Naturally Rich Frontenacs take flight

Jeff Green | Feb 17, 2011

Photo: Meagan Balogh

When Frontenac County completed an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) a couple of years ago, Gray Merriam, who was then the Chair of the Frontenac Stewardship Council, brought the first sustainability project proposal to the county.

It was for a glossy, full colour, magazine format booklet, which he dubbed “The “Naturally Rich Frontenacs”.

The idea was to make use of the talents of people from Frontenac County to produce an informative booklet that includes information about the way people interact with the natural environment in Frontenac County in the way they make their living and spend their leisure time.

The project was a partnership between the Stewardship Council, with Gray Merriam taking a leadership role as editor/driving force, Frontenac County providing funding for printing costs to the tune of $9,000, and the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation providing funding to hire White Lake resident Meghan Balogh, who did the design and layout of the booklet.

“What Meghan also brought to the project, basically as a volunteer, was her talents as a photographer, which is what has given the booklet a lot of its appeal,” said Gray Merriam.

The final product, which will be presented to Frontenac County Council next month, is, in Merriam’s words “as rich as diverse as the Frontenacs themselves”.

It includes articles on stewardship, forestry, endangered species, lakes, fishing, hunting, encountering nature, tourism, art, biodiversity and the most iconic feature of the north end of the county, bedrock. Several “Frontenac Success Stories”, which were first printed in the Frontenac News last summer, are included as well. Residents of Frontenac County wrote almost all of the articles in the booklet.

“We hope that this booklet will generate increased pride in the Naturally Rich Frontenacs and provide a starting place for planning how we can plan to be effective stewards of the remarkable inheritance that we share and will pass on to others,” said Merriam in his introduction.

Effective stewardship, in Merriam’s view, brings an economic reward as well, as “urban populations of Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto are expanding and they want, and can afford, some time away from high-pressure jobs to recreate their spirits.”

The booklet is also meant to promote the work and profile of the Frontenac Stewardship Council, which was formed in 1996. The council received administrative support and a limited amount of seed money from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, but operates as an independent, volunteer-run organisation that works to identify stewardship challenges and gaps, develop partnerships and fund environmental initiatives throughout the county. These initiatives in the past have ranged from tree planting programs, to enhancing spawning beds, to support for landowners interested in developing stewardship plans for their properties.

The stewardship council also provides landowners and others with environmentally related information, and each year sponsors a number of talks and workshops throughout the county on topics as diverse as Fishers, Loons, invasive species, and more. The council meets monthly.

(The Naturally Rich Frontenacs is a free booklet that will be available in the coming weeks at area stores and restaurants, and starting next month, at township offices and other locations.)

A web version of the Naturally Rich Frontenacs has been produced as well. It can be viewed at naturallyrichfrontenacs.com.