To: Watershed News Media

March 23, 2006

Are you interested in learning more about your property and doing something to improve the environment in your own backyard?

If your answer is yes, you are in luck, according to Environmental Technician Holly Evans of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA). Opportunities exist for landowners in the Wilton Creek area to become involved through stewardship activity.

The Wilton Creek Association, the Lennox and Addington and Frontenac Stewardship Councils, Ducks Unlimited and the CRCA have pooled resources to make a difference on a local scale, says Ms. Evans.

Wilton Creek and its tributaries flow into the Bay of Quinte, a part of Lake Ontario that is listed as an Area of Concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement because of excessive nutrients, loss of wetlands, contaminated sediments and bacterial contamination.

"One of the most effective ways to improve the health of the bay is to improve the quality of the water that flows into it," says Ms. Evans. "Simple projects like planting trees and shrubs along streams, fixing erosion problems and implementing agricultural best management practices can make a big difference."

If you own land in the Wilton Creek area and want to be part of a project in which you and future generations can take pride, call Holly Evans at the CRCA to learn more.

For more information call:

Holly Evans, Environmental Technician (613) 546-4228 ext. 244