| These Awards were
presented at the Conservation Banquet on October 1st, 1999 as part
of the Annual Carolinian Forum
Individual: Paul Prevett
Paul Prevett has
been recognized by his peers and Carolinian Canada for his
outstanding contribution to the securement and management of
natural habitat in the Carolinian zone.
Paul chaired the
protection sub-committee for the first Carolinian Canada program
and has very effectively led and coordinated teams in resources
planning, research, and program development and implementation. He
has been very successful in bringing the stakeholders to the
discussion table and keeping them there until strategies,
solutions and plans are developed and agreed upon.
In addition to long
days spent with on the Carolinian Canada program Paul has been
extensively involved in the preparation of the Backus Woods
management plan, guidelines for Forest Management in Areas of
Natural and Scientific Interest, and the recovery plan for Red
Mulberry, an endangered species.
Some of us remember
the earlier days of the Carolinian Canada program and the typical
Protection Subcommittee meeting. At a round table Paul would sit
with mini cigar in mouth and chair a meeting which was typically
attended by Steven Price – World Wildlife Fund Canada, Tom
Beechey – MNR, Bill Sargent – Nature Conservancy of Canada
representative, Yvette Wells – MNR, John Riley-MNR, Bryan Howard
and Rebecca Goodwin – Ontario Heritage Foundation, Stewart Hilts
and Tom Moull – OHF Stewardship Award Program, University of
Guelph and Wayne MacMillan – Association of Conservation
Authorities of Ontario. It took effective leadership and
coordination to achieve the objectives of this new innovative
program and Paul held a key role.
Presented by Wayne
MacMillan, Grand River Conservation Authority and Carolinian
Canada
Organization:
Canadian Chestnut Council
Few of us that work in the natural
environment settings in the Carolinian zone of Ontario do not know
the tragic effect of the importation of the foreign Chestnut
Blight on our native chestnut. From being a major forest component
and one of the most useful and versatile trees of our forest, the
native north American chestnut disappeared from the map in a
matter of 30 years. By 1924 Professor Sherwood Fox of the
University of Western Ontario reported only 1 seed bearing tree
left in Norfolk County.
A few landowners have made attempts
to save or revive the chestnut but the blight was unforgiving and
allowed only a very few isolated trees to grow to a size that
could bear fruit. To some that was a challenge waiting to be
conquered
The creator of the Canadian
Chestnut Council was without doubt Dr. Colin McKeen, a retired
plant pathologist who lived in Ottawa but grew up in the Strathroy
area where he had seen the demise of chestnut. The charter members
of the council in 1989 included John Fingland, the regional
forester for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, John
Ambrose of the Guelph Arboretum, Doug Campbell a long time nut
promoter from Niagara on the Lake, John Gartshore a well known
conservationist from Ancaster and Dolf Wynia, Nursery
Superintendent at the St. Williams Forest Station. Many
conservationists have since taken a tour of service with the
council.
Through the last ten years, members
of the council have been involved in activities such as the
collection of seed and growing seedlings, testing disease control
methods, using "hypo virulent" strains, outplanting
hundreds of seedlings for observation and preservation of the gene
pools, sponsoring scientific research, maintaining accurate
records of healthy and diseased trees and most of all keeping
interested citizens informed through newsletters and public
meetings about this magnificent tree that used to be such an
important part of our Carolinian forests and the lives of our
rural citizens. Every year new trees are being found even though
many are still dying from the disease. The Canadian Chestnut
Council is making a difference by giving us hope for at least a
partial recovery of a major natural component of our forest
The Canadian Carolinian Coalition
as an umbrella organization of conservation organizations wishes
to congratulate the Canadian Chestnut Council for the
contributions already made and the promise of commitment to this
important Carolinian natural treasure by awarding it the first
Annual Carolinian Canada Conservation Award.
Presented by Dolf Wynia, Ontario
Forestry Association and Carolinian Canada
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