The Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT) was thrilled to recently accept the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation in recognition of its work at Hawk Cliff Woods in Elgin County.
The annual Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards recognize exceptional contributions to cultural and natural heritage conservation, environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
Through a dedicated fundraising campaign in 2016, TTLT raised $800,000 to purchase Hawk Cliff Woods, 230 acres of culturally significant property. Through volunteer efforts, the TTLT has launched several initiatives to preserve and enhance the Carolinian forest which is along an international migratory route for birds and monarch butterflies. Due to these efforts, the site has been opened for public enjoyment through marked trails and interpretive signage.
“Hawk Cliff Woods was a natural fit with TTLT’s mission and mandate, given the property’s long history as one of the most significant natural areas along Lake Erie,” said Suzanne McDonald Aziz, Executive Director of TTLT. “We are grateful for this recognition and pleased to have been nominated by the Municipality of Central Elgin.”
TTLT is named after the Thames River and the historic Talbot Trail and was established as a charity in 2000 to protect the natural and cultural heritage of London, Middlesex, Elgin, Perth and Oxford Counties in southwestern Ontario.
The Thames Talbot Land Trust currently owns 14 properties and holds one conservation easement, protecting over 1300 acres.
Each property is under the active care of TTLT volunteers, who visit regularly to look out for invasive species, maintain signage and fences, remove litter, maintain any trails, and remove hazards.
Land Trusts are community-based charitable organizations that actively work to conserve land with natural, recreational, scenic, historical, or agricultural value for the benefit of future generations.
To learn more about TTLT, please visit http://www.thamestalbotlandtrust.ca/.
Source: Thames Talbot Land Trust
Through a dedicated fundraising campaign in 2016, TTLT raised $800,000 to purchase Hawk Cliff Woods, 230 acres of culturally significant property. Through volunteer efforts, the TTLT has launched several initiatives to preserve and enhance the Carolinian forest which is along an international migratory route for birds and monarch butterflies. Due to these efforts, the site has been opened for public enjoyment through marked trails and interpretive signage.
“Hawk Cliff Woods was a natural fit with TTLT’s mission and mandate, given the property’s long history as one of the most significant natural areas along Lake Erie,” said Suzanne McDonald Aziz, Executive Director of TTLT. “We are grateful for this recognition and pleased to have been nominated by the Municipality of Central Elgin.”
TTLT is named after the Thames River and the historic Talbot Trail and was established as a charity in 2000 to protect the natural and cultural heritage of London, Middlesex, Elgin, Perth and Oxford Counties in southwestern Ontario.
The Thames Talbot Land Trust currently owns 14 properties and holds one conservation easement, protecting over 1300 acres.
Each property is under the active care of TTLT volunteers, who visit regularly to look out for invasive species, maintain signage and fences, remove litter, maintain any trails, and remove hazards.
Land Trusts are community-based charitable organizations that actively work to conserve land with natural, recreational, scenic, historical, or agricultural value for the benefit of future generations.
To learn more about TTLT, please visit http://www.thamestalbotlandtrust.ca/.
Source: Thames Talbot Land Trust