Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A small parcel of waterfront property facing King Street Park to be known as the Helen Hutcheson Nature Reserve is getting closer to being donated to the Town of Greater Napanee.
A few expenses of around $10,000 remain to complete the transfer, which volunteers with the project are hoping to raise through a crowd funding campaign on the Small Change Fund website, found at https://smallchangefund.ca/project/preserve-a-waterfront-property-for-nature-forever/.
Larry Davey, who owns the just over two-acre plot of land between Huffman Street and the Napanee River, first stated his intent to donate the land to town council during their March 23, 2021 meeting. Council made the motion to accept the donation, provided there were no liabilities found during a survey of the land.
Davey has indicated his desire is to have the land used as a walking path with signage that would highlight the importance of the biodiversity of the shoreline.
“It is my dream to have this section of the Napanee River conserved for nature,” Davey wrote in his letter to council in March. “It is ideally situated across from municipally-owned parkland and would protect the riparian area on the east side of the river. I would be pleased for the municipality to accept this donation and to consider naming the property the “Helen Hutchison Nature Reserve” to honour a well-respected Napanee resident who did so much for her community and for our cultural and natural heritage.”
Since first brought before council, work has begun to make the transfer official.
“There have been assessments done on the property and the species that have been found there,” explained Marilyn Murray, member of the Lennox and Addington Stewardship Council and one of the volunteers assisting with the transfer of property to the town. “It is 275 feet of shoreline on the east side of the Napanee River, directly across from the King Street Park. There has been some human disturbance over the years and there was a fair amount of garbage that was removed from the site. All volunteers were involved in that cleanup. There will be an Eco Gift application going in for the new year.”
Overseen by Environment Canada, the Ecological Gifts Program would prevent any development on the property without permission from the government. Once the application is made it would then become a waiting game of sorts, as the L&A Stewardship Council would then have to await a response from Environment Canada to see if the land would be certified through their program. There’s no exact date as to when they would get a response.
“It’s a way for Canadians to leave a legacy for future generations,” said Murray of the Ecological Gifts Program. “It’s very important for us on the Stewardship Council because that’s kind of our mandate is to protect the landscape of Lennox and Addington and future generations. It fits nicely with who we are.”
Working with the Friends of the Napanee River, the Stewardship and its volunteers plan to remove invasive species and replace them with ones native to the area.
“They call that the riparian zone, that area where the shoreline meets the water,” added Murray. “It’s extremely important for biodiversity, there’s a lot of critters, animals, bacteria, that’s their habitat, it’s a nursery for fish. Wetlands are extremely important. Close to the town we don’t have a lot of green space so I think the town is pleased about this. It’s part of their official plan to increase the green space in the urban area.”
Though small, the property is made up of wetland, forest and meadow habitats.
Donations to the cause of $5 or more are eligible for a charitable receipt.