Posted on September 11, 2010.
Please download and distribute our latest pamphlet, Taking action to protect Long Point's wildlife and wetlands.
Here is what we've accomplished to date:
- Initiated, funded and commissioned comprehensive feasibility study on how to reduce wildlife road kill, restore water connections between the Big Creek Marsh and Inner Bay, improve public safety and enhance the natural
attractiveness of the Causeway.
- Consulted widely with community and government agencies on project.
- Attracted significant interest in media and scientific community about the
proposed work.
- Initiated, funded and carried out temporary measures to reduce road
kill including the installation of 4,000 metres of wildlife barrier fencing,
artificial nesting mounds for turtles and signage to alert drivers to watch
for wildlife on the roadway.
- Succeeded in reducing road kill of many species, including Species at Risk
turtles and snakes.
- Secured $600,000 in funding to support project including nearly $400,000
to install three ecopassages next year that will allow animals to pass safely
under the Causeway.
- Carried out monitoring studies of wildlife road mortality along the Causeway
over the past three summers to verify the effectiveness of temporary measures
Secured hundreds of hours of volunteer time in support of project.
- Accomplished all of the above at no cost to Norfolk County taxpayers.
Posted on March 24, 2008.
The Long Point Causeway Improvement Project began in October 2006 when representatives of several local community groups, non-government organizations and provincial and federal agencies volunteered to serve on a Steering Committee to guide the project. As well, several individual citizens agreed to serve. These people set terms of reference for the project, retained the Ecoplans consulting firm to undertake the improvement study and continue to oversee the on-going development of this ambitious long-term project.
A Science subcommittee was also formed to advise the Steering Committee on scientific issues related to the project’s implementation.
Many of the people serving on these committees are well-known in the local community and/or bring considerable expertise to the table. To date, they have collectively committed hundreds of hours of volunteer time to this project.
ST = Steering Committee SC = Science Committee
Jim Abbey (ST)
Former Executive Director
Ruffed Grouse Society Canada
Dr. Dave Ankney (ST, SC)
Professor Emeritus of Biology,
University of Western Ontario
Paul Ashley (ST)
Senior Ecologist
Environmental Services Group
Hatch Ltd.
Brian Craig (ST, SC)
Landscape Ecologist
Southwestern Ontario Field Unit
Parks Canada Agency
Bill Cridland (ST)
Manager of Roads
Norfolk County
Al Freeman
Vice President
Long Point Country Chamber of Commerce
Paul Gagnon (ST, SC)
Manager, Water Resources
Long Point Region Conservation Authority
Cathy Giesbrecht (ST)
Supervisor, Environmental Unit, West Region
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Scott D. Gillingwater (ST,SC)
Species At Risk Biologist,
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
Paul Givens (ST)
Director
Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation
Ron Gould (SC)
Species at Risk Biologist, Aylmer District
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Pud Hunter (ST, SC)
District Biologist, Aylmer District
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Stephana Johnston (ST)
Citizen member
Paula Jongerden (ST)
Chair
LPCIP Steering Committee
Jim Malcolm (ST)
President
Long Point Waterfowlers Association (LPWA)
Jon McCracken (ST, SC)
Director of National Programs,
Bird Studies Canada
Kurt Oldenburg (ST, SC)
Fisheries Ecology Supervisor
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Lake Erie Management Unit
Dr. Scott Petrie (SC)
Executive Director
Long Point Waterfowl
Dr. Bill Rapley (ST)
Executive Director Conservation, Education and Research
Toronto Zoo
Dave Reid (ST, SC)
Coordinator
Norfolk Land Stewardship Council
Crystal Robertson
Wildlife Biologist
Municipality of Kitchener-Waterloo
Jeff Robinson (SC)
National Wildlife Area Manager
Canadian Wildlife Science
Shirley Rothery (ST)
Norfolk Field Naturalists
Robert Scott
Citizen member
Contract Staff
Bernt (Bernie) Solymár (ST)
Coordinator,
Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation
Bernie worked for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for 12 years. Since 2001 he has operated EarthTramper Consulting Inc., a company specializing in sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and species at risk conservation. He holds a BSc Honours (Agriculture) from the University of Guelph (1985) and a MSc in Biology from Brock University (1988). He has authored numerous technical, outreach and educational materials. He is currently co-chair of Kids for Turtles, a director with the Norfolk Field Naturalists, and president of Simcoe and District Youth Soccer Inc.
Rick Levick
Project Coordinator
Long Point Causeway Improvement Project
Rick served as president of the Long Point Bay Anglers Association for 11 years.
A public relations consultant and writer, Rick has provided public relations counsel and services to several federal and Ontario government departments and to major corporations. In 2000, he founded a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of biotechnology education in Canadian schools and served as its executive director until 2006. Rick holds a MA in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario and the professional accreditation, APR, from the Canadian Public Relations Society.
