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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen-Agriculture 2000, 2000-03-15, Page 31THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2000. PAGE A-7. Stewardship council offers demo CD Environmental projects have been undertaken across southwestern Ontario for years, but unless person ally involved, programs to protect, improve or maintain healthy habitats and ecosystems often go unnoticed. However, last fall, in conjunction with the Huron County International Plowing Match, the Southwestern Ontario Land Stewardship Demonstration Areas catalogue. CD and website were launched giving residents from across the province an overview of the tremendous work which has taken place. Available in paper format as well as that requiring a computer, the cat alogue is designed to gather togeth er, in a single source, the large num ber of projects which have been tackled in a particular region. Reading through the catalogue is very interesting, making one more Env. work helps educational studies Continued from page A-6 here to London,” said John Gnay. Where the Gnays could once see to Belgrave from their hilltop home, they are now able to view a wide variety of bird, deer and wolves. Because the woodlot acts as a fil ter between farmland and a tributary of the Belgrave Creek, the reforesta Rehabilitation The planting of trees along a steep slope has transformed it from useless land to a haven for wildlife. aware of work which had been done in various areas that people drive by each day unaware of the extensive work which went into making it what it now is. It also brings into focus the con cept that stewardship of the land is not just about conservatioh tillage, erosion control or farm drainage matters, which might be the most visible. The catalogue covers projects dealing with forest, water, soil and wildlife improvements. Fish habitats were enhanced by changing waterways to ensure cor rect temperatures, fast flows with calm pools, silt flushing and other remedies suited to a particular fish species. Bypasses were built around dams and vegetation was planted along the banks to provide shade. Erosion control programs not only tion has resulted in improved water quality and land and water habitats. There is also a viable commercial timber source. The Gnay project can be viewed from County Rd. 4 (London Rd.), just south of Belgrave. It is marked by a Private Land reforestation protect soils from blowing or wash ing away, but reduce deposits into nearby streams and rivers. Aside from the economic and environmental benefits of such endeavors, stewardship also includes using marginal lands for recreation or educational purposes. While the river flats in Wingham needed protection and rehabilitation, walking trails and a butterfly garden were incorporated so residents and visitors could enjoy a stroll through the woodlands and wetlands. School projects at Grey Central and Huron Centennial are examples of how schoolyards and scrub land can be turned into excellent study resources. ’ While the binder catalogue obtained through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Foods and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Project sign. A long-term and ongoing project has been developing at Grey Central Public School in Grey Twp. for sev eral years. Situated on 22 acres, the school’s unique location has provided the perfect setting for environmental learning grounds. Eleven distinct ecosystems have been created for outdoors studies. The 11 ecosystems include river, larch reforestation plantation, per manent hedgerow, hardwood bush, pine reforestation, old field meadow, wet meadow, ditch wetland, ponds and marshes, gardens and various COOK’S ■ Everything you need for Spring PREMIUMS AVAILABLE Call us about premiums on top YIELDING YELLOW HILUM SOYBEANS FOR FALL DELIVERY AND ON FARM STORAGE.The Results Speak For Themselves ALSO: Most varieties of white beans, soybeans & spring grain Seed - including QUANTUM spring wheat * DRY FERTLIZER SPREADERS * DRY & LIQUID FERTILIZER DELIVERY * COMPLETE LINE OF CHEMICALS * TWO CERTIFIED CROP ADVISORS ON STAFF IN WALTON * GREAT SERVICE - COMPETITIVE PRICES Natural Resources office in Clinton deals only with the more than three dozen projects in Huron County, the CD and website detail locations from 15 counties across Southwestern Ontario. The CD and website offer two types of searches, by county or type of project. By scrolling through a list of keywords, the user can pull up a list of similar stewardship programs. The subjects include everything from buffer strips and conservation tillage to tree planting, wells, nutri ent management, gravel pit and habi tat rehabilitation, windbreaks, wood lots, wildlife and naturalization. One can find out how similar prob lems and physical attributes or defi ciencies were dealt with at numerous sites. Once the project of interest is located, the description includes a tree stands. Playing fields and trails have been incorporated into the scheme. A foot bridge over a pond, stairs t.o the river and an amphitheatre enhance the outdoor experience. Today, cold water creek restora tion has found strong support from angler and hunter groups, Boy Scouts^school children, township councils and the stewardship pro gram. While government funding is no longer accessible, communities as a whole have begun to take responsi bility for the environmental sound ness of their natural resources. WILMAR EAGLE - 120 FT. BOOM diagram of the site, location, infor mation on the objective, costs, site accessibility, contact information and partners in the project. Supporters might be limited to the landowner or involve government agencies, organizations and boards. The CD also provides numerous links to environmental management websites on the internet. While the CD requires an internet browser to run, it is not necessary to be on-line to view it. The website, www.stewardship. on.ca, contains the same material as the CD. Materials can be acquired through the local Ministry of Natural Resources office or Steve Bowers of the Huron Stewardship Council or Ken Maronets of the Perth Stewardship Network who can be contacted at 519-482-3428 Community clubs donate monies to purchase trees for planting, rocks for stream work and other materials to improve the habitats, while volun- teers'put in the time. Not only does this type of effort benefit the environment, but it draws all sectors of the community togeth er, to take ownership of their sur roundings. Where there is ownership, there is more likely to be ongoing steward ship. In the words of Gnay, “We should look after the land so it is there for the next generation to improve upon.” NOVARTIS SEED CORN 2600 H.U. 2700 H.U. 2775 H.U. 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