More than 450 people have shown they care about protecting their local environment by donating to help Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) purchase and preserve an ecologically significant property in the Municipality of Trent Lakes in Peterborough County.
The non-profit land conservation organization advised its donors on Monday (August 18) that it has committed to buying the 435-acre private property which KLT is calling Kawartha Highlands South, adjacent to the provincially owned Kawartha Highlands Signature Site.
KLT reached its fundraising goal to purchase the property after a months-long campaign, with a closing date now set for the fall.
“Our donors, volunteers, and supporters passionately support ambitious conservation projects like this one time and time again, making immediate and lasting differences for nature,” KLT communications manager Dani Couture told kawarthaNOW when asked about the significance of the community’s support.
“Next year, KLT will celebrate 25 years of protecting nature in the Kawarthas for future generations. Some of the people who walked KLT’s trails and spent time at our protected lands this summer may not even have been born when the organization was founded in 2001. To me, it’s a testament to the vision and passion our supporters, past and present, have for both nature and the community at large.”
Bordering the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site, a popular destination for locals and visitors to the region, Kawartha Highlands South features granite rock barrens, expansive forests, wetlands, and natural shoreline along 1.2 kilometres of the Mississauga River.
Back in March, KLT learned the property had been listed for public sale by a family that has owned and cared for the land for decades. The owners accepted an offer from KLT with a deadline of May 15, which the owners later extended to July 16 and then to August 31 to allow KLT additional time to raise the necessary funds to purchase the property.
KLT’s goal was to raise $1.6 million through donors and funders, with $1.5 million going towards the land purchase and an additional $100,000 going towards project-related costs and KLT’s stewardship fund to ensure the property will be cared for in perpetuity.
If KLT was unable to raise the remaining funds by the August 31 deadline, the property would have gone back on the market. As of July 19, KLT was only $75,000 shy of its goal.
“The community’s generous donations allowed KLT to move confidently ahead to finalize the purchase agreement to protect the Kawartha Highlands South property forever,” said KLT executive director John Kintare in a media release.
“The closing date for the property is October 15, and we are working to finalize the remaining funding details and look forward to formally announcing them once we have officially taken possession of this remarkable property this fall.”
KLT said the protection of these natural lands not only ensures the permanent care of sensitive ecosystems and wildlife habitats, but it also preserves natural connectivity in the region, which is “critical,” given the increased fragmentation of wildlife habitat in southern Ontario.
“Every iconic natural view and plant and wildlife species that you associate with the Kawarthas is present on this property,” said KLT land stewardship manager Hayden Wilson. “It contains a truly exceptional diversity of habitats that are emblematic of the rock barrens and highlands of the northern end of the Kawarthas.”
According to KLT, more than 100 species of birds and larger mammals like black bears, moose, and fishers have been observed on the property, including at least 12 species at risk.
Almost 70 acres of the property is comprised of wetlands, which provide denning, nesting, and foraging habitat for numerous species, including river otters, turtles, wading birds, waterfowl, and others.
“We’re deeply thankful for the tremendous community support on this conservation project,” Kintare emphasized. “And soon, the community will be able to visit and enjoy the land that they helped protect as KLT is committed to creating hiking trails for the community to enjoy. It’s an incredible win for nature and for the community.”
After the property closes, KLT says it will begin work with its stewardship team to determine the trail routes and the date of public access.
“Walking over ridges and meandering the wetland edges of this stunning place is the next step in our relationship with the land,” said Wilson. “The scale, opportunity, and levels of discovery we have in store is truly exciting and we’re looking forward to bringing the community along as we thoughtfully plan community access.”
Since being founded in 2001 by a group of passionate conservation-minded citizens, KLT has protected 44 properties across the Kawarthas comprising more than 8,100 acres.
Seven properties are open to the public and feature more than 50 kilometres of KLT-managed footpaths that thousands of people visit every year to connect with nature.
Kawartha Land Trust is one of dozens of land trusts across Ontario working with the community to protect natural and working lands in their respective regions.
