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Greetings!
Greetings!

With the holiday season around the corner, natural spaces and hiking trails offer many of us the opportunity to slow down, find places of solitude, connect with family outdoors, or engage our curiosity as we explore the details in nature!

As I reflect on the challenges of this past year, I'm grateful for the public access to the Couchiching Conservancy Nature Reserves and trails for keeping my family mentally & physically healthy. This gift is extended to many others in our local community, to help build our resilience and protect the wildlife who call these habitats their home.

Recently, we completed the annual “Nature Counts” which summarizes all the data that volunteer teams helped collect. After these presentations, I was in awe of the commitment and teamwork going into monitoring/stewarding our local nature reserves. Thank you to the volunteers & supporters for all that you do – let’s keep up the fantastic work going into this new year!
Ryan Lamoureux
Field Technician
Celebrating Our Success 
As 2021 comes to a close and we look forward to ringing in 2022, The Couchiching Conservancy has an incredible bounty to be grateful for, and we invite you to share the feeling.

This year, The Conservancy was able to continue its essential work despite the ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic. The Community (Citizen) Science program continued to turn in outstanding amounts of high-quality data on the health of lands and waters in our region, thanks to our volunteers.

The Nature Reserves in our care continued to thrive and house species at risk, with the next generation of birds, reptiles and mammals appearing in the spring. And, my fellow staff have remained as dedicated as ever to the cause of conservation, despite the challenges of working from home, and the shifting sands of pandemic policies coming at them thick and fast.
NEW 100-acre Nature Reserve protected
“Thanks to the generosity of Gary Nicholson, the Nicholson family, and the hundreds of people who have donated to the Corridors Campaign, we have been able to create another beautiful nature reserve in the heart of the Black River Wildlands Corridor,” said Mark Bisset, Executive Director of The Couchiching Conservancy.

“This reserve is very remote and difficult to access, but it provides habitat for a number of Species at Risk. It takes us one step closer to our goal of protecting a wildlife corridor that runs from the Mud Lake Wetland Complex in the south right up into Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park.”
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
Deadman Easement | Dec 2, 2015
Grant Wetland | Dec 12, 1996
Wilson Point Wetland | Dec 12, 1996
McDarker Wetland | Dec 12, 1999
Ron Reid (& Friends) NR | Dec 15, 2017
Prospect Marsh NR | Dec 19, 2012
Turnbull Ranch NR | Dec 19, 2014
Russell Easement | Dec 20, 2012
Adams NR | Dec 22, 2016
Probst Easement | Dec 22, 2011
Ling Easement | Dec 23, 2015

That's 2,183 protected acres!
+ 100 more

THANK YOU
Staff Holiday Message
Need a good laugh?
Ready to rest and reset?

Dorthea and Tanya reflect on the ever-busy season and brainstorm ideas for our annual holiday message. I wonder what they came up with...
The office will be closed for the holidays as of 3:00pm on Friday, December 24 and will re-open Monday, January 3. The office remains closed to the public as staff continue to work at home or, periodically in the office. It is always best to call or email so staff can assist you.

To make a charitable donation before ringing in the New Year, please visit our
Give the Gift of Nature!
The holidays are quickly approaching, and we’ve got you covered with a new Holiday Green Giving Guide! Here’s our list of ideas for experiences or gifts to purchase in support of the mission to protect nature.
Psst.. for only $25, you can Protect an Acre - that's 43,560 square feet!
City urged to 'reject province's bullying' growth targets
The December 1st open house drew plenty of opinions as Orillia looks to expand boundary; city 'needs to grow up, not creep and crawl'

The open house was intended to focus not on annexation, but rather to discuss the planning process to help inform staff and consultants as they work to find the best vacant, undeveloped land surrounding Orillia for future expansion.

Annexation made its way into the conversation, though, in questions and comments provided by some of the approximately 200 people who registered.
A Little Something Just for You..
A Bride Dances, around 1937 © Emilio Amero
Save 15% off ROM Admission
Buy your timed tickets online and enter Promo code: COUCHICHING

November 20, 2021 – April 18, 2022

On view through January 16, 2022
Protecting Nature for Future Generations
We operate on the territory of the Anishnaabeg
705-326-1620
Box 704, Orillia, ON L3V 6K7
1485 Division Rd W.
Charitable #: 13972 5030 RR0001