October 1st, 2006, London, ON

Conservation Heroes Celebrated!
Carolinian Canada Conservation Award Recipients Announced

On Friday, October 20^th, Carolinian Canada is gathering together a group to celebrate the hard work and dedication of this year’s conservation heroes and award recipients.   All across the Carolinian life zone, from Walsingham in Norfolk County to Windsor in Essex County, and from North Lambton to South Wellington, these hard-working people have been quietly dedicating most of their spare time, and in some cases their careers, to the conservation and restoration of natural habitat and rare species.  The Carolinian Canada Awards are one small way of recognizing and promoting their work.

This year’s conservation heroes have made their marks in many different ways.  Their accomplishments have ranged from donating land to protect valuable habitat, to on-the-ground planting of native trees and shrubs, to public education and political advocacy.

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Henry Kock, another Lifetime Achievement recipient, spent most of his life inspiring others with his dreams of restoring native plants to the Southern Ontario landscape.  Through his horticultural work at the Arboretum at the University of Guelph, and in much  of his spare time, Henry taught people how to identify, plant, and care for native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species and why they are so important to the health of our landscape.  Regrettably, Henry passed away in the middle of his many projects, including a book on planting and raising native species, and so this award is posthumous.  Henry's parents, Dick and Maria, accepted the award on his behalf.

Dan Bissonnette of Windsor is another strong proponent of the value of native species.  Through seminars, workshops and books, he tirelessly promotes native plants and naturalisation of gardens.  He is also a leader and environmental activist who has developed the Naturalized Habitat Network Organization, organized conferences, and spearheaded the effort to save Marsh Field Woods in Essex County from development.

Brenda Lorenz of Sarnia-Lambton loves trees and believes that educating people about the natural world is the best way to achieve the goals of conservation and restoration.  She is an active member of Lambton Wildlife Incorporated, Sarnia Urban Wildlife Committee, the Arbor Week Committee and Chairs the Sarnia Environmental Advisory Committee.  She was instrumental in the development of a naturalized storm water channel for Suncor, and a wetland in the Sarnia Bay area.

The  Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority of Huron, Middlesex and Lambton Counties is the recipient of a group award for their sixty years of protection and restoration work in the Ausable Bayfield watershed.  Their work in education, land stewardship, community involvement, and through partnerships with different levels of government and with landowners has led to many successful accomplishments.  These include the longest running outdoor education program in Ontario – Camp Sylvan, and the development of the Old Ausable Channel Management Strategy, which among other achievements, helps to protect several Species at Risk.  Kate Monk accepted the award on behalf of the ABCA.

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Carolinian Canada is a coalition of over public and community organizations aimed at conserving the wildlife and habitats of southwest Ontario’s Carolinian life zone — a unique ecological region lying south of a line from Toronto and Grand Bend.  Home to Tulip Tree,  Hooded Warbler, Southern Flying Squirrel and other wildlife found nowhere else in Canada, the zone has the richest biological diversity in Canada—and the greatest number of rare and endangered species.  The Coalition management committee includes representatives from conservation, stewardship, education, farming, forestry and planning groups. 

Each year Carolinian Canada presents awards for conservation and education efforts related to the special natural heritage of the Carolinian zone by recognizing outstanding contributions by individuals, corporations, non-profit organizations and government organizations.

Carolinian Canada 2006 Conservation Award Heroes!
	Click here to download original picture (approx 500 KB)

This year, the work of our nominees is being highlighted at the Elm Hurst Inn in Ingersoll on at Carolinian Canada’s Annual General Meeting. 

For more information contact:

Michelle Kanter, Executive Director, Carolinian Canada
(519) 433-7077   mkanter@carolinian.org     www.carolinian.org