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.
Stewardship Series 2010/2011
The 2010/2011 Stewardship Series is here!
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 2010/2011 are as follows:
Management Options for your Woodlot
Wildlife in your Woodlot - Challenges of Co-Existing
Maple Syrup-Opreations and Opportunities
To see this year's line-up, view our brochure.
TREE AND SHRUB PLANTING PROGRAM for Spring 2011!
We are pleased to announce that the Tree Planting Program will be rolling out early this year! We will be accepting applications throughout the summer of 2010, up until September 30th, 2010. This is to enable landowners to take photos of their properties and assess their property needs during the summer, instead of the winter months.
The Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council's Tree Planting Program is intended for Haliburton landowners who are interested in restoring or enhancing their woodlots or shorelines with trees and shrubs native to Haliburton's seed zone. To apply, or for more information, download this Tree Planting Application and return it, along with photos of your property, to Tracey Teel via Email: hhsc.intern@gmail.com, Fax: (705)286-4355, or Mail:
Box 820, 12698 Hwy. 35
Minden, ON K0M 2K0
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.
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.
Discovery Days 2010!
Discovery Days are now finished for 2010, but please check back in Spring 2011 for more information!
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. The 2010 topics included:
- Geocaching: A GPS Treasure Hunt, where participants learned hqw to use Global Positioning Systems to explore their natural environment in an outdoor treasure hunt.
- Wildlife CSI, where families learned how to employ Wildlife Forensics to solve a wildlife crime scene.
- Why Wetlands? This was a 4km hike through a succesion of wetlands, led by Wildlife biologist Paul Heaven. participants learned abut the history and iimportance of wetlands and the creatures that dwell in them. Sssciensational Snakes was kind enough to join in the fun with their wonderful critters, too!
- Wings Over the Highlands explored the world of butterflies, from their evolution to their identification. We were able to catch and release a variety of different butterflies!
- In Search of Haliburton Gold took you into the world of the unique genetic strain of trout found only in Haliburton. Participants turned into technicians while they counted, measured, and weighed the fish.
- Traditional Native Stories of the Land explores the dwindling art of storytelling and drumming to tell the teaching of Mother Earth.
Thank you to all those who registered, and a special thanks to all of our wonderful presenters!
To view the 2010 Discovery Day brochure, click HERE.
Junior Naturalist Camps 2010!
Haliburton Highlands Stewardship Council and Out to Learn have delivered another successful year of Junior Naturalist Camps. Check back in Spring 2011 for next year's camps!
These camps are where 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, and programs are led by an experienced outdoor educator. Click here to view the past season's Junior Naturalist Camp Brochure.