Your donation helps The Couchiching Conservancy protect the Alvar.

WHY IS THE ALVAR IMPORTANT?

- an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBBA), an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and contains globally rare alvar habitat and species;

- Home to a variety of Species-At-Risk;

- An important rest stop for migrating birds;

- Builds a stronger corridor of connected wilderness for large mammals;

- Carden Alvar hosts more than 230 bird species, 450 plants, and 140 butterfly/dragonfly species;

- Area is important for our communities - it helps reduce flooding, helps store carbon and is a nature-based solution to our changing climate.

(and really, it's such a cool area. "Ontario's Serengeti")

OUR WORK ON THE ALVAR:

- over 10,000 acres secured and cared for with partners like Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ontario Parks;

- stewardship efforts such as trail maintenance;

- species monitoring efforts such as the Carden Bird Blitz;

- partnerships with local landowners, non-profits such as Wildlife Preservation Canada to protect habitat for Species-at-Risk such as Eastern Loggerhead Shrike;

- coordinate Community Science monitoring (such as water, monarchs, snakes) with almost 200 active volunteers.

No matter where you live, protecting nature is something that benefits us all.

WHAT IS THE CARDEN CHALLENGE?

Teams head out on the Alvar or at home in search of as many species as possible in 24-hours. There are prizes. There is even pie at the end! It's a great time. Last year they counted an impressive 247 species!