Lathrop Nature Preserve pond restoration community information session August 19
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will begin its Lathrop Nature Preserve pond restoration project to improve water quality and public safety this fall. NCC and its partners, Trout Unlimited Canada and Niagara College, have completed the initial surveying and planning stages; they are now set to begin the on-the-ground restoration work.
Community members are invited to a virtual information session to learn about the project’s plan and timeline on August 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m EDT. This will be the third session that has been held and will include presentations from Ian Smith, Niagara College professor and Brian Green, a founding member of Trout Unlimited Canada’s Niagara Chapter.
Warm water from two old artificial ponds in the nature preserve threatens the survival of coldwater species, like the brook trout downstream in Twelve Mile Creek — the last-remaining self-sustaining population of this fish in the Niagara Region. NCC and its partners work will streamline the water flow through the ponds, increasing the creek’s water quality, and repair the former railbed to ensure visitors’ safety on the trail.
The estimated cost of this three-year project is $660,000. NCC, a non-profit and registered charity, is currently fundraising for the work, which is set to begin this fall. The charity must raise $100,000 to ensure the best possible outcomes for the species and habitats that the nature preserve aims to protect, while also improving trail safety.
During the restoration, a section of the trail will be closed, with signage posted accordingly.
To register for the virtual community information session on August 19, or to make a donation, please visit natureconservancy.ca/lathrop or contact NCC conservation biologist Liv Monck-Whipp at 519-865-4693 or liv.monck-whipp@natureconservancy.ca.
Quotes
“The Lathrop property represents not only a critical part of the Town of Pelham’s rich natural heritage, but one of the last natural areas that supports the Niagara Region’s only sustainable coldwater stream with the remnants of the Peninsula’s last native trout population. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and its supporters have stepped up and are working to protect this irreplaceable part of Fonthill, Pelham and Niagara.” – Ian Smith, professor of Environmental Studies at Niagara College
“We’re very excited about partnering with Niagara College and Trout Unlimited Canada’s Niagara Chapter. Together, we have conducted extensive restoration work within the Twelve Mile Creek watershed. This project will contribute to that bigger effort to improve water quality and fish habitat in Niagara’s last coldwater creek.” - Liv Monck-Whipp, conservation biologist, Nature Conservancy of Canada
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation's leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 14 million hectares (35 million acres), coast to coast to coast, with more than 84,000 hectares (207,000 acres) in Ontario. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
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