Welcome to the Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council website! Bounded on the south by Victoria County and Peterborough County, on the north by Algonquin Park, on the west by the District of Muskoka, and on the East by Nipissing County and Hastings County, Haliburton County is the heart of Ontario's cottage country. This area is also what ecologist call an ecotone, a transitional zone which lies between the Canadian Sheild and the St. Lawrence Lowlands and it now has a name, The Land Between.

The rolling open country of southern Ontario rises more than 430 meters into the Haliburton Highlands. Resting on the Canadian Shield, the forest covered hills stretch as far as the eye can see, revealing hundreds of beautiful clear lakes in a dramatic Canadian landscape covering 452,000 hectares. The Highlands are 60 meters above sea level.

Although there are mines and forest-product industries, the county is primarily a center of recreation, cottage ownership and tourism, and has only a modest industrial base. There is little crown land with Minden and Haliburton being the largest population centres among many small communities. This creates unique challenges in ensuring proper resource stewardship throughout the county. The Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council works closely with landowners and local community partners, providing tools and resources to ensure that good land management practices flourish and Haliburton County's natural beauty remains for future generations to enjoy.

TREE AND SHRUB PLANTING PROGRAM 2010!

The Tree Planting Program is back, and bigger than ever. This year, landowners pay only 50% on their tree order, courtesy of Patient News Publishing! Patient News is a publishing company based in Haliburton who specializes in the dentistry field, and is dedicated to being an environmentally responsible company. In a continual effort to reduce their environmental footprint, Patient News is planting 4200 trees!

For those who are not familiar with it, the Tree Planting Program is provided by the Haliburton Stewardship Council, in partnership with the Bancroft Area stewardship Council, and is intended for landowners in Haliburton who are interested in restoring or enhancing their woodlots and shorelines with trees and shrubs native to Haliburton's seed zone.

For more information, or to apply, please click the 2010 Tree Planting Application

If you are interested in planting trees on your property, and would like more information about the planting process and site preparation, please click on the link for a list of free Tree Planting Workshops in your area. Workshops are hosted by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trees Ontario, Ontario Forestry Association (OFA), and local partners.

For any groups or organizations that are interested in applying on behalf of multiple landowners, each planting site must have its own application and photos of the planting site. To discuss further options on how your group can carry out such an endeavour, please contact us via E-mail: hhsc.intern@gmail.com, or phone: (705)286-5205

Discovery Days 2010!

Stewardship Discovery Days are fun, educational and interactive sessions about local ecosystems and natural features. There are six sessions throughout July and August, which are held on Wednesdays. Some fo this years topics include:

• Geocaching: A GPS Treasure Hunt, where participants will learn to use Global Positioning Systems to explore their natural environment in an outdoor treasure hunt. No experience is necessary, and GPS nuits will be provided.
• Wildlife CSI, where families will learn how to employ Wildlife Forensics to solve a wildlife crime scene.
• Why Wetlands? This is a 4km hike through a succesion of wetlands, led by Wildlife biologist Paul Heaven, during which you will be better aquainted with the beauty that is our marshes and bogs.

Keep checking back for more sessions and dates!

For more information, please contact the stewardship coordinator via Email: Nicole.tuyten@ontario.ca or phone: (705)286-5206. To register, Please Contact Out To Learn, Email: info@glenside-eco.ca, or phone: (705)286-3181. A registration fee of $25.00 applies, and is due at the time of the session.

Stewardship Series 2009/2010

The 2009/2010 Stewardship Series was wrapped up on Feb. 22nd, 2010 with the Maple syrup Workshop, hosted by Mike Walsh. A very special thanks to Mike Walsh, who is retiring this year, and is a key operator in the stewardship series. The program would not be as successful as it is without him! Also, thank you to the partners, vendors, and participants for all their support.

Check back in May for information on the 2010/2011 Stewardship Series!

The Stewardship Series is an informative day long workshop series for landowners, cottagers and land stewards. These workshops provide a better understanding of ecosystems and the principles and practices of land stewardship. The workshops for 2009/2010 were as follows:

Management Options for your Woodlot

Whats New in Wildlife Research

Maple Syrup-Opreations and Opportunities

To see the past year's line-up, view our brochure.

Lake Planning Handbook for Community Groups

Attention waterfront property owners!

The Lake Planning Handbook is now available to all lake association and land owners. Developed in partnership with the Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations (FOCA) and French Planning Services Inc. this tool is designed to assist waterfront property owners in both engaging and supporting the members of their community in stategic planning and water resource stewardship initiatives. To purchase a copy please contact FOCA at www.foca.on.ca, email lakeplanning@foca.on.ca, or call (705) 749-3622. For more information call the Stewarship Council at (705) 286-5206 or email us at Nicole.tuyten@ontario.ca.

Junior Naturalist Camp

Nature Enthusiasts aged 7-10 can take part in a variety of activities that explore our natural world. Every session has nature based activities and crafts for participants to take home and enjoy.

The 2010 brochure is coming soon!

Water Property Owner?

Interested in maintaining a healthy environment for your community and wildlife as well?

Check out our Lakeland Living guide for shoreline property owners.

/councils/haliburton/files/3357_Lakeland_Living_Guide_final.pdf

Contact Information:

Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council
c/o Ministry of Natural Resources
Box 820, 12698 Highway 35
Minden, ON
K0M 2K0

phone: (705) 286-5206
fax: (705) 286-4355
e-mail: nicole.tuyten@ontario.ca

Features:

CLICK HERE to see a list of Stewardship Councils and Coordinators in the province.

CLICK HERE to visit the Ontario Stewardship Home Page where you can learn more about the program and find your local community stewardship council home page.

CLICK HERE to reach the vast library of extension notes available to you through the Ministry of Natural Resources website.

CLICK HERE to access links to local level organizations and beyond.