Athens Farm Couple Wins 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award

TORONTO, Feb. 24 /CNW/ - The Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA) is pleased to announce that Charlie and Kim Sytsma of Eighth Line Farm are the winners of this year's Environmental Stewardship Award (TESAward), sponsored by RBC Royal Bank and OCA. The Sytsmas run 220 Red Angus cow/calf pairs on their home farm and leased properties near Athens, Ontario, in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, and were nominated for the award by Martin Streit of the Leeds County Stewardship Council, with support from the Charleston Lake Association and the Township of Athens. The Award was presented today at the 2010 OCA Annual General Meeting by Sheila Smart of RBC Royal Bank.

The Sytsmas have been able to lease an extensive area of remote pasture lands and improve their productivity through the use of rotational grazing systems. Over 1.5 kilometers of riparian shoreline habitat has been restored and 480 cattle have been removed from the stream as a result of their actions.

"Charlie and Kim have worked long and hard with the Leeds County Stewardship Council to restore the portions of Elbe creek, which runs through their farms," reports Streit. "They have influenced the improvement of the environmental practices of many farmers through their own actions, hosting tours, giving presentations and word of mouth. Moreover, they have influenced many other farmers to participate in similar projects, resulting in a vast improvement in the condition of Elbe creek."

Cattle are watered using a total of five solar watering systems, which has allowed marginal agricultural lands to be kept in production. The Sytsmas have also constructed over three kilometers of cattle-exclusion fencing to protect a primary source of water for Charleston Lake. The lake boasts the most southerly self-reproducing Lake Trout population in Ontario.

"Kim and Charlie Sytsma are shining examples of how through cooperative efforts real, meaningful environmental improvements can be implemented," says Bill Hallam, President of the Charleston Lake Association (CLA). "The CLA has recognized that in order to keep Charleston Lake healthy, a number of steps had to be taken and (therefore) developed the Charleston Lake Management Plan, one of the first in Ontario. Kim and Charlie were one of the first area farmers to get involved in what we refer to as the Stream Rehabilitation Program. They are outspoken supporters of this program and have hosted many organizations including the Charleston Lake Association to demonstrate what can be accomplished through cooperative measures."

"With a strong dedication to protecting the environment, (Kim and Charlie) have set the example for other agriculture owners to follow to improve the way that farming practices are carried out on private land, in order to improve the beef cattle operation to be more cost efficient," writes John F. Conley, Mayor of the Township of Athens, in his support letter. "They are a hard-working couple who love their animals and are willing to invest in new practices to help our environment and improve their beef cattle industry. It is indeed an honour, as Mayor of our Township, to recommend this couple for this award."

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The Sytsmas will go on to represent Ontario at the National

Environmental Stewardship Award competition to be held the week of

August 8, 2010 in Calgary, Alberta.

TESAward recognizes the outstanding environmental stewardship of an

Ontario cattleman. Special consideration is given to producers who have

taken innovative approaches to environmentally sustainable cattle

production.

The deadline for applications for the 2011 Environmental

Stewardship Award is November 30, 2010.

For details visit the OCA Web site at www.cattle.guelph.on.ca after

March 5, 2010.

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For further information: Charlie and Kim Sytsma, TESA Winners: (613) 924-9241; Sheila Smart, RBC Royal Bank: (519) 376-2441; Martin Streit, Leeds County Stewardship Council: (613) 342-8526; Lianne Appleby, Ontario Cattlemen's Association: (519) 824-0334

Awards

On September 26, 2009 three of our longest-serving members were honoured with special awards by the St Lawrence Parks Commission for their enormous volunteer contributions in the community. John MacLeod, Dwayne Struthers and Garnet Baker were given awards during a special ceremony at Mallorytown Landing. We also want to thank Marion MacLeod, Nancy Struthers and Lorna Baker for all the work that they do behind the scenes.

Green Cottager Award,

Cottager Group

Charleston Lake Association, Ont.

"We were concerned about some trends in development, from crowded shorelines and the increase in boat size, speed, and traffic, to light pollution and excessive signage."

Cottaging at Charleston Lake has a long and storied history. Early photographs show families picnicking on rocky shores, with gentlemen formally dressed in starched collars, suits, and boater hats while women lounge in full-length dresses. By the late 1800s, the lake had become a popular wilderness destination for monied city people drawn by the area's gorgeous scenery, its first-class fishing and high-end resorts, and the emerging cottage-building boom.

Straddling two eastern Ontario townships, Charleston Lake is perched on the ridge of ancient granite that connects the Canadian Shield to the Adirondack Mountains. With a surface area of a little more than 26 sq. km, it is the largest lake in the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve. Charleston watershed covers more than 350 sq. km.

Over the past 100 years, however, human impact has become an increasing concern at the lake. The urban appetite for cottage retreats has burgeoned, and today, hundreds of kilometres of paved and secondary roads criss-cross the watershed, and more than 4,000 buildings dot the landscape. With a long appreciation of the area's recreational benefits and a growing sense of the threats it faced, the Charleston Lake Association, whose roots reach back to 1890, initiated a master lake management plan in 2004 that engaged the entire community, from cottagers and farmers to residents of nearby towns and villages, such as Athens and Lansdowne. "The plan was based on the knowledge we had and the challenges we were facing," says association president Don Curry. "We were concerned about some trends in development, from crowded shorelines and the increase in boat size, speed, and traffic, to light pollution and excessive signage."
They wanted a plan that would enhance the spirit and quality of life for lake users, including 832 cottage families; one that would protect the lake and address the increasing commercial demands. It included water-quality monitoring, partnerships with nearby farmers, septic inspections, and the maintenance of a healthy fishery, all of which would ensure the ongoing preservation of the lake for the region's full- and part-time residents.

The Charleston Lake Healthy Shoreline Review Handbook, which targeted waterfront properties, was among the most important outcomes directly affecting cottage owners. "We customized a shoreline guide for each property and made sure that the documents were delivered to every cottage," says environmental committee director Bill Hallam. "Educating people was the goal. You can't get anywhere if you carry a big stick."

Each of the personalized guides outlined specific issues for that cottage's section of shoreline and featured do-it-yourself solutions for a variety of projects and activities, such as crib foundations, docks and launches, boating care and maintenance, greener waterside construction materials to preserve fish habitat, and landscaping ideas to protect shorelines and wildlife. "Of course, the biggest challenge is to get people to put away their lawn mower," says Hallam.

To support lake users, the association also coordinated a septic-inspection program, overseen by the local Health Unit, and sourced native plants and grasses that cottagers could safely introduce to their waterfronts. They also began to sell environmentally friendly soaps-at cost-from their year-round office in a converted portable classroom near Athens. "The things we can control are the ones we see as the most important," says Hallam. "To date, we've inspected 160 septic systems; 60 per cent passed and 40 per cent needed some kind of work, from complete replacements to pump-outs. No one hesitated to get the work done. Everyone shares a love for the land and the lake."
Ask anyone, and they'll tell you there is something special about Charleston Lake. If the association's enthusiastic volunteer directors have their way, there always will be.

June 25, 2007

RIDEAU VALLEY CONSERVATION AWARD WINNERS

The Conservation Award for 2006 goes to Susan O'Brien-MacTaggart and the Bobs and Crow Lakes Association for completing their lake management plan called "Imagine…A Stewardship Plan for Bobs and Crow Lakes ". This stewardship plan, quarterbacked by Ms O'Brien-MacTaggart and her team of lake landowner volunteers, outlines realistic ways the community can improve the health of their lake area. The plan will have positive environmental effects not only on the two lakes directly involved but on the entire Tay Valley watershed. It took four years of work and is only the second such plan to exist in Eastern Ontario .

In presenting the award, Mary Bryden, Chair of the Conservation Foundation, said that this is the latest and most significant project of the group whose history of protecting their lake goes back 28 years. Other projects include water quality testing, improvements to fish habitat, landowner workshops and delivery of good shoreline stewardship information.

The Conservation Foundation also gave three Honourable Mention awards for 2006 for other areas of volunteer activity. The Friends of the Rideau received Honourable Mention for their ongoing commitment to raising the profile and awareness of the beauty, history, culture and environmental significance of the Rideau Waterway. The certificate was accepted by Friends Board member Rowena Cooper on behalf of President Ed Bebee.

The second Honourable Mention went to Mr. Ken Watson for his very informative and wide-ranging Rideau website. Congratulations to Ken for the creation, maintenance and commitment to telling people about the Rideau for over ten years.

The final Honourable Mention went to Dwayne Struthers and Garnet Baker of the Leeds Stewardship Council for their leadership, dedication and personal effort in creating an environmental corridor between Bellamy Lake and Irish Lake in the Toledo area of Elizabethtown-Kitley. These gentlemen contacted all landowners, brush-hogged sites and eventually planted over 51,000 trees in creating this lake-to-lake wildlife corridor.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is very proud to sponsor the annual Conservation Awards program. These distinctions are given to a volunteer group or individual from our watershed who demonstrates outstanding voluntary stewardship of the natural resources of the valley. Past awards have been given for work in forestry, community involvement, water quality improvements and watershed information. The program is in its 11th year.

It is our intention to highlight some of the many people and groups doing excellent work along the Rideau and its tributaries. Sincere thanks to all who are doing their share to take care of this beautiful part of Ontario in which we live.

This year's awards were handed out at a joint meeting and tour for all Advisory Board members of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority held recently in Smiths Falls .

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More information: Charles Billington

Executive Director

Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation

613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext 1116

charles.billington@rideauvalley.on.ca