July 06, 2021
Norfolk County, Ontario
Wallace Hammond, a lifelong resident of Woodhouse Township, is concerned about the loss of the wetlands that he remembers as a boy. In conversation with Peter Carson, the President of Long Point Basin Land Trust (LPBLT), Mr. Hammond said, “We hear about the importance of wetlands all the time, but they keep on disappearing”. Hoping to lead by example, he decided to donate a property that he loves and that has been in the family for several generations, to try and protect it for generations to come. Mr. Carson feels that this donation is a good fit for the Land Trust, which is in the business of preservation not just of wetlands but of all forms of biodiversity.
“LPBLT is in the forever business here in Norfolk County, the centre of some of the richest Natural Heritage real-estate in Canada”, said Mr. Carson. “By setting aside significant properties, such as this wetland, we are helping to make sure that our children and our children’s children can experience the magic of nature firsthand”.
The property covers 61.6 acres near the burgeoning town of Port Dover. It is dominated by a super canopy of large, old oaks that are almost invisible from the ground due to the underlying dense canopy of hemlock, and is interspersed with pristine sloughs that are a rare find in southern Ontario. Due to its location, it is an important site for migratory and nesting birds near the north shore of Lake Erie. This is the largest property donated to LPBLT, and had the advantageous bonus of allowing the organization to leverage and access a significant amount of funding to protect a second property as part of a larger securement project.
Long Point Basin Land Trust is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and receipt of The Hammond Hemlock Slough Reserve, the organization’s 12th natural property, is a fitting way to celebrate this milestone. Generous donations, such as Mr. Hammond has made, will help keep Norfolk healthy and a wonderful diverse place to live.
“I commend my friend and neighbour, Wally Hammond, for this very generous donation of family land,” said Toby Barrett, MPP Haldimand Norfolk. “Mr. Hammond is well-known in the Woodhouse – Port Dover community and his work with Long Point Basin Land Trust is an admirable addition to his legacy.”
Long Point Basin Land Trust was founded in 1996 with a mission to protect and restore functioning ecosystems in the central Carolinian Region. This is accomplished through land ownership, land management and nature stewardship. Learn more at longpointlandtrust.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
The property has been secured with the support of the Government of Ontario and Ontario Land Trust Alliance, through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, which helps conserve ecologically important natural areas and protect wetlands, grasslands and forests that help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, a total of $50 million will be invested over four years, including $20 million from the Ontario government, and another $30 million from other sources, such as individual donations and foundation support through the NCC and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, and other levels of government.
