Carolinian
Canada
Collaborating for a Healthy Ecoregion
2014-2015
annual report
Financial Summary
Ecosystem
Recovery
Planning
Members
& Donors
Provincial Grants
18
%
9%
17%
Administration
11%
Services
19%
Leaders &
EcoTrails
Foundations
13%
Network
15%
5%
Federal Grants
49
%
Conservation
Action
Programs
Revenues
$511,957
Our Virtual
Office
This year our team went
above and beyond volunteering time and
resources to complete
several ambitious
initiatives.
30/30
Event:
LAKE ERIE NORTH
SHORE STANDUP
44%
Expenses
$509,507
ECOSYSTEM
RECOVERY:
GO WILD
GROW WILD
ECOLOGICAL
CONSULTANTS
Kelly Johnson
Habitat Stewardship
Specialist
Karen Laine
Event Planner
Holly Stover,
Volunteer Biologist
Francee Ender
Lauren Harris-Selby
Krista Kankula
Event Specialists
GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION
SYSTEMS:
Bronwen Buck
Social Marketing &
Outreach Coordinator
SYSTEMS
MANAGEMENT TEAM:
Dee Crilly
Partner Services
Coordinator
Michelle Kanter,
Executive Director
Lauren Harris-Selby
Bootcamp Coordinator
Lisa Boyce
Administrative Assistant
Jarmo Jalava,
Director of Ecosystem
Recovery
Jen van Overbeeke
Metcalf Foundation Intern
and Coastal Specialist
Sarah Hodgkiss,
Program Manager
Sara Howe
Elgin Natural Heritage
Inventory Assistant
ON AUGUST 23 - 24, volunteer
Katherine
Balpataky organized a successful 2nd
paddleboard fundraiser at Crystal Beach
to raise $1,700 for Carolinian Canada’s
Erie Coastal Stewardship EcoTrail.
Tristan Bentley
IT Systems Coordinator
FIELD ECOLOGISTS:
Allen Woodliffe
Lucas Foerster
Andrea Hebb
GIS Coordinator, Nature
Conservancy of Canada
Terry Chapman
GIS Consultant
Daria Koscinski
Volunteer GIS Support
ANNUAL REPORT
DESIGN
Blue Aardvark
Many thanks to volunteers, paddlers, hikers
and sponsors. Carolinian Canada’s Sarah
Hodgkiss and Jen van Overbeeke joined
in with 34 paddlers and 18 hikers touring
Marcy’s Woods.
© JEN VAN OVERBEEKE
2 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
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Sustaining a
Unique Ecoregion
Don Pearson, Chair
Reflecting on the Chair’s Message from last year, our theme of transition, and
strategic focus continues to encompass our activities. We have successfully
transitioned under the new Canada Not-for-Profit Act and our new By-Law. Our
renewed Board is functioning with enthusiasm and most importantly, we have
made progress in the first year of our newly completed strategic plan:
We have strengthened and expanded relationships with major partners across
the zone, offering more ways to participate in the network. We are using
Conservation Action Plans (CAPs) to forge partnerships over critical needs
on the landscape, for example in the Rouge Valley, Lower Thames River, and
through the Chatham-Kent Natural Heritage Implementation Strategy.
We have been successful in building strong and informed allies across
multiple sectors and sustainable funds through our Big Picture Services,
enhanced member benefits program, 30th anniversary 30/30 Vision
Campaign and Go Wild Grow Wild expo – a major new event for the
Carolinian region. We are developing member collaboratives for EcoTrails,
Landowner Leaders and supporting an exciting new Video documentary to
showcase the unique features of this region.
In regard to the Big Picture Report Card, the Science Advisory Committee
was consulted and a discussion paper initiated to develop a tool to measure
progress in advancing a collaborative conservation strategy for healthy
ecosystems. It is being launched at our April 2015 Annual General Meeting
and we invite feedback and participation throughout the year. A webinar will
be hosted later this year to discuss this project.
“Our focus for the next
year will be in three
strategic directions.
We will strengthen
our relationships
with major partner
organizations, to
ensure that we
maintain a shared
vision and continue to
provide value to the
partnership. We will
continue to advance
our sustainable funding
initiative… and initiate
the Big Picture Report
Card… to ensure
we can accurately
measure the health of
Carolinian Canada’s
compositional
ecosystems.”
Going forward, the Board will be discussing Big Picture Best Practices
with major partners for invasive species, climate change and other critical
landscape issues. I invite you to join the conversation online by exploring
CarolinianCanada.ca.
2014-2015
Board of Directors
The support and
engagement of our
Don Pearson,
Chair
partners, members,
stakeholders and
community leaders,
is crucial to reach our
collective goals. Thank you
for your support as we look
for creative ways to sustain
this unique region.
Ron Wu-Winter
Vice Chair
Mark Helm,
Secretary
Chris Turner,
Treasurer
Dawn Bazely
Kristen Bernard,
Nature Conservancy of
Canada
Brian Craig,
Long Point Biosphere
Reserve
Caroline Biribauer,
Conservation Ontario
Mary Elder,
Ontario Professional
Planners Institute
Tara Borwick,
Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forestry,
Stewardship & Conservation
Incentives Section
Carla Grant,
Forests Ontario
Audrey Heagy,
Bird Studies Canada
Alistair MacKenzie,
Ontario Parks
John Urquhart,
Ontario Nature
Owen Williams,
Ontario Invasive Plant
Council
Collaborating for Healthy Ecosystems
Carolinian Canada’s Ecosystem Recovery Program
6 Years - 15 Hotspots - 100 Local groups
Carolinian
Canada’s
Ecosystem
Recovery
Program is
the overarching
framework that
implements the Big
Picture Vision via
our core programs
and projects.
15 Biodiversity
Hotspots are
areas where a high
diversity of life
is concentrated
including genes,
species, habitats,
ecosystems.
Conservation
Action Plans
(CAPs)
provide practical,
targeted and
voluntary blueprints
for ecosystem
recovery. By
developing the
Rouge River and
Lower Thames
CAPs we surpassed
our goal of
establishing CAPs
in all 15 hotspots.
The emphasis
on consensus,
collaboration, and
measurable onthe-ground results
lends itself to strong
partnerships and
actions.
The Elgin Natural
Heritage Inventory was launched
in 2013 to fulfill a key
objective in the Elgin
Greenway CAP. Field
surveys began this
year with and citizen
science partners
(e.g. Bird Studies
Canada, Long Point
Basin Land Trust,
eBird). We promoted
the project widely
throughout Elgin
Landowner
Leaders care about
healthy ecosystems
on their properties
and in CAP areas.
We congratulate
Steve and Sharon
Benishek
(Rondeau-Erie
Coast), Denise and
Wayne Shephard
(Sydenham River),
and Ron Casier
(Elgin Greenway)
who completed
Carolinian
Habitat Action
Plans (CHAPs)
and are now
Landowner Leader
Ambassadors. They
care for rarities
such as Red-headed
Woodpecker,
American Chestnut,
Eastern Flowering
Dogwood, Dense
Blazing Star and
Swamp Rose
Mallow. We assisted
Chris Knight,
aspiring Landowner
Leader with field
surveys and
found a significant
concentration of
Bobolink, Savannah
Sparrow and other
ground-nesting
birds. Our new
Landowner Leader
manual is now
available with more
to explore on the
web.
Tracking Elgin Nature:
30 Sites - 41 Rarities
- 275 Observations
- 52 Volunteers - 22
Landowners
© SARA HOWE
4 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
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19 Talks - 86 Big Picture Leaders
Ecosystem Recovery Forum 2014 celebrated
the 15th anniversary of our Big Picture vision of
restoring a green network of healthy, functioning
ecosystems. The full house explored approaches
and tools to monitor ecological change and
climate change, invasive species and more.
This annual event brings together conservation
practitioners, policy makers, students, researchers
and volunteers in a spirit of collaboration and
common cause.
5 Communities -13 Partners - 21
Campaigns - 104 Youth Leaders
inspire and train
youth leaders to develop their own Grow Wild
campaigns for rare species and habitats. As a
result, 5 high school environment groups are
now engaging their schools and communities
to: grow and plant native trees; increase snake
awareness; organize an ATV trail system to
protect sensitive habitat; create backyard
pollinator B & B’s; host an Elgin County
environmental forum and more. Their outreach
campaigns range from video and signage to
mentoring and door knocking. This successful
pilot is expanding to 5 more communities from
Woodstock to Windsor in spring 2015. Youth
groups across the zone are invited to inquire
about hosting a Boot Camp of their own.
GROW WILD BOOT CAMPS
©LAUREN HARRIS SELBY
The Frog Pond Band . . . and Other EcoTrail Adventures
ECOTRAILS ARE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN EXPLORE UNIQUE HABITATS stewarded
by many local groups. We’re proud to coordinate a zone-wide network
to promote and support their diverse initiatives. For instance, at the
Dorchester Mill Pond, we are helping volunteers develop messages to
inspire trail users to listen to the local frog chorus and report sightings
through the Adopt-a-Pond program. Paired with school outreach, this
approach is aimed at reducing harm to amphibians to keep the Frog
Pond Band in business for years to come! Some of our pilot EcoTrail
partners are sharing their stories in a workshop and webinar series
planned for spring 2015.
Big Picture Services is Carolinian Canada’s first major social
enterprise initiative. We provide expertise for projects that contribute
to healthy ecosystems on the Carolinian landscape. In 2014, we
conducted biological surveys for the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation
and Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Exciting discoveries included
Baby Eastern Hog-nosed
Snake found during
a variety of species at risk and some previously undocumented rare prairie
“Big Picture Services”
habitats. Outreach is an important component and we are helping to establish
fieldwork
a
GIS
mapping database for species at risk. In 2015, we look forward to assisting
© JARMO JALAVA
partners plan EcoTrails, plan habitat restoration and undertake nature surveys.
The Big Picture Report Card is growing out of our CAP monitoring program
to track progress across the landscape. Our Science Advisory Committee has identified
key indices and a discussion paper invites your input. This project will set the stage for
adaptive management and updating of CAPs and the Big Picture.
ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
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5
Connecting Across the Zone
Linking on-ground actions to a collaborative vision
30 Years of Significant
Conservation
30/30 Event - Elgin habitat tour: Carolinian Canada Members
enjoy a tour from landowner Ron Casier
In collaboration with many partners,
Carolinian Canada celebrated our 30th
anniversary throughout the year, starting
with a kick-off of our 30/30 Vision
Campaign at our AGM on Thursday,
May 22, 2014 in St. Thomas. Part of our
sustainable funding initiative, this campaign
is raising awareness, participation and
funds for the Coalition’s core work in
advancing a collaborative conservation
strategy for the region.
© TRISTAN BENTLEY
30/30 Outreach
30/30 Challenge
Over the year, 25 different media outlets
published 45 articles about our work
reaching over half a million people. Our
network hosted and participated in events
across the zone, shared conservation
stories and challenged themselves to get
back to nature.
Jarmo Jalava, our
Director of Ecosystem Recovery, took up
the challenge to spot 270 bird species in
Carolinian Canada in 2015. You can follow
his adventures and sponsor by the bird on
our website.
JARMO’S BIG YEAR:
Admission: $5.00
10 am to 6 pm
© TRISTAN BENTLEY
CAROLINIAN CANADA CONSERVATION
Go Wild Grow Wild
A major new celebration is planned by the
Coalition to mark Earth Week in Carolinian
Canada. It will be the region’s largest
biodiversity expo of its kind geared to draw
thousands of allies to share our passion for
the unique nature in Canada’s Deep South.
Our AGM grows up!
6 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
have made
positive and lasting changes on
the Carolinian landscape. Lifetime
achievement: Dave Wake and Joe & Joyce
Hickson Individual: David Ainslie,
Joe & Gunther Csoff, Angelle & Clen
Van Kleef, Paul Gagnon, Group: John
& Cynthia Cook, Jaffa Environmental
Education Centre Youth: Brad Renaud
AWARD RECIPIENTS 2014
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Leveraging Resources for Healthy Ecosystems
Carolinian Canada Members advance the Big Picture vision
Our growing community continues to lead the way in collaborative conservation in Canada’s deep south. Our
Big Picture Legacy Circle is growing and this year, many groups joined our new Canopy and Seedling member
programs with added benefits to support their work.
Big Picture
Supporters
Environment Canada
Ministry of Natural Resources
TD Friends of the Environment
Metcalf Foundation
Canopy Groups
Association for Canadian
Educational Resources
Bird Studies Canada
Boggio Family Pharmacy
Conservation Ontario
East Elgin Secondary School
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Forests Ontario
Grand River Conservation Authority
Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
London Environmental Network
Lower Thames Valley
Conservation Authority
MNRF - Stewardship and Conservation
Incentives Section
Native Trees and Plants
New Credit Cultural Committee
Nith River Native Plants
North American Native Plant Society
Ontario Invasive Plant Council
Ontario NativeScape, a division of
Rural Lambton Stewardship Network
Ontario Nature
Parks Canada
ReForest London
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary
School
Society for Ecological RestorationOntario Chapter
Thames Talbot Land Trust
The Garden Club of London
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Upper Thames River
Conservation Authority
West Elgin Nature Club
Seedling Groups
Canada’s First Forestry Station
Conservation Halton
Credit Valley Conservation Authority
Dancey Family Farm
Jennifer Lawrence and Associates Inc.
Lambton Wildlife Inc.
Long Point World Biosphere
Foundation Reserve
Norfolk Field Naturalists
Oxford County Trails Council
Heritage Groups
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority
Climate Action
Friends of the Rouge Watershed
Greening Niagara
Lock 3 Media
Long Point Region
Conservation Authority
Nature London
Big Picture Legacy Circle
VISIONARY PATRON
($1,000)
Brian Craig
Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
Don Pearson
In memory of Donald Sinclair
NATURE BACKER
($500)
Michelle Kanter
Dr. Gordon and Shirley Nelson
Caroline Odette
Susan & Alan Smith
SUSTAINING SPONSOR
($250)
Fred D Cass
Deborah Dale
Mark Helm
John Irish
Jarmo Jalava
Mike & Ruth John
Jacquline Lorimer
Don Sutherland
Chris Turner
Anonymous (2)
CAROLINIAN CANADA FRIEND
($100)
Marlene Allen
John D. Ambrose
Elaine Balpataky
Peter Banks
Dawn Bazely
Brian Bentley
Marnie Boldt
Doyle & Patty Brush
Bronwen Buck
James Buff
Louise Campbell
Anita Caveney
Stan Caveney
Tom Chatterton
John Clipsham
Chris Dancey
G. Delaire
Jane Delamere
Sally Dood
Suzanne Edgar
Sarah Hodgkiss
Susan Hodgkiss
Mary Hooydonk
Lorraine Johnson
Regan & Daniel Jubenville
Dorothea Kanter-Bentley
Nikki May
Katherine Oginsky
Jim Patten
Jim Rule
Margaret Rule
Karen Snider
Bernie Solymar
Luke Stephenson
Ron Wu-Winter
Anonymous (2)
SUPPORTERS
David Ainslie
Jennifer Alexopoulos
George Argenti
Cheryl Barendregt
Kenneth & Susan Bechard
Kristen Bernard
Caroline Biribauer
Tamara Bodzinski
Kathryn Boothby
Virginia Brown
Brian Calvert
D. Carlson
Jeffrey Carter
Paul Chapman
Joan Charlton
Natasha Collins
Simon Courtenay
John & Kerry Cowan
Wendy Cridland
E. Delrue
Gilles Douaire
Jane Dunning
Alexandra Emery
Chris Fraser
Kaitlin Gibbens
ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
Janice Gilbert
Marlene Gilbert
Stephanie Gowan
Carla Grant
H. Hall
Audrey Heagy
Marie Janicke
Martin H. Kanter
Daria Koscinski
Liana Kreamer
Susan Laidler
Nathan Langley
Jon Larson
Renee Lazarowich
Katherine Levan
Janice Levangie
Chantal Lucarelli
Sally Martyn
Emily Mazi
Sandra McCubbin
Ryan McDaniel
Linda McDougall
Val McGee
L. McKeon
Gail Meyer
Kate Monk
Ian Naisbitt
Michael Naismith
John D. Nolan
David Olds & Sharon Lovett
Sherri Perkins
Joseph Peter
Carol Richardson
Carol Ritchie
Marlee Robinson
Tina Rodger
C. Schrank
Julie Skodak
Kim Smale
H. Sowinski
Emily Stahl
D. Stewart
N. Stirling
Dave & Kathy Townsend
John Urquhart
Jen van Overbeeke
Sally Vernon
Daniel Vining
Mary Ellen Wales
D. Watson
Warren Wishart
P. Woffindin
Rick Wukasch
Anne Wynia
Dolph Wynia
David Zackon
Kasia Zgurzynski
Anonymous (7)
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7
Count Yourself In
Partners for Healthy Ecosystems
Association for Canadian
Educational Resources
Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority
Bert Miller Nature Club
Bird Studies Canada
Canada South Land Trust
Canadian Wildlife Service
Catfish Creek Conservation
Authority
Chatham Kent Greening
Partnership
Chatham Kent Trails Council
Chatham-Kent Secondary
School Environmental Club
Chatham-Kent United Farm
Voice
Chatham-Kent Wind Action
Group
Chippewas of Kettle and Stony
Point First Nation
Chippewas of the Thames First
Nation
Christian Farmers Federation
City of Burlington
City of London
Conservation Halton
Conservation Ontario
Cootes to Escarpment
County of Brant
Credit Valley Conservation
Delaware Nation at
Moraviantown
Dorchester Mill Pond
Committee
Ducks Unlimited
Elgin County
East Elgin Environmental
Leadership Program
Elgin Stewardship Council
Elgin Federation of Agriculture
Elgin Middlesex Woodlot
Owners Association
Essex Region Conservation
Authority
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Forests Ontario
Friends of Rondeau
Friends of the Coves
Friends of the Rouge
Garden Club of London
Grand River Conservation
Authority
Greenbelt Foundation
Haldimand & Area Woodlot
Owners Association
Haldimand Stewardship Council
Hamilton Conservation
Authority
Hamilton Halton Watershed
Stewardship Program
Hamilton Naturalists’ Club
Heartland Forest Nature
Experience
Huron to Erie Waterways for
Wildlife Project
Jaffa Environmental Education
Centre
Jennifer Lawrence and
Associates
Kent Federation of Agriculture
Kettle Creek Conservation
Authority
Lake Erie North Shore Standup
Lake Huron Centre for Coastal
Conservation
Lambton Woodlot Owners
Association
London Environmental Network
Long Point Basin Land Trust
Long Point Region Conservation
Authority
Long Point World Biosphere
Reserve Foundation
Lower Thames Valley
Conservation Authority
Middlesex Stewardship Council
Mitchell’s Bay Association
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
National Farmers Union
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Niagara Land Trust
Niagara Parks Commission
Niagara Peninsula Conservation
Authority
Niagara Restoration Council
Ontario Badger Program
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture
Ontario Invasive Plant Council
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food
Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forestry
Ontario Ministry of the
Environment
Ontario NativeScape
Ontario Natural Heritage
Information Centre
Ontario Nature
Ontario Parks
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Professional Planners
Institute
Ontario Road Ecology Group
Ontario Soil & Crop
Improvement Association
Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel
Association
Ontario Trails Council
Ontario Visual Heritage Project
Otter Valley Field Naturalists
Parks Canada
Regenerative Agricultural
Land-Use Management Group
Ridgetown College – University
of Guelph
Rondeau Cottagers Association
Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Ontario Museum
Rural Lambton Stewardship
Network
Shrewsbury Community
Association
Six Nations of the Grand River
SOGO - Southern Ontario Go!
St. Clair Region Conservation
Authority
St. Thomas Field Naturalists
Sustainability Network
Sydenham Field Naturalists
Tallgrass Ontario
Thames Talbot Land Trust
Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority
Toronto Zoo
Township of Dawn-Euphemia
Transition Town Chatham-Kent
Upper Thames River
Conservation Authority
Walpole Island (Bkejwanong)
First Nation
Walpole Island Heritage
Centre
West Elgin Environmental
Leadership Program
West Elgin Nature Club
Western University
Wildlife Habitat Canada
Wildlife Preservation Canada
SCIENCE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
Dr. John Ambrose
Dr. Dawn Bazely
Graham Bryan
Dr. Dawn Burke
Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser
Brian Craig
Dr. Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
Ken Elliot
Dr. Janice Gilbert
Steve Hounsell
Dr. Daria Koscinsk
Alistair MacKenzie
Dr. Mhairi McFarlane
Mike McMurtry
Bernie Solymar
Becky Stewart
Joshua Wise
Explore Canada’s
Deep South:
Enhanced Group
Member Benefits
Carolinian Canada Coalition brings together
diverse groups and individuals to advance a
collaborative ‘Big Picture’ vision for healthy
ecosystems and thriving communities in Canada’s
deep south.
Collaborate for Healthy
Ecosystems:
Link to the Big Picture vision.
Stretching from Toronto to Windsor, Ontario’s
Carolinian Life Zone is among North America’s
most vibrant and fragile ecoregions.
(Canadian Registered Charity 83559 4722 RR0001)
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Discover your unique nature. You can’t live without it.
8 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 CAROLINIAN CANADA COALITION
Connect across the Zone:
Take advantage of prime networking,
discounts, freebies and matching programs.
Leverage Resources:
Tap into cost-effective tools, training and
project support.
Count Yourself In:
Promote and track your work at an
ecoregional level.
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