2022 Wondaers of Wetlands Field Day seeks support from Limerick

By Mike Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At their meeting on Dec. 20, Limerick Township council received a letter in their agenda package from Ian Hendry, the chair of the Bancroft and Area Stewardship Council, requesting financial support for the Wonders of Wetlands Field Day coming up in 2022. After a brief discussion of Hendry's request, council voted to receive and file the letter, and it will be brought back to council at their January meeting to further discuss a donation to the BASC.

The Wonders of Wetlands Field Day, which the BASC is already busy planning for, according to Hendry, is coming up in June, 2022 and will be held in Bancroft. This biannual event has been held for close to 15 years and was originally founded by BASC director Betty Coutu. It educates local students in third and fourth grade and gives them a hands-on interactive experience to learn about the value and importance of wetlands.

The BASC leads the way in innovative environmental programming and education through partnership development and according to their website at www.bancroftstewardship.ca they seek to engage, educate and empower the communities they serve through the sustainable management, protection and preservation of the environment. These areas are; South Algonquin Township, North Hastings and the northern part of Peterborough County, focusing mainly on the Township of North Kawartha. This is an area of approximately 635,000 hectares.

Hendry told Bancroft This Week on Dec. 23 that planning is going as well as can be expected for 2022. “One of the challenges is coming up with the funding required to bus the students to Joy Bible Camp. We have sent out funding requests to our neighboring Municipalities. We have also tentatively booked the Joy Bible Camp as our venue.
Also, given the current health conditions we can't firmly commit that the students will be able to travel at all this coming June, and unsure if the NERDS class at the North Hastings High School will be able to assist,” he says.

Hendry revealed in his letter to Limerick Township council that BASC tries to keep costs down, as they have in past years, by working with community partners and asking for financial support. He says that the main expenses are costs to bus the students to the host facility and the use of the Joy Bible Camp on Faraday (Trout) Lake.

“We hope that your municipality will consider supporting the 2022 Wonders of Wetlands Field Day through a financial contribution. In the past, some municipalities have contributed $500 but any assistance would be greatly appreciated. As always, your investment in the future of our students will be recognized at the event, as well as in the Final Report which is distributed to all participating schools and partners as well as posted to our website,” he says.

Hendry went on to say that if the event was unable to be held due to COVID-19 restrictions, they assure any donors that funds will be kept in a separate envelope in the budget, to be used solely for a future Wonders of Wetlands field day.

Anyone requiring further information on this event is asked to contact Colleen Baehre, the Wonder of Wetlands coordinator at 613-334-5586 (cell) or at 705-448-9168 (landline), or they can email info@bancroftstewardship.ca.
On Dec. 20, Limerick Township council briefly discussed the BASC letter from Hendry, and then it was received and filed. According to Victoria Tisdale, the clerk and treasurer, it will be brought back to council at their meeting on Jan. 17, 2022, at which time a possible donation to the BASC will be further discussed.