Chair Andy Mitchell and the Board of Directors of Otonabee Conservation were pleased to present the Environmental Excellence Awards during the Anniversary Celebration held Thursday, June 6th at Northview Gardens in Selwyn Township.
As Chair Mitchell remaked, “In our 60th anniversary year we honor those who have made significant contributions to a legacy which will benefit community members for many more years to come.”
Jacob Rodenburg
As Chair Mitchell noted, 2018 was very busy for Otonabee Conservation. Our education programs alone involved over 4,100 students – both elementary and secondary – in such popular programs as Spring Water Awareness and Be a Watershed Steward. The latter program is offered in partnership with Camp Kawartha.
At the helm of Camp Kawartha is its executive director – Jacob Rodenburg. Among Jacob’s many accomplishments and prestigious awards as an educator, author and speaker, is a new and exciting project –which we are very pleased to be a part of – the Pathway to Stewardship and Kinship – the education framework designed to articulate key benchmarks and experiences all children should have access to throughout their development in order to become engaged and active stewards.
The Pathway to Stewardship and Kinship is one of the objectives in the Peterborough and the Kawartha’s successful application to become a UNESCO Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.
The Friends of Hope Mill
While the Authority Board was holding its regular monthly meeting in April of 2001, the Hope Mill was set ablaze. Thanks to the quick response of the volunteer firefighters of Otonabee-South Monaghan Township, the blaze was quickly extinguished. What happened next set in motion years of restoration to reclaim the charm and character of the Hope Mill, one of Ontario’s last remaining water-powered sawmills – in situ – on the banks of the Indian River.
Otonabee Conservation applauds and expresses our sincere appreciation to the members of The Friends of Hope Mill for their initiative, dedication, and enthusiasm in their mission to fully restore and maintain the charming character and operation of the historic Hope Mill for the enjoyment of area residents and visitors to the region.
Pictured left to right: Jamie Crossley, David Reeces, Susan Guest, Josie McCubbin, Alex McCubbin (President), Sherry Senis (ORCA Vice-Chair), Robert (Bob) Rehder (Founding Volunteer Coordinator), Andy Mitchell (ORCA Chair), Terry Guest, Cathy Pede and Wayne Hare
The Otonabee Region Conservation Foundation
The late Christine Nornabell, founding Chair was attuned to the growing interest in the work of the Authority. Mrs. Nornabell felt that the community needed an opportunity to support the work of the conservation authority, beyond the Boardroom and in 1968 the Otonabee Region Conservation Foundation was established.
For 50 years, community members have actively participated on the Board of the Conservation Foundation and chose the Foundation as their charity of choice for the advancement of conservation in our watershed. Environmentally significant lands were acquired, education programs and student bursaries were funded, trees were planted, and heritage buildings were restored.
After considerable thought and examination of their capacity to continue, the Board of Directors of the Conservation Foundation decided to surrender its Charter in 2018 and conclude their fundraising efforts.
Otonabee Conservation was extremely fortunate to have had the support of such dedicated individuals – members of this community – support us during the past five decades. The watershed community is much richer, in so many ways, for their efforts and for this we are truly grateful.
Accepting the Environmental Excellence Award was Richard Raper, President of the former Otonabee Region Conservation Foundation, and Terry Low, former Director accompanied by Sherry Senis and Andy Mitchell.