The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority held their 2014 annual meeting in Dresden last week.
Among the three groups awarded with conservation awards at the meeting was a group from Wallaceburg.
Sydenham Field Naturalists
The Sydenham Field Naturalists were presented this award for their extraordinary effort in raising funds for the purchase of the Peers Wetland. Numerous wetland areas on both the north and south side of Otter Creek have been drained for use as valuable farm land and this is the only sizeable wetland – around 11 hectares – that remains along the lower reaches of Otter Creek. While the SCRCA received funds from a number of government programs and from the Municipality, this would not have been possible without a strong show of support from the community gained through the leadership of the Sydenham Field Naturalists.
Other business taken care of at the meeting included Steve Arnold representing St. Clair Township elected as Chair and Terry Burrell representing the City of Sarnia elected Vice-Chair.
The Board voted unanimously to accept the 2014 budget of $6,242,159.
“This budget represents a great deal of conservation work for our region,” Arnold said. “Our Board of Directors and our staff have worked very diligently to create a program that meets the needs of our watersheds and does so within the financial constraint of the times,” Arnold explained. The General Levy, which is the part of budget funded by municipalities, was $658,935 or about 11% of the total budget. The remaining funds come from self generated revenue, government grants and fundraised dollars. “We will continue to be innovative and focused on the needs of our watershed and our member municipalities. I would like to thank the many partners who have joined with us and accepted us into their fold in order to make safer and healthier watersheds,” Arnold said.
Two other conservation awards were presented at the meeting.
Karen and Doug Opperman
Karen and Doug Opperman have been campground hosts since 2000 at the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area. Beginning in 2003, they spearheaded very successful fund-raising events that helped support the purchase of equipment, new facilities and programs. Their efforts have added greatly to the quality of camper experiences at the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area.
Brendan Martin
In 2013, Brendan Martin worked on a volunteer basis with the biology staff as an intern accumulating over 120 hours in just 3 months. Brendan is a student at the University of Guelph studying Biology. Brendan took initiative and demonstrated a great deal of independence in completing a number of projects. Overall Brendan produced high quality written reports, data analysis, and graphic design products. Brendan worked with other staff and the Strathroy-Caradoc Museum to create interpretive materials to go with an aquarium display of local Sydenham River fishes. Brendan also showcased his oral communication skills in a presentation he made to the Board of Directors on the Eastern Foxsnake.
