"We live in a culture that now produces more malls than high schools, more prisoners than farmers, and devours the land at the warp speed of 365 acres per hour."  

"Today, the average American can recognize one thousand corporate logos, but can't identify ten plants and animals native to their region." 
 
-Peter Forbes, co-founder and director of the Center for Whole Communities

Find out how many of Ontario’s Species at Risk you recognize!
Ontario is home to over a third of the entire population of Canada. As a result, human activity and built landscapes must achieve a sustainable balance with Ontario’s natural, agricultural and cultural heritage landscapes. 

Land trusts have risen to the challenge to respond to this need. As registered charities, land trusts receive donated or purchased lands and conservation easements in important natural, cultural and agricultural areas. In addition to
Canada South Land Trust volunteer monitors Shirley Grondin (left) and Karen Cedar (right) at the Balkwill Woodland monitoring the Conservation Agreement on those lands.
Photo: Elizabeth Learmouth (7/2/07)
protecting the land through acquisition, easements or other conservation tools, land trusts also ensure that land is sustainably managed and stewarded in perpetuity.

Aside from land trusts, there are 36 conservation authorities in the province that help protect land.  These are local watershed management agencies that deliver services and protect and manage water and other natural resources in partnership with government, landowners and other organizations. There is great synergy between the work of land trust and conservation authorities.

The Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) works with land trusts and conservation authorities.  OLTA also helps Ontarians understand the distinction between various conservation land recipient charities, and therefore helps donors connect with causes they love and want to support.  It is only by working collaboratively within the environment sector, by focusing on the greater good of saving land, that we will be more successful at securing and protecting Ontario's natural, scenic, cultural and agricultural heritage lands.

The work of land trusts, however, does not stop once the land has been donated or purchased. Without monitoring and stewardship, the ecological, cultural or agricultural values for which lands were originally protected can be lost. Land trusts often depend on the efforts of volunteers to “walk the land”.

Time is running out. Our most precious lands in southern Ontario are under threat. Some predict we are too late; some say we have only a very few years to secure essential lands required to keep our lands and wildlife healthy in perpetuity. We believe we have a chance - with your help.

How you can help conserve land in Ontario forever: