Cat Medici

SPA would like to let our community know that there are two funds (free money!) available from Kawartha Conservation to help landowners implement projects that better the water and/or provide habitat for fish.

Water Fund

Kawartha Conservation’s Water Fund is a grant program that provides financial and technical assistance to landowners and community groups for undertaking environmental projects that have a positive impact on water quality.

Visit Kawartha Conservation landowner grants land to apply.

Bring Back the Fish

Kawartha Conservation is seeking landowner projects on urban rivers within the City of Kawartha Lakes for our Bring Back the Fish program.

This program offers a guaranteed minimum of $4,000 to eligible landowners who want to protect, enhance and restore fish habitat.  

Check out the poster and visit kawarthaconservation.com/bringbackthefish for more information.

If you are interested, please contact Danielle Marcoux-Hunter, Landowner and Community Support, at [email protected] or 705-328-2271 x 242

*from the Kawartha Conservation website 

DECEMBER 21, 2021 – Kawartha Conservation’s 2022 Seedling Sale is now open, offering a great selection of evergreen and deciduous trees, as well as shrubs and several advancing species that are not currently found in the Kawartha Watershed, but are migrating from the south as the climate warms and the Kawarthas become a more suitable habitat for new species.

The seedling sale is open to landowners throughout the Kawartha Conservation watershed, which includes portions of Kawartha Lakes, Trent Lakes, Brock and Scugog Townships, Clarington, and Cavan Monaghan.

“The seedling sale is a great opportunity for landowners across the watershed to improve the biodiversity of their property while making a positive impact on the environment,” said Taylor Frederick, Kawartha Conservation’s Forestry Technician. “New forest growth can help mitigate climate change by creating carbon sinks that absorb more carbon than they release, which is a great step forward in the fight against climate change.”

For watershed residents with open areas, coniferous trees (evergreens) can be some of the easiest species to grow, generally in areas with lots of sun and wind exposure. It is recommended if you are planting a large number of trees, that you plant 70-80% coniferous trees. 

Deciduous trees, or trees that lose their leaves in the fall, are generally less hardy during the seedling stage, and prefer areas of low exposure. An already forested area is a great place to plant additional deciduous seedlings. With extra care and protection, they can be nurtured to become large, beautiful shade trees. 

Shrubs, typically shorter than trees, offer a great way to provide diversity and habitat on your property. They are an option where hydro wires and other overhead utilities are a concern. 

“We are thankful for the support of Forests Ontario for this sale, who subsidize a portion of the cost per seedling,” said Frederick. “Through them, we are able to help landowners make their property, greener, healthier, and more sustainable for years to come.”

Landowners can contribute to the health of our watershed by establishing and managing forest cover through our low-cost seedling sale. The seedlings can be ordered and paid for online at any time through our online order form and will be available for pickup at Ken Reid Conservation Area on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, 2022.

The deadline for tree seedling orders is Friday, March 18, 2022.

For more information on the tree seedling sale, planting or species information, contact Taylor Frederick by email at [email protected] or by phone at 705-328-2271 ext. 249.