DONATION OF WOODBURNE FARM – Ilse Elliott is shown with (at left in photo) Brian Horner, staff advisor to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC), and (at right in photo) Roger Lewington, Chairman of the Land Trust Conservancy. Ilse, and her late husband William Elliott, have donated Woodburne Farm to the Land Trust and included a stewardship endowment fund to help conserve the property. The 67-acre farm between Bayfield and Goderich on the shores of Lake Huron will be protected for future generations thanks to the altruistic donation, leaving a lasting legacy and helping to protect a significant creek.
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.
Kate Monk, staff advisor to Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC), speaks with donor Ilse Elliott about the plans to preserve and enhance Woodburne Farm to the benefit of water, soil, and habitat.
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:
Excerpts of 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:
Bayfield River Valley Trail Association, community volunteers, donors raised $70,000 for purchase of 4.75-acre River Flats property in Bayfield
The Bayfield River Flats, a 4.75-acre riverside property was purchased through the generosity of the citizens and organizations of the community of Bayfield and surrounding areas.
The Bayfield Breeze reported that:
“During the autumn of 2016, almost a quarter of the population of the Village of Bayfield donated to a fundraising campaign to purchase the 4.75-acre plot of land on the river, to the immediate southeast of the bridge, known as the Bayfield River Flats. Community-minded people donated from all over North America, including families who cherish this small village and who recognized that this would probably be the last opportunity to ensure that the public would always have access to the river.”
The Bayfield River Flats is now owned and protected in perpetuity by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC), working with the Bayfield River Valley Trails Association.
Bayfield River Flats is preserved permanently by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy thanks to the Bayfield River Valley Trails Association and the many generous donors with an interest in nature preservation in Bayfield and area
During Bayfield’s early years – until 1900 – this tranquil woodland setting was the site of Thomson’s Mill. Until the saw and gristmill were fully operational in the 1840s, area pioneers had to hand saw their lumber and carry their grain on their backs on deer paths to Goderich for milling. The ruins of the mill and the old dam, which was also the first bridge across the Bayfield River, are still visible.
Anglers from all over Southwestern Ontario and beyond come to the Bayfield River to test their skills. The River Flats Natural Area is especially popular because of the extensive restocking program at the upstream hatchery and because it is an important spawning area.
The property features a small hiking trail, canoe launch, picnic areas and wide access to the river for fishing enthusiasts.
A group of community volunteers, sponsored by the Bayfield River Valley Trail Association, negotiated an offer to purchase to buy the 4.75-acre River Flats property, to the immediate southeast of the Bayfield Bridge. The volunteers included Helen Varekamp, Jack Pal, David MacLaren, Roma Harris, Kirsten Harrett, Gayle Waters, Ray Letheren, Larry Dalton, Doug Vanderhaar, Mike Dixon, Wayne McKaig, Sandy Scotchmer, and Dave Gillians.
Organizers of the fundraising campaign called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to acquire about 1,000 feet of riverbank natural area within the old village boundaries of Bayfield. They say purchasing the property has made it possible to preserve access to the naturalized area along the river. The total cost to purchase the property, including all legal and fundraising costs, was $70,000.
The riverbank property and its forested setting beside the river, within the village of Bayfield, has become a place for nature appreciation and Bayfield River access.
The financing condition for property purchase was met by November 30, 2016. Following the closing on January 31, 2017, the project proponents transferred the property to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC). This ensured the land remains part of the community’s local land legacy in perpetuity.
The long-term management agreement between the Bayfield River Valley Trail Association and the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy ensures that the property will be maintained, improved and transformed.
A land trust can permanently protect land to preserve its natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, historical, or agricultural importance. Land trusts or land conservancies are independent, charitable organizations that work with private landowners to preserve open space and nature.
Land trusts accept donations and bequests of land and conservation agreements and, in some cases, may purchase land or conservation agreements. The land is then protected from that time on.
The HTLTC is a volunteer organization with a community board of directors. The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy gives people a safe, reliable, long-term way to leave financial contributions or bequests of real property for the protection of land, water, and habitat for generations to come.
The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy can protect important nature areas for the long term, with the help of “an inspired community that values and protects natural lands and habitat.”
Excerpts of audio interview with Dave Gillians, of Bayfield River Valley Trails Association, by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca, about donation of Bayfield River Flats to land trust
Listen to other excerpts of audio interviews, by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca with donors to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy:
MAYHEW TRACT DEDICATED – A crowd of people came in cars and on bicycles to attend the June 19, 2015 dedication ceremony and sign unveiling for the Mayhew Tract near Holmesville. This ten-acre tract was the first donation of land to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC) and is to be preserved for generations to come. This important forested property – which provides water storage, recharge, and habitat benefits to the area – was donated by the Mayhew family, in memory of Jack and Iris Mayhew. Jack and Iris’s children, Janine, Tim, and Greg, attended the ceremony along with other Mayhew family members. From left to right, in photo, are Roger Lewington, Chairman of the Land Trust Board of Directors; Tim Mayhew; Janine Jones; Greg Mayhew; and Nancy Mayhew.
Mayhew Tract sign unveiled at ceremony
Dignitaries speak at dedication ceremony and sign unveiling to recognize generous donation of land by Mayhew family in memory of Jack and Iris Mayhew; Donation of nature area first for local Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy
Cyclists rode from Bayfield to the Holmesville area on Friday, June 19, 2015, during the Celebration of Water Weekend, to attend the dedication ceremony and sign unveiling for the Mayhew Tract. This important forested property, in the Holmesville area, was donated by the Mayhew Family, in memory of Jack and Iris Mayhew, to the local Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC).
Jack and Iris’s daughter Janine and sons Greg and Tim were among family members to attend the ceremony.
Greg Mayhew, of Holmesville, spoke on behalf of the Mayhew family. He said it was “a little overwhelming” that, instead of a few people shaking hands in front of a sign for a photo, dozens of people attended to witness the dedication of land. “Thank you to everyone who came out today and made this possible,” he said. “It is our hope that this donation will preserve this lot in the natural state that Jack and Iris appreciated and we encourage others to see the value in our forested lands.” He said the parcel is a natural drainage area and provides natural habitat as well.
“Jack and Iris Mayhew farmed here for nearly 43 years,” he said, pointing to the home farm, cater-cornered from the Mayhew Tract.
Greg recalled that at a time when his father, an avid outdoorsman, might have cleared fencerows or removed trees for more crop land, instead “he was still planting trees and creating grassed waterways.”
When recalling the history of the ten-acre parcel that was donated, he said it was a source of firewood and a place to enjoy nature. Greg recalled his mother bringing her children and grandchildren to the site. “Every spring Iris would bring us down to look for pussy-willows, a tradition she continued with her grandkids,” he said.
Huron County Warden Paul Gowing and Municipality of Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn were among the dignitaries who spoke at the ceremony to thank the Mayhew family for the generous donation which will help to provide local forest cover, groundwater recharge, and wildlife habitat for generations to come.
The donation from the Mayhew family was the first one received by the new land trust.
“This is a historic first donation of land to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy,” said Warden Paul Gowing. “I commend the Mayhew family for your generous donation,” he said. “We appreciate your trust in protecting this land in the memory of Jack and Iris Mayhew. Your donation will safeguard wildlife habitat, while enhancing air and water quality for our children’s children,” he said.
Mayor Jim Ginn said it was a pleasure for him to speak at the ceremony for a number of reasons. “It’s a privilege that the first donation to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy happens in Central Huron,” he said. “It is also a privilege because I knew Jack and Iris very well. Jack owned another property directly across the highway from my farm. For a number of years we got to know each other pretty well, and spent many times talking about trees. It was kind of a passion both of us had. On behalf of the Municipality of Central Huron I would like to thank the Mayhew family for donating this and showing the good stewardship practices to preserve this land in perpetuity.”
Bill Strong, Constituency Manager, brought remarks on behalf of Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb, who had a prior commitment at another charitable event. “Ben got to know Jack and Iris very well over the years,” Strong said, and the fact that Jack was an accomplished wood carver made the donation of this woodlot an appropriate way to remember Jack and Iris. “I had the privilege of knowing Jack myself,” said Strong. “Congratulations to the Mayhew family for this donation.”
Bob Radtke, Chairman of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, also brought remarks. The Conservation Foundation facilitated the creation of the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy as a local and permanent way for people to leave a lasting land and nature legacy. People can do this through donations and bequests of land to protect and preserve the natural, recreational, scenic, historical, or agricultural importance of some of the properties of the historic Huron Tract area.
“The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy is a volunteer organization with a separate board of directors,” Radtke said to the crowd. “The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy gives people in the Huron Tract area a way to make a positive difference by helping to protect, restore land, water, and nature. The land is permanently protected to preserve its conservation, heritage, or agricultural values,” he said. “On behalf of the Foundation I would like to commend and thank the Mayhew family for this generous and lasting donation in the memory of Jack and Iris Mayhew. This lasting legacy will not only provide environmental health benefits to the people of this area but it will inspire other people to do the same. This is the start of something very important.”
“This is a special day for the land trust,” said Roger Lewington, Chairman of the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy, marking the first donation of land. “This will be here for generations to come.” There is a need for more forest cover and that makes it even more important to have donations that preserve forest cover we have, Lewington said. “Forest cover provides wind protection, cleans the air we breathe, retains runoff, and provides sanctuary for wildlife.”
The Mayhew Tract is located about two kilometres south of Holmesville, on the northeast corner of Tower Line Road and Parr Line. It is just north of the watershed divide between the Bayfield River and Maitland River.
The ten-acre (four-hectare) Mayhew Tract property is entirely forested. Most of the trees are lowland hardwood (for example, Silver Maple and Aspen) and there are also some conifers near the west side of the property. There is also an intermittent drain on the property. The forest helps to store water through the year and recharge the groundwater table. This is one of the benefits to this nature area along with habitat.
Land trusts or land conservancies are independent, charitable organizations that work with private landowners to preserve open space and nature. Land trusts accept donations and bequests of land and conservation agreements and, in some cases, may purchase land or conservation agreements. The land is then protected from that time on.
The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy gets its name and geographic boundaries from the days of early settlement in this part of Ontario. The Huron Tract was purchased by the Canada Company, an agent of the British government, to be distributed to colonial settlers of Upper Canada.
The HTLTC is a volunteer organization with a community board of directors. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation helped to create the land trust in 2011. The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy gives people a safe, reliable, long-term way to leave financial contributions or bequests of real property for the protection of land, water, and habitat for generations to come.
The Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy can protect important nature areas for the long term, with the help of “an inspired community that values and protects natural lands and habitat.”
For more information visit htltc.ca.
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 Greg Mayhew:
Excerpts of audio interview with Greg Mayhew, by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca, about donation of Mayhew Tract to land trust
Listen to other excerpts of audio interviews, by Judy Maddren, of Soundportraits.ca with donors to the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy:
