CELEBRATING LAND TRUST HEROES Working every day to save the land you love TODAY, WE CELEBRATE THE QUIET HEROES ACROSS ONTARIO WHO ARE PROTECTING THE LAND WE ALL DEPEND ON Suppose you want to build resilience to extreme events—flooding, storm damage, even pandemics, the solution is the same; protect and restore nature. “We know that nature conservation and restoration could contribute over one-third of cost-effective climate mitigation needed by 2030. Through protecting nature, planting trees, and restoring habitats like wetlands, nature provides cost-effective ways of capturing and storing carbon, reducing carbon emissions, and helping communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. “These are called Naturebased Climate Solutions,” says Alison Howson, Executive Director of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA). 28
Every year, thousands of volunteers across Ontario protect and take care of over 45,000 hectares of land through 36 local community land trust charities. OLTA connects these Land Trust Heroes, provides resources, shares best practices, and helps overcome financial barriers. Together, this community is leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work. OLTA also partners with provincial and federal governments to support the protection of nature.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE A HOST OF HEROES ALREADY DOING THIS WORK FOR YOU When you join us and support this work, you directly contribute to protecting and restoring more land, water, and air for yourself, future generations, and all the species we share the land with.
Have you ever wondered if your actions really make a difference to climate change? Economic prosperity and human health depend on natural habitats storing carbon and providing clean air, water, and food. And yet, it is easy to feel like no progress is being made. The fact is, a lot of great action is being taken to protect the land you love! “A treasured Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) property is Big (Boyd/Chiminis) Island, located in Pigeon Lake. It is the largest undeveloped island in the Kawarthas and has significant cultural value to Curve Lake First Nation. Originally intended for development, a massive community effort in 2015 helped KLT to protect this island in perpetuity. OLTA’s support ensures that KLT has the greatest conservation impact in the Kawarthas and protects even more treasures.” —John Kintare, Executive Director Kawartha Land Trust. Did you know that the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating for 20 hours a day?
