Now and into the future, the Connected Campaign will invest in outdoor spaces and experiences that make our watershed greener, healthier and more resilient.
What is Conservation Halton’s “greenprint”?
Our greenprint extends from the Lake Ontario shoreline to the Niagara Escarpment and beyond, reaching across Burlington, Oakville, Halton Hills, Milton, and parts of Puslinch, Hamilton and Mississauga. It includes 10,000 acres of forests, streams, creeks, wetlands, and meadows and the many outdoor recreation and education experiences that our conservation parks provide.
How does our greenprint benefit local communities?
Research has shown us (and continues to demonstrate through new findings) that human health and ecological health are intimately connected. When nature thrives and greenspaces are abundant and accessible, our communities are able to flourish.
By conserving and restoring thousands of acres of park lands and natural areas, Conservation Halton is working to build a healthier watershed where all community members can access the outdoors and its many benefits. Our restoration and conservation work allows us to safeguard natural assets and ecosystem services, supporting habitat preservation, carbon sequestration, stormwater management, urban heat mitigation, air quality improvement, and more. Meanwhile, our eight unique parks help us serve around 1.5 million people each year, including over 70,000 students through curriculum-linked school programs. These spaces provide unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation and learning. They inspire local connection and environmental stewardship, and they are an essential part of Halton.
What is the impact of the Connected Campaign?
The Connected campaign has already driven forward significant projects and initiatives in our three priority areas, and will continue to have a further impact on each area, as well as infrastructure projects, in the coming years.
Parks and Greenspaces: $11,659,553 raised; 153 acres of newly protected land, 16+ projects funded; 6 km’s of trails added.
Biodiversity and Resilience: $6,587,222 raised; 63,000 trees and shrubs planted; 1,300 landowner collaborations.
Education and Community: $2,126,522 raised; 1,700+ youth receive immersive nature education; 175,000 people reached through outreach and education programs.
Why are we growing our greenprint?
Conservation Halton works in one of Ontario’s fastest growing regions. By 2041, the population of our watershed is expected to surpass one million. Our campaign aims to ready our parks and programs for the future while doing more to meet the current needs of our communities.
Demand for nature has been rising steadily for over a decade. In fact, our parks welcome twice as many visitors today compared to ten years ago. In response, we have grown our school tour capacity, launched new partnership initiatives and events, and expanded our network of parks with the opening of Area 8, which followed a 20-year restoration project to transform a former quarry into a greenspace teeming with life. With government and private sector funding, we have invested in new lakeside boardwalks, high-traffic trails, accessible park facilities, and other park features and outdoor spaces to make nature more available and accessible to all.
But this work is only the beginning. To serve our growing communities and promise future generations the kinds of outdoor spaces and experiences that everyone should be able to enjoy, we need to do more to grow our greenprint today.
How can I support this initiative?
If you would like to discuss leadership giving, corporate partnerships, legacy giving, or other ways to support Conservation Halton, please contact Garner Beckett at gbeckett@hrca.on.ca or 905.208.3573.