Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance’s Annual General Meeting last month coincided with National Truth and Reconciliation Day, and the majority of participants were suitably attired in orange shirts to mark the occasion. The theme of the meeting was “Celebrating Relationships”, and Board Chair Chris Grayson discussed the momentum the organization is experiencing with the help of its partners.
One of the key achievements this year was the development of a four year Strategic Plan, which provides a template for the future and brings clarity and focus on activities that move the organization for-ward. In describes the vision for a “…thriving Baxter Creek watershed where First Nations knowledge and western science unit to protect ecological health, engage young people and families as watershed stewards and ensure that land, water and community thrive for future generations.”
This plan identified BCWA as a learning organization, encouraging continuous learning and creating opportunities to build share knowledge and skills through learning opportunities for local students. This objective is reflected in its decision to hire a student internship who helped develop the organization’s Strategic Plan and con-ducted an extensive review of the BCWA website. Thirty six students from Trent University and Fleming College have worked on research projects on the watershed, and a Water-shed Stewards pilot program for students in grades K to 12 has reached more than 150 students this year.
Another objective was to strengthen their volunteer organization’s professional and operational capacity. To this end, three new Board members have been welcomed to the organization: Stephanie Coxe, Heather Klyn-Hesselink and Wilma Armstrong. All bring new perspectives, skills and capacities to BCWA, helping it tackle its increasing responsibilities and ambitions.
At the core of the organization’s collaboration is its relationship with local First Nations leaders, two of whom took the time on this important day to speak at the meeting. After busy days presiding over Truth and Reconciliation events, Alderville First Nations Chief Taynar Simpson and Hiawatha First Nations Elder Tom Cowie took the time to discuss their vision of a shared responsibility for environmental conservation and appropriate land use decisions at the meeting. The key to the success of this collabo-ration with Indigenous leaders is the attitude of BCWA members who seek to learn from First Nations’ perspectives while contributing les-sons from western science and watershed research.
Collaboration takes on a greater significance with the understanding that 60% of the local watershed is controlled by farmers, three of whom attended the meeting. Acknowledging the huge advancements in the environmental impact of farming practices, it was agreed that input from local farmers through the creation of a local Agricultural Advisory Committee could be very beneficial to protecting the health of the land and watershed.
The meeting continued with a presentation for Jim Bolwby of the Millbrook Chapter of Freshwater Conservation Canada, who described current and potential opportunities to restore freshwater streams in the area, including a significant restoration project at the Brackenridge farm along Squirrel Creek.
The final presentation of the evening was from Mayor Graham who outlined the recently approved Peterborough County Watershed Plan. This was developed to provide a framework for sustainable, science-backed land use decisions to help municipalities and other interested parties understand the current condition of local land and water resources and guide land use planning to protect pressures on local watersheds stemming from climate change and urbanization. It is a high-level plan which will be flushed out at the local level in the future.
Expect to hear more from this ambitious group of volunteers who are working to preserve our land and water resources for generations to come.
For more information or to join this group, visit www.baxtercreekwatershed.org.