Photo supplied.
Pictured from left to right are Noel Kerin Director BCWA, Chris Grayson Board Chair, BCWA and Chief Taynar Simpson of Alderville First Nations, accepting a gift created by local artist George Raab at the second annual Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance meeting held last month.
Last week the Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance (BCWA) held their second annual community forum. Among the 77 attendees were members of organizations and associations with an interest in the alliance, with different areas of specialization, such as the Millbrook branch of Trout Unlimited, Kawartha Land Trust, two student groups from Trent University, Drinking Water Protection Agency, Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS), and Common Ground- a local group working towards the development of a town square in Millbrook.
Board member Craig Onafrychuk opened the meeting with a presentation describing the role of the organization and its ambitious objective of conserving and enhancing the Baxter Creek watershed for future generations.
The alliance word in the group’s title is not used casually- Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance (BCWA) is all about establishing partnerships to help them achieve their daunting task. This approach was apparent at the evening event, as presenters discussed the importance of engaging other stakeholders, with many of their representatives in attendance in the audience and at booths along the perimeter of the room.
More than 50% of the Baxter Creek watershed consists of agricultural and rural land property, so the success of any watershed protection initiative will require the engagement and support of the agricultural community. Farming activities can have a big impact on local watersheds, and there is a growing interest in developing crop production techniques that protect water sources and enhance the soil.
Another key objective of BCWA is to secure the Millbrook Jail Lands to make the area a publicly accessible open greenspace, encouraging natural heritage protection and developing conservation easements across the watershed.
In conjunction with students from Trent University and Fleming College, BCWA is spearheading the creation of a database for the local watershed. Students are conducting research to establish a current status of its health. Current projects include the development of maps outlining cultural and heritage features of the area and a creating a snapshot of its biodiversity which will be key to determining the best ways to protect it.
Connecting with youth is another initiative. More educational outreach will occur with younger students through the development of targeted environmental education activities to engage local youth. Some of these initiatives have already been implemented by their partner Trout Unlimited in their Yellow Fish project and in the educational components added to the annual Fishing Derby.
The group is also seeking to build a key partnership the group with representatives of local First Nations populations, who bring a unique understanding of the environment and how to protect it. This outreach was demonstrated by the keynote speaker for the evening: Taynar Simpson, Chief of Alderville Nation.
An anthropologist by training, Chief Simpson has worked for the Department of National Defence and the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and has spent the last three decades working with the federal government to resolve issues related to Indigenous people, including residential and day school issues and was the project lead for the national Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, where he was among those who identified thousands of deceased students from Canada’s residential schools years locating the bodies of children who perished in residential schools across Canada. He rounded the number to a horrifying total of 1800. He is relatively new to the job, having been elected in July.
Chief Taynar endorsed BCWA’s objectives, discussing the importance of protecting key environmental features in the landscape which have been taken for granted for too long. He described some of the initiatives members of the Alderville First Nations are pursing, which include purchasing a unique land parcel that will be added to the Reserve Lands that feature a Black Oak Savannah.
Clearly, the BCWA is just getting started, but it’s been a strong opening volley. To learn more or get involved, visit www.baxtercreekwatershed.org. KG
