Work on the Balkwill Woods Conservation Easement Agreement is approaching the one year mark with "many pieces falling into place." Conservation easement agreements typically take up to two years to put into place as the parties involved carefully work through the process as outlined by Canada's Ecological Gift Program. The Balkwill property, a 147 acre farm with its natural heritage including a woodland, pond/prairie restoration site and an old logging road/laneway, is located in the Town of Kingsville.
Consulting Ecologist Gerry Waldron suggested in 2003 that artist Mary Celestino might prepare a series of pen and ink sketches that would be illustrations for the Canada South Land Trust guiding document.
Bill and Jack Balkwill's farm is within the Cedar Creek Christmas Bird Count circle which was established twenty years ago to census the Town of Essex American Crow roost as well as other winter bird populations within a fifteen mile diameter from Cedar Creek.
On March 2, 2005, Bill Balkwill noted that Red-winged Blackbirds had returned to Balkwill Woods. The season's first two Turkey Vultures were seen overhead on March 16, 2005 and Killdeer were heard calling.
Guest speaker at our December 2, 2004 fund raising event for the Canada South Land Trust was Allen Woodliffe, Chief Ecologist with Chatham office of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Allen stated that in the past, before European settlement, our wetlands were horizon to horizon and our woodlands were forests.
At the draw held December 2, 2004 for the raffle items, the following persons were the recipients of the various prizes. Thank you to everyone for your support of this fundraiser.
The Canada South Land Trust was the grateful recipient of a generous grant from the HIVA Environmental Fund during February 2005. The $2,500.00 grant has been designated to cover the costs of a land appraisal for the Balkwill property. Land appraiser Bob Findlay visited the Balkwill property during 2004 and provided this estimate to the Land Trust following his visit. This upcoming land appraisal will determine the value of the gift of the Balkwill conservation easement donation as required under Canada's Ecological Gifts Program.
On March 3, 2005, nineteen Canada South Land Trust members and friends gathered to enjoy supper in the cafeteria at the Essex Civic Centre for the annual general meeting.
Thirty years ago, in the country of Kenya, ninety percent of the forest had been chopped down. Without trees to hold the topsoil in place, the land became like a desert. When the women and girls would go in search of firewood in order to prepare the meals, they would have to spend hours and hours looking for what few branches remained. A woman named Wangari watched all of this happening. She decided that there must be a way to take better care of the land and take better care of the women and girls. So she planted a tree. And then she planted another. She wanted to plant thousands of trees, but she realized that it would take a very long time if she was the only one doing it. So she taught the women who were looking for firewood to plant trees, and they were paid a small amount for each sapling they grew.