Bruce Trail Conservancy’s conservation work celebrated by Ontario Nature

September 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) has received Ontario Nature’s Steve Hounsell Greenway Award.
In the presence of noted naturalists from around the province, BTC Executive Director Beth Gilhespy was delighted to receive the award June 21 on behalf of the organization.
In Ontario’s increasingly urbanized landscape, BTC is working to ensure critical Niagara Escarpment landscape remains in its natural state for everyone to explore and enjoy in perpetuity. BTC is one of Ontario’s largest land trusts, and its work in conserving and preserving Escarpment land is of growing importance.
The Ontario Nature award celebrates individuals or organizations who are working to provide vital links between green spaces.
“The Bruce Trail Conservancy’s work as one of Ontario’s largest land trusts, preserving over 8,000 acres of Niagara Escarpment landscape, demonstrates that the organization is very deserving of this award,” Ontario Nature President Angela Martin wrote.
Gilhespy reflected on the meaning of this award.
“So often we’re recognized, and rightly so, for our world-class Bruce Trail, which is well-loved by hundreds of thousands in Ontario and worldwide who hike the Trail. But it’s incredibly gratifying to be recognized by our peers for the challenging work we do in preserving and conserving the natural habitat along the Niagara Escarpment,” she said. “It is truly an honour to receive a conservation award from a highly respected and dedicated organization such as Ontario Nature.”
BTC is in the midst of a large land acquisition campaign. Through its 50th Anniversary Milestones Project, the organization plans to permanently secure and preserve 5,000 acres of Escarpment land, provide for their stewardship and rehabilitation, and ensure trails on these lands are of the highest ecological and recreational standard.