrity and ecosystem health, provide understanding and awareness of species at risk and habitats, and present new opportunities for tourism, recreation, and conservation. The development of a Lake Erie Community

Stewardship Trail Network and trail guide is one way to achieve these goals.

What is the Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program?

The Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program is a way for public and private partners to work together, to manage the coastal zone in a way that allows for multiple land uses, recreation and tourism opportunities, and education and demonstration areas, all while considering the ecological integrity and conservation of the coastal zone. One way to highlight the beauty and significance of the coastal zone is through a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network.

With the aid of trail groups, public and private landowners, conservation groups, and all interested stakeholders, the basis for a strong coastal zone trail for all partners can be identified. Implementation of a suitable network will provide youth, trail, and other groups with activities such as trail building, maintenance, and stewardship, as well as educational opportunities. The important agricultural contributions of this highly productive zone can be highlighted through a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail, as well as natural areas that provide sites for maintaining rare species, biodiversity and valuable ecosystem services.

Why a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail Network for the Coastal Zone?

Trails provide opportunities for recreation, conservation, and tourism, while promoting health and wellness and providing educational and stewardship opportunities. Trails can highlight sites of agricultural, historical, or ecosystem significance, and demonstrate points of interest in the diverse habitats of Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast. Businesses, historic sites, and natural landscapes can all benefit from a thoughtfully placed trail. Since many excellent trail networks exist throughout southwestern Ontario, the potential for creating a comprehensive coastal zone trail network by building on these existing trails is immense.

Goals of the Coastal Zone Program

To develop a concept for a Lake Erie Community Stewardship Trail along the north shore of Lake Erie, and an accompanying trail guide to highlight significant sites and species in the coastal zone

To connect rural and urban residents, and individual and group conservation and stewardship efforts along the North Shore Lake Erie coastal zone, into a network of interconnected projects


To enhance ecological integrity, and conserve coastal ecosystems and Species at Risk in the Coastal Zone of Carolinian Canada

To enhance the enjoyment of coastal landscapes, and provide greater opportunities for access to and understanding of rare species and habitats

Who should be involved in the Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program?

The most important participants in the Lake Erie Coastal Zone Program are the people who live, work, and play in this area. However, this program and the dialogue it encourages are for everyone who cares about Lake Erie’s Carolinian Coast. It is important that every sector of the coastal zone is represented, in order to develop a concept for a trail that will be supported and maintained on the ground.

What is the Lake Erie Coastal Zone?

The coastal zone is a complex area, where terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems merge; one way to think of the coastal zone is the area influenced by the climate of Lake Erie, and the vegetation that grows as a result of this climate. When considering the coastal zone it is important to consider the entire Lake Erie watershed; with rivers as large as the Grand River, which flows 300 kilometres through 38 municipalities before reaching Lake Erie, the Lake Erie watershed is quite large. The actions that occur upstream in the watershed have impacts on Lake Erie and the coastal zone, and the habitat corridors provided by the streams and rivers of the watershed provide important habitat for many species, including species at risk.

History, Culture & Current State of the Lake Erie Coastal Zone

The coast has long been a popular area for human settlement, inhabited for several thousand years by First Nations, and by European settlers since the 17

th century. Events such as the War of 1812, and the long human

history in the area mean that the Lake Erie coast has many sites of historic and cultural significance.

With a population of more than 1 million people living nearby, and many more visiting each year, it is not surprising that human activities have a large impact on the coastal zone of Lake Erie. The Lake Erie coast has been recognized as a key environment, and an area requiring special attention since the 1970s. Like many other heavily populated areas in Carolinian Canada, Canada’s southern coast is subject to stress from a variety of human activities, including fishing, recreation, and industry. Water pollution, global climate change, and invasive species are also issues facing the region

ii.

Geology, Biology, & Ecology of the North Shore Lake Erie Coastal Zone

The north shore of Lake Erie contains three prominent and ecologically unique peninsulas, Point Pelee, Rondeau, and Long Point. These peninsulas are areas of sand, forest, marsh and wildlife, not otherwise found in the urban and agricultural landscapes of southern Ontario

iii. The peninsulas are visible examples of the natural

geomorphologic processes that have shaped the north shore of Lake Erie, including erosion, deposition, wave and wind action.

Located in the Carolinian Life Zone, the coastal zone of Lake Erie contains species and ecosystems found nowhere else in Canada. A number of sites along the Lake Erie coast have been identified as priority sites for the conservation of biodiversity, including the Point Pelee Greater Park Ecosystem, and the Dunnville Marshes.

i NRCAN Natural Resources Canada. 2007. The Atlas of Canada Retrieved online from Http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/coastline. html #c6 Previous Source: Coordinated Great Lakes Physical Data. 1977. Cornwall, Ontario: Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data ii NURC National Undersea Research Center for the North Atlantic and Great Lakes. No date. Laurentian Great Lakes. Accessed June 22, 2009. Available online at http://www.nurc.uconn.edu/about/grtlakes.htm iii Heffernan, S. and J. G. Nelson. 1979. Land Use History, Vegetation and Planning for Long Point, Rondeau, and Point Pelee Peninsulas, Lake Erie. Contact 11(1): 53-79.


CCC FORUM 2010

CAROLINIAN CANADA & ONTARIO NATURE May 28 and 29, 2010

Lambton College, Sarnia, Ontario

Partners Carolinian Canada Coalition, Ontario Nature, Lambton Wildlife Inc.

Sarnia Urban Wildlife Committee, Friends of Pinery Park, Sydenham Field Naturalists

Friday, May 28, 2010

CCC FORUM & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Coastal Greenways / Big Picture in Carolinian Canada; Species at risk in aquatic ecosystems and watersheds; Social Marketing The Green Economy & Climate Change; Conservation Action Planning – Recovery Update #4

ONTARIO NATURE

Policy & Planning Sessions

SPONSORED CRUISE OF THE ST. CLAIR RIVER

Travel on one of the busiest international transportation corridors, learning about the creatures that inhabit its depths, the industry that provide economic stability for the area and the natural and human history of this important waterway.

NATURAL HIGHLIGHTS OF SARNIA-LAMBTON AND NORTH KENT COUNTY

Experience a virtual tour of three watersheds, Ausable, St. Clair and Sydenham Rivers.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

TOURS

Explore our watersheds with tours of Walpole Island, the Ausable River at Rock Glen and Pinery Provincial Park, constructed wetlands along the Sydenham River, and much more.

INDOOR SESSIONS

Learn about species that make our watersheds their home, wetland restoration as part of the RAP for the St. Clair River, water as a resource, and much more.

WORKSHOPS

Experience nature and technology with geocaching, nature and art with wood carving, painting and other hands-on activities.


HOTEL LAYOUT


Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Carolinian Canada Newsletter

Now Online A Star Opossum… Almanac Mania… One Intrepid Volunteer… Explore these stories

and more in our latest special edition newsletter.

This publication launches our new digital newsletter that brings you colour images and saves resources, production costs and valuable donor dollars.

Contents are hyperlinked for your navigation ease. To download the Summer/Fall 2009 publication, go to www.carolinian.org.

For members who prefer hard copies, please contact the CCC office

@ 519-433-7077

http://www.carolinian.org/

caring for our coast - carolinian canada | cover collage pictures supplied by parks canada and...

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