Generous donation of Woodburne Farm protects significant creek and creates a lasting local legacy
News release issued on March 29, 2018:
A 67-acre farm between Bayfield and Goderich on the shores of Lake Huron will be protected for future generations thanks to the altruistic donation to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC) by Ilse Elliott and her late husband William Elliott. In late February, they donated Woodburne Farm to the Land Trust and included a stewardship endowment fund to help conserve the property.
“We have had a good living in Canada and this is an opportunity for us to contribute to the people of Canada,” Ilse said.
The farm means a lot to the family and when it became surplus to her needs, Ilse started to think about what she would like to have happen with the property. Elliott connected with the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy to see how the work of protecting the land and water could continue.
“We did our best to protect Naftel’s Creek by planting trees and I wanted to make sure the land would be well looked after for many years to come,” she said.
The donor met with representatives from the Land Trust several times to discuss her goals for the farm and how her vision fit with the Land Trust’s conservation mandate. A staff advisor prepared a draft management plan that outlined actions that would protect soil and water health as well as natural heritage.
The name Woodburne comes from the Scottish words for trees and creek. Naftel’s Creek is one of hundreds of streams that flow directly into Lake Huron. It has cold water fish species including several species of trout.
The Elliotts’ legacy of tree planting continues this springtime when the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority will plant nearly 12,000 seedling trees on the agricultural land. Although not a requirement of receiving the land from Elliott, the Land Trust is pleased that this can be started this year. Tree cover is low in the county and planting trees on Woodburne Farm is significant for soil and water conservation as well as wildlife habitat and clean air.
“We are thrilled to receive this generous donation and will work to continue the legacy of caring for the land and water,” said Roger Lewington, Chairman of the HTLTC.
This is the largest parcel owned by the land trust and it has key environmental benefits, particularly to the health of Lake Huron.
The HTLTC was formed in 2011, by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, a registered Canadian charity, and the land trust serves the area of the historic Huron Tract from the early days of settlement. The HTLTC is a volunteer organization with a separate board of directors and is a member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy accepts donations and bequests of land and gives people in the Huron Tract area a way to make a positive difference by helping protect and restore land, water, and nature.
For more information on the Conservancy, please call 1-888-286-2610 or visit htltc.ca.
Interview with Ilse Elliott
Voices of the Donors
Love of the Land: Capturing the Voices of Donors
The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy would like to thank and acknowledge Huron Heritage Fund, of the County of Huron, for their generous financial support of the Love of the Land: Capturing the Voices of Donors project. Through this support, the County of Huron is preserving valuable heritage assets and activities of heritage importance to the County of Huron and its residents.
Enjoy these excerpts from an audio interview by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca, with Ilse Elliott:
Music by bensound.com
Listen to other excerpts of audio interviews, by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca with donors to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy: