Thank You KLT Volunteers! You Make Conservation Possible

Let us take a peek behind the scenes of 2025!

As of October, KLT volunteers contributed over 3,450 hours of volunteer time, making a huge impact on nature in the region. From trail clearing and seed collecting to supporting events and planting trees and so much more, our volunteers are our driving force.

Stewardship Volunteers

The March ice storm had devastating effects across the Kawarthas. We know that many were impacted by the severe weather event, which took the region weeks and months to recover from.

Kawartha Land Trust’s Stewardship Volunteers and Lead Property Stewards contributed hundreds of hours to clearing affected community trails on eight out of nine of KLT’s public access properties.

Throughout the field season, our volunteer Property Inventory Team, or as some might know it, the “PIT Crew,” walked through forests, wetlands, and grasslands to record species and ecological features on over 2,400 acres of land. This vital work not only supports KLT’s ability to protect new lands, but also our growing Partners in Conservation program.

The volunteer Property Monitoring Team visited KLT’s protected lands, identifying threats to ecosystems that need to be managed as a part of our ongoing commitment to and stewardship of the properties under our care.

Our stewardship volunteers made a real difference for the natural and working lands in the Kawarthas this year. They planted trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to support biodiversity. They removed invasive species like Dog-strangling Vine and Invasive Phragmites. And they even managed to have some fun and enjoy the beauty of the lands that they were caring for along the way.

Volunteer Seed Team

The Seed Team successfully harvested and processed seeds from over 90 different native species, including Round-headed Bush Clover, Nannyberry, Buttonbush, and various Tallgrass species to enhance KLT’s restoration projects and support other organization’s projects in our region.

Event and Outreach Volunteers

KLT’s Passport to Nature program and other outreach events enable individuals, families and friends to experience nature throughout the year and connect more people with the KLT community. These events would not be possible without our Event Ambassador volunteers.

Every single Passport to Nature event in 2025 was supported by volunteers. They helped ensure the events ran smoothly and created space for new connections to be made and adventures to be had while learning from the land we love .

Our talented Volunteer Photographers, Writers, and Event Reporters helped share our stories with the community through their words and photos, lending a window into this year’s conservation work and more .

Board of Directors and Trustees

Our dedicated Board of Directors is composed of members with deep personal connections to the Kawarthas. They lend their individual skills to the financial stewardship, risk management, and legal governance of the organization.

Many of our Directors sit on KLT’s committees, including the Investment Committee, Governance Committee, and the Finance & Audit Committee. Through these committees, our Directors and committee members brainstorm through challenges, present new ideas, and bring outside perspectives to the table.

We also have a dedicated team of Trustees who act as ambassadors of the organization and participate on KLT’s Nominating Committee, supporting the organization’s future.

Our governance volunteers spend many hours taking on essential, behind the scenes work to keep KLT thriving.

“Directors and Trustees are KLT’s often unseen heroes,” shared Anna Lee, Director of People and Operations. “KLT has grown significantly over the last few years, both in staff and in scope of work, and our Directors and Trustees have embraced the challenge and the opportunity of that growth.”