News Release
The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area and The Couchiching Conservancy launch 'Care for the Land You Love'.
Orillia (July 13, 2009) - The Couchiching Conservancy and The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area today launched 'Care for the Land You Love' a province-wide campaign to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing stewardship of preserved lands in Orillia & area and other communities across Ontario.
"This new partnership will help us raise the funds needed to maintain and preserve special lands, like Grant's Woods or the new Alexander Hope Smith Nature Reserve at Washago, for generations to come," said Isabelle Theiss, President of the Couchiching Conservancy. "Our board looks forward to working with the Community Foundation of Orillia to secure funding that will support stewardship activities on the lands under protection."
The Couchiching Conservancy and The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area will work together to identify potential donors to contribute to a new local Land Stewardship Fund. The endowment funds, established by The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area, will create a permanent source of revenue for local stewardship activities.
"The earnings from those funds will be used every year to help us maintain and clean up trails, repair fences, plant trees and control erosion," said Theiss. "And the best part is that donor dollars go farther because much of our stewardship work is conducted by volunteers."
Gifts matched by community foundations
The partnership also offers donors an opportunity to multiply the impact of their gift. The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area will match up to every dollar raised, up to a maximum of $20,000. thanks to the participation of its national membership organization, Community Foundations of Canada.
"Each community has natural places that make it special and we want to do everything we can to preserve these places in our particular region," said Carol Ivey, Chair of the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area. "Building endowments, creating lasting legacies is what we do, so this partnership is a great fit. We're happy to provide our expertise and additional funding to get the 'Care for the Land You Love' and the local Land Stewardship Funds off to a great start."
Land Stewardship Funds will be established in 10 other communities this year, and up to 9 more communities in 2010. A list of this year's communities is included below.
The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area
The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area is dedicated to bringing together people who care about their communities by facilitating philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and other funds that support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad community concern. Community Foundations of Canada is the membership association for Canada's network of 165 community foundations. Together, we help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. We are one of the largest supporters of Canadian communities, providing $169 million in support of local priorities and organizations in 2008. To find out more visit www.cfc-fcc.ca.
The Couchiching Conservancy
The Couchiching Conservancy is a non-profit, non-government organization that protects important natural areas for future generation. The conservancy currently manages close to 8,000 acres of land in the Orillia region. For more information, got to: www.couchconservancy.ca .
The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural heritage systems. OLTA's 44 members represent 120,000 individuals and protect over 60,000 acres across the province for the benefit of their local communities, local species and the people of the Province of Ontario.
'Care for the Land You Love' is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation Future Fund Program.
'Care for the Land You Love'
2009 Land Stewardship Fund Participants
Brockville and Area Community Foundation & Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust
Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough & Kawartha Heritage Conservancy
Community Foundation for Kingston & Area & Land Conservancy for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington
Community Foundation of Orillia & Area & Couchiching Conservancy
Guelph Community Foundation & Bruce Trail Conservancy
Hamilton Community Foundation & Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust
London Community Foundation & Thames Talbot Land Trust
Niagara Community Foundation & Niagara Land Trust
Norfolk Community Foundation & Long Point Basin Land Trust
Thunder Bay Community Foundation & Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
York Region Community Foundation & Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust
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Mark Bisset
Executive Director
The Couchiching Conservancy
Box 704, 1485 Division Road West
Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6K7
(705)326-1620