Mission Statement
To preserve natural areas in the City of Windsor, Essex County, Pelee Island, and the municipality of Chatham/Kent for future generations.
The obligation on the part the Canada South Land Trust with regard to the Balkwill Lands Conservation Agreement is the Land Trust's commitment to monitoring the Lands on a regular basis. The Lands must be monitored regularly to determine if any violations of the restrictions placed on the Lands have occurred. During both the 2007 and 2008 monitoring sessions, Land Trust monitors determined no violations of the restrictions had taken place.
A letter was received in early March 2008 by the Canada South Land Trust, informing the Land Trust that a grant in the amount of $15,690.00 was to be provided by the Ontario Land Trust Assistance Program (OLTAP). On behalf of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, grants are provided towards the cost of securement of ecologically significant lands. Costs covered by this grant include appraisal fees, lawyers fees, and survey fees
Bill Balkwill reported on May 11, 2008 that migrant bird species were passing through the Balkwill Lands. Species observed included Ovenbird, Wood Thrush and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Other sightings include a female Towhee which has been around for a few weeks, a number of Grey Catbirds, and a male and female Indigo Bunting in the front yard. The Wood Duck continues to incubate her eggs in the nesting box at the pond.
In an article that Bill Balkwill wrote for the Fall 2004 Volume 1, Number 2 Canada South Land Trust Newsletter, Bill described the efforts that went into a tallgrass prairie restoration on agricultural lands on the Balkwill family farm within the Town of Kingsville. A prairie restoration site was suggested by neighbor Ken Hunter and then Essex County Stewardship Network coordinator Mark Emery as Bill and his brother Jack considered a pond restoration project.