Thanks to your support and enthusiasm for this project, we’ve achieved our fundraising goal and have officially purchased the Christie Bentham Wetland property!
Kawartha Land Trust has taken on special campaign to purchase a property just south of Burleigh Falls which contains a Provincially Significant Wetland, forest corridor, undeveloped shoreline and a wonderful trail network which is well known in the local community. This property also referred to as the Clear Lake North Wetland will be officially named after Christie Bentham in recognition of the gift she left to KLT. Read about Christie Bentham’s legacy on Stony Lake, here!
It is due to the community involvement and passion for this project that the campaign to purchase this special property has been a success!
Stony Lake community supporter Rachel Corbett said “Protecting this wetland has been a priority of some local cottagers for nearly two decades. To see this property pass into the care of the Kawartha Land Trust is a dream come true”.
Watch a video about the Christie Bentham Wetland property and trails:
Levels of Giving
Thank you to everyone who has donated their support towards this project! Donations are appreciated at any of our Gift Levels:
Lead Gift: $250,000
– From Christie Bentham fund, this property will be named in her honour.
Forest Level: $100,000
– Brian and Susan Dutton
Tree Level: $50,000 – $99,999
– Anonymous
– Best Family
– Mark and June Cooper
– David Family
– John and Susan McWilliams
Sapling Level: $25,000 – $49,999
– Martha Hunt and Rachel Corbett
– Ralph and Carol Ingleton
– Swatty and Kitty Wotherspoon
Seedling Level: $10,000 – $24,999
– Kawartha Park Cottagers Association (KPCA)
– Chittick Family in Memory of Bob Chittick
– Susan Fisher & Firoz Ahmed
– Mike & Helen Hudon
– Nancy Hunt
– Bill & Betty Morris
– Lisa & Ronald Schokking
– Richard and Alessandra Tattersall
– Lois Wallace and Tina Warren
– 2 additional donors
Sprout Level: $5,000 – $9,999
– Priscilla Brooks-Hill
– Sandra Burri
– Carol Cole & Greg Finlay in Memory of Tony Macdonald
– Ross and Ann Dobbin
– Danielle & Mike Hendren
– John and Danielle Heine
– Kinnear Family – Colin, Cynthia, Tegan & Cameron
– Patty MacDonald
– Marg MacLean & David McCann
– The Morgan Family
– Stephan Ragaz
– Pamela Soper
– Margie Zeidler
– 10 additional donors
Root Level: $1,000 – $4,999
– 57 donations received
Seed Level: Under $1,000
– 128 donations received
Other:
– The Rush Family
– The Wood Family
Christie Bentham Wetland Property
The Christie Bentham Wetland features over 1,200 feet of natural, undisturbed waterfront on Clear Lake. The Provincially Significant Wetland contributes to the water quality of surrounding Bays and Clear Lake and provides vital habitat to breeding fish, birds and Species at Risk. The property is identified within the Kawarthas Naturally Connected Preferred Scenario as an important piece of our natural landscape!
‘Wetlands are the filters that keep the waters of our lakes clean. When so many are threatened it is heartening to know we have protected this one” said Rachel Corbett.
The property also features beautiful walking trails throughout that will remain open to the public upon protection. The dream is for these trails to form part of a network linking numerous protected properties in between Burleigh Falls and Young’s Point.
Thank you for Helping to Save the Christie Bentham Wetland!
By owning the property, KLT can now ensure that it can be enjoyed by future generations.
The overall goal for the project was $1,000,000 to cover the purchase price of the property, the legal and closing costs and taxes associated with the sale, the immediate stewardship needs of the property, and an investment in our stewardship endowment fund to ensure that KLT will be able to continue to care for the property in perpetuity.
Our first milestone was to have $750,000 raised by November 20th which is the closing date for the current offer. With your support, we officially reached this milestone!
Learn more about the Christie Bentham Wetland Project, here!
Posted November 20, 2020.
