Our Friends of Salmon River Headwaters event on July 25 was a huge success!
Over 30 of us gathered in Arden to celebrate the beauty and importance of our healthy Salmon River headwaters. We saw incredible commitment and care for our pristine watershed through displays from local lake associations, Friends of the Salmon River (FSR), local area artists, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Land Conservancy of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.
Many attendees walked the old rail trail led by outreach staff from Quinte Conservation, learning about native and invasive plants. This trail is open year-round, and heading west from Kennebec Hall, you will spot a beautiful waterfall on the Salmon River.
Enthusiastic volunteers showed us their demonstration garden behind Kennebec Hall, illustrating which invasive plants to remove and providing examples of native species to introduce.
Suggested Actions for Watershed Preservation
Here are key action steps suggested for preserving our watershed and safeguarding the local environment:
- Consider a Land Stewardship Plan
- A stewardship plan is a guide to balancing resources wisely while keeping nature healthy. These plans help manage land, water, and wildlife responsibly. By setting goals and taking intentional action, stewardship plans make it easier to protect the land while still allowing us to enjoy and benefit from natural spaces.
- FSR can assist interested landowners with funding and planning for a personalized or collaborative stewardship plan.
- Conserve Your Land for Nature
- You can take steps to conserve your property with guidance from local conservation leaders:
- Land Conservancy of KFLA: Contact Vicki Schmolka, President, at info@landconservancykfla.org.
- Nature Conservancy of Canada: Contact Jennifer Gagne, Conservation Biologist for Central Ontario East, at Jennifer.Gagne@natureconservancy.ca.
- Join the Conversation
- We are continuing discussions on how to best protect the Salmon River headwaters. If you are interested in discussing action ideas within a small FSR working group, please get in touch with us.
- Download our FSR Headwaters Protection Info Sheet (PDF) to explore more practical ideas and conservation tools.
Heartfelt Acknowledgment
Gray and Aileen Merriam have been key figures in helping our community appreciate the value of our headwaters and watershed. Gray was a founder of Friends of Salmon River and served as president and advisor for many years. Aileen created our logo and has generously shared her extensive botany expertise.
We have learned so much from both of them, and their contributions to our watershed community are immense. We thank Gray and Aileen from the bottom of our hearts for their dedicated leadership in protecting the Salmon River Watershed.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this event. See you on the trails!