Kawartha Land Trust aims to protect Burleigh Falls property
Fundraising efforts are underway to preserve trail network through wetland and forest
Kawartha Land Trust is raising funds to purchase and protect a property just south of Burleigh Falls.
While the environmentally significant property contains a provincially significant wetland, forest corridor, undeveloped shoreline and a trail network that is well known in the community, the land is at risk of being developed, KLT reports.
Tom Unrau, KLT’s land stewardship manager, said one of the things he loves about the property is that the natural history of the Kawarthas is “painted” on the land.
“You’ve got this limestone bedrock up on these escarpments that are full of fossils, and these corrosion channels in the limestone, many of them running sort of north-south as the glaciers receded,” said Unrau in a YouTube video produced by KLT regarding the property.
The trails on the property are also absolutely beautiful, Unrau said.
“So many people are using these already. So, the dream is a large interconnected trail network across multiple properties, and this property itself is such a critical link in that dream,” he said.
Rachel Corbett, a local cottager, said the land has tremendous value from a number of perspectives.
“Ecologically, this large wetland is very important to the water quality on Mackenzie Bay and that benefits everybody on the lake. From a recreational perspective, this beautiful land is criss-crossed by walking trails, has adequate road access, and also water access,” she said in the video.
To kick off the month-long campaign, about a dozen outdoor enthusiasts were led on a guided walk through the property on Tuesday morning by Bill Crins, a local ecologist who’s also a professor of protected area ecology and management at the University of Toronto.
If KLT can raise enough funds to purchase the property, it will be named after Christie Bentham in honour of the gift she left to the organization.
By owning the piece of property, KLT said it can ensure that it can be enjoyed by future generations.
“We just have 30 days to raise the rest of the funds, but we are appealing to everyone in this community who loves this land and wishes to protect it. We have the opportunity to purchase and protect this land forever,” said Corbett.
As of Tuesday afternoon, KLT had raised a total of $256,000, while an additional $434,000 had been pledged.
To purchase the land, KLT must raise $750,000 by Nov. 20. They have a goal of raising $1 million by Jan. 31, 2021, to enhance and steward the property. To donate or pledge, visit kawarthalandtrust.org/christiebenthamwetland.