Land Trust, Easement, Conservation, and Stewardship

KHC works with private landowners who are interested in conserving the natural and cultural heritage features of their properties. Donations of land or conservation agreements entitle the landowner to what can often be significant tax benefits. A conservation agreement outlines conditions or restrictions initiated by the landowner and is registered on the land title so that future owners continue to protect the natural or cultural values of the property.

KHC conducts site visits, explores the conservation options that might suit each landowner and refers interested parties to appropriate agencies and professional advisors. Conversations with KHC about possible securement approaches sometimes continue over several years. KHC assists land owners by providing:

• Free consultation and advice on conservation and land trust options, tax benefits and stewardship initiatives;
• Long term management and succession planning;
• Overall information required for understanding the different conservation options available, and
• Assistance in understanding and meeting government requirement and processes for executing these options.

See the Landowners page for more information about the various approaches to long-term conservation of private property and for information about tax incentive programs associated with stewardship activities. The Conservancy is a member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance and the Canadian Land Trust Alliance.

For a profile of lands donated to KHC or under conservation easements, please visit our Properties page.

Cultural Heritage Conservation

Cultural heritage is an integral part of the ecological, social, and economic fabric of the landscape. At KHC, we are building networks to help document and conserve the rich heritage features of the Kawarthas. If you would like to share any natural or cultural heritage data or information, please contact us or click here for the on-line data/information submission form. As part of this work we are also helping to build capacity in the region by organizing workshop that may assist in strengthening organizational capacity and furthering local cultural heritage conservation goals.

A core component of our work is centered on building a database of cultural heritage features. Our cultural heritage program aims to identify, compile, and map data on the cultural heritage and resources of the Kawartha bioregion. Our goal is to make available cultural and heritage information to different stakeholders to foster appreciation and protection and to achieve informed planning and a sustainable future for the bioregion. The bioregional boundary, as referred to by KHC, includes the Peterborough County and the City of Kawartha Lakes and a buffer that includes the Oak Ridges Morain to the South.

KHC has been collecting and mapping heritage related data for the past several years. The database contains more than 4000 points of interest and associated photographs. This includes ghost town buildings, barns, bridges, cemeteries, processing plants, churches, fences, houses, ruins, and schools. In 2011, we also complied a cultural resources inventory for the Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO 8) for the City of Kawartha Lakes, County of Peterborough, and Northumberland County. Our objective is also to develop database sharing agreements with other organizations in the region and share the information so that we can together enhance conservation of cultural assets and keep alive the stories of our past. KHC's cultural heritage program was generously funded from 2009 - 2011 by the Metcalf Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Information/Data Management, and Mapping

The role of KHC's Information and Mapping Services program is to provide geographic support and services with a focus on assessing, identifying, documenting, and mapping cultural and heritage resources. This program is supported by establishing a common bioregional vision of the Kawarthas and connecting landscapes.

Geographical information system (GIS) and mapping services offer a solution for managing change and supporting conservation decision-making. KHC is a member of the Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange created by Land Information Ontario of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). The exchange allows government and non-profit organizations with similar interests to easily and appropriately share and exchange digital land information.

We have worked with data, staff, and students from Fleming College, Trent University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, the Natural Heritage Information Centre (OMNR), Couchiching Conservancy and The Land Between Collaborative. Data collection, mapping, and analyses, such as for cultural, heritage and agricultural features, help inform decision making and enhance presentations. KHC can leverage its human and technological resource capacity to assist organizations with their data collection, organization, management, presentation, and mapping needs.

Do you have natural or cultural heritage data or information that you would like to share with us?  Please click here for the on-line data/information submission form.

Other Initiatives

Outreach and Research

Outreach and research are Integral to all of KHC's programs. We have worked with Trent University, Sir Sanford Fleming College and Ryerson University faculty and students on a variety of cultural and natural heritage projects around the bioregion. Some of the projects involving Trent students have been facilitated by the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education. The Conservancy’s operating principles include using the best available science and local knowledge to identify priority locations for its conservation work.

The Conservancy has advised the City of Peterborough, North Kawartha Township, Trent University and local Conservation Authorities on their use of the federal Ecogifts Program, tax incentives, donations and conservation agreements.  Such advice helps to secure donations of significant sites, including two Natural Areas recognized by the City of Peterborough.

Multi-organizational Partnerships

KHC is a founding partner of the Large Woodlands Conservation Cooperative, an organization that works with woodlot owners whose properties together make up large, relatively unfragmented forests in south-central Ontario.

KHC is one of 30 conservation and environmental organizations involved in the Caring for the Moraine Project – Ganaraska Hills Area.  Funded by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, the partners assist landowners on the Moraine with stewardship and conservation activity.

The Conservancy is also part of the Kawartha Region Team of the Waterway Wildlife partnership.  With the support of the Trent-Severn Waterway a number of conservation and stewardship organizations are working together to raise awareness of wildlife at risk and their habitats in the vicinity of the Trent-Severn Waterway.

Please see our Partners page for more details on these initiatives.

Projects in 2011

Cultural Heritage

We completed multifaceted cultural heritage projects, funded by the Trillium Foundation (2009 - 2011) and Metcalf Foundation (2010 - 2011) this year. It provided KHC an opportunity to 1) guide and support cultural, heritage, and sustainability plans in the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes; 2) develop and present workshops and information sessions beneficial to the heritage community; 3) develop our networks; 4) develop our communications (newsletters, website updates, and social media); 4) engage students from Trent University and Fleming College in cultural research projects; 5) engage volunteers in the KHC's work and cultural data collection; 6) share data with communities in the region; 7) conduct oral histories of agricultural practices using video and audio; and 8) explore the development of an interactive GIS tool and various web-based data collection methods.

KHC Site Stewardship

Throughout 2011, KHC will be conducting inventories of the natural and cultural features found on and near various properties in our region. The properties include those we own, those on which we hold a conservation agreement, and two properties owned by our partner, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). Volunteer, student and staff research will help us develop stewardship plans for our and DUC properties. These plans will help us protect the identified features, including species at risk, and guide us and DUC in our ongoing stewardship of these properties. The Province of Ontario, DUC and numerous volunteers are supporting us in this project.

Carbon-Offset Social Enterprise

This is a collaborative project between KHC and Peterborough Green-Up. The purpose of this project is to have a dialogue and discussion about the effects of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, identify and assess carbon footprint calculations and methodologies, its effects on climate change, share information on ways to reduce individual or organization’s carbon footprint, and investigate the carbon offset markets and other voluntary measures.

An important part of this project is to reach out to the community, particularly here in the Kawarthas and elsewhere in Ontario and Canada, disseminate information and generate awarness of climate change issues, environmental health, and carbon offsets as a possible mechanism to reduce one’s carbon footprint. Additionally, the project will investigate the possibility and opportunities for developing a self-sustaining local Carbon-Offset Social Enterprise that could serve as a model for other land trusts and non-profit organizations.

We hope the information shared will be useful for individuals and organizations wanting to know more about carbon, climate change, and carbon-offsets to make informed decisions and to help reduce their carbon footprint locally. This project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. To follow the project and blogs, please visit the project website at: www.localcarbonoffsets.com

The Kawarthas...Naturally Connected

KHC is leading a regional effort to develop a Natural Heritage System for the Kawarthas. The project is based on watershed boundary and includes all of the County of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes. Starting in 2011, KHC will lead stakeholders through a concensus based process with an ultimate goal of setting direction for the natural and cultural heritage conservation and protection in the region.  

A Natural Heritage System includes important natural featues and their ecological linkages. Together these form an essential "backbone" of the landscape. The system can also include lands that have been restored or have the potential to be restored. A Natural Heritage System, once implemented, can help to ensure that key natural areas and features remain on the landscape, for our health and enjoyment and that of future generations. It can be a useful tool to help individuals, organizations, and communities make informed and coordinated decisions about: stewardship activities, land restoration, conservation land purchases, land use planning, and, research projects. To find out more, please click here for the brochure.

Past Projects:

Please click on the title "Past Projects" to see our past work.

 

• Our Work
• Conservancy Programs
• Properties
• Land Strategy Summary