McMaster, RBG sign MOU on EcoPark
Representatives from nine partner organizations signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Botanical Gardens on the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark June 20 at Alumni Memorial Hall.
President Patrick Deane and senior management from eight other partner organizations signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Botanical Gardens on the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark June 20 at Alumni Memorial Hall.
The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System initiative has been under way since 2006, when the partner organizations began to explore how they can best protect, restore and connect almost 1,900 hectares of natural lands and open space they own and manage at the western end of Lake Ontario.
One of the most biologically rich areas of Canada, it is home to more than 1,000 plant and animal species, including more than 50 species-at-risk. It is also the last intact ecological connection between Lake Ontario wetlands and the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
These natural lands are also situated in one of Canada’s most vibrant and rapidly growing urban regions, the Hamilton-Burlington region. Economic growth and urban development have caused the natural areas to become fragmented by roads, rail lines and other features of urbanization.
The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System provides a framework for the partners to work together to restore the lands they currently own, secure new lands to connect existing green space, and support stewardship on privately-owned lands.
The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is one of the largest near-urban parks in Canada. It builds on the legacy of local visionaries who protected the natural lands that today make up Royal Botanical Gardens and the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, protecting remarkable natural and cultural heritage for future generations.
A public launch celebration event for the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System will be held at RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd. West, Burlington, on June 22, with a brief introduction to the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System and remarks from dignitaries, followed by an informal BBQ, family activities in Hendrie Park, and guided hikes showcasing the natural and cultural/historical heritage of the area.
The event will include remarks from The Honourable Ted McMeekin, Minister of Community and Social Services and MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale; Bob Bratina, Mayor of Hamilton; Rick Goldring, Mayor of Burlington; and Deane, President of McMaster University, along with representatives of other partner organizations.
The event is open to members of the public.
The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System partner organizations are the Bruce Trail Conservancy, City of Burlington, Conservation Halton, Halton Region, City of Hamilton, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Hamilton Naturalists’ Club, McMaster University and Royal Botanical Gardens.
