The Rural Voice, 2000-03, Page 45AgriTech
Stewardship programs on-line, CD
By Janice Becker
Environmental projects have been
undertaken across southwestern
Ontario for years, but unless you're
personally involved, programs to pro-
tect, improve or maintain healthy
habitats often go unnoticed.
However, last fall, the South-
western Ontario Land Stewardship
Demonstration Areas catalogue, CD
and website were launched.
Available in paper format as well
as those requiring a computer, the
catalogue was designed to gather
together, in a single source, the Targe
number of projects which have been
tackled in a particular region.
Having a background in environ-
mental studies, I found a read through
the catalogue very interesting. It
made me more aware of work done in
my area — sites people drive by each
day while unaware of the extensive
work which made it what it now is.
It also brought into focus that stew-
ardship is not just about conservation
tillage, erosion control or farm drain-
age matters. The catalogue covers
projects dealing with forest, water,
soil and wildlife improvements.
Fish habitats were enhanced by
changing waterways to ensure correct
temperatures, fast flows with calm
pools, silt flushing and other reme-
dies 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
protected soils from blowing or
washing away, but reduced deposits
into nearby streams and rivers.
Aside from the economic and envi-
ronmental benefits of such endeavors,
stewardship also includes using
marginal lands for recreation or edu-
cational 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.
Huron County projects at Grey
Central and Huron Centennial Public
Schools are examples of how school
yards and scrub land can be turned
into excellent study resources.
Though the binder catalogue avail-
able for my perusal dealt only with
the more than three dozen projects in
Huron County, the CD and website
detail locations from 15 counties
across Southwestern Ontario.
I appreciated the two types of
searches which could be used, either
by county or type of project.
By scrolling through a list of key-
words, the user could pull up a long
list of similar stewardship programs.
The subjects included everything
from buffer strips and conservation
tillage to tree planting, wells, nutrient
management, gravel pit and habitat
rehabilitation, windbreaks, woodlots,
wildlife and naturalization.
One could find out how similar
problems and physical attributes or
deficiencies were dealt with at
numerous sites.
Once the project of interest was
located, the description included a
diagram of the site, location, informa-
tion on the objective, costs, site
accessibility, contact information and
partners in the project.
Supporters could be limited to the
landowner Or involve numerous gov-
ernment agencies, organization and
boards.
Though I enjoyed flipping pages,
the CD did provide numerous links to
environmental management websites.
The one drawback of the CD was
the exceptionally large printing used
for the listing of sites. It was impossi-
ble to read the titles while scrolling
down. It was a constant back and
forth to the two scroll bars, one of my
pet peeves.
While the CD requires an internes
browser to run, you do not have 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 and
Ken Maronets of the Perth Steward-
ship Network can be contacted at
519-482-34280
Janice Becker is a computer enthusi-
ast and journalist living near Walton.
ON. email at becker@wcl.on.ca
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MARCH 2000 43