Don and Marnie - Team On!

Back in my working days in New York City, I overheard a young man proudly inform his colleagues that after closing on his small house in one of the boroughs, he had completely paved over the lawn and now no longer had to worry about mowing or weeds. I was dumbfounded, imagining living completely surrounded by stone and concrete. Yes, I was living in the city as well, but there were trees, flowers, parks, and other signs of nature. Another consolation was my family’s ability to retreat to the country or our island here in the St. Lawrence River.

As of now, more than half of the world’s population live in urban areas, which accounts for more than 50% of the global population, with over 4 billion people residing in cities. In Canada and the US, urban population is at 80%. And here was the conundrum. How do you incorporate nature and all its glories into concrete and stone? Where is all the flora and the fauna the world has to offer? There were those living who had never seen a hay field, heard a bird sing, or an animal call. In a sense they, were completely oblivious to nature, but there were others who desperately wanted to capture and preserve it. How do you bring them together? Education and conservation were the tools needed. The era of land trusts began in the 1960’s and are very much with us today. It is ironic to note that most establishments are not expected to last forever, but a land trust is formed with the expectation of survival – permanent forever!

Land Trusts - Large or Small

Land trusts can be large or small, protecting many parcels and acres of land or just one or two. They exist in the country and in the metropolitan areas. Central Park in New York City is managed by the Central Park Conservancy and the public. In the US there are more than 1200 land trusts, of which 478 are accredited land trusts protecting 61 million acres. In Canada, the Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts (ACLT), lists 150 local and regional land trusts working to ensure that future generations can experience the natural beauty and biodiversity that makes Canada unique by protecting more than 151,287 hectares. (NOTE: 1 hectare = 2.47 acres)

A land trust typically protects land by outright owning the land in fee or by putting a conservation easement on the property. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently limits the use of the land to protect its conservation values while allowing the landowner to retain ownership and certain rights. A Trust can also arrange to buy or accept a property and then donate/sell it to another organization properly equipped to protect it. 

Don and Marnie Ross' Chosen Work

There are many creative ways to preserve and protect your property and Don and Marnie Ross know them all. Don is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario in London, ON, with a degree in biology. Marnie received a degree in Arts from McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. They arrived on the River in 1976 when Don and Dave Warner, then the Park Superintendent, were brought in to calm the waters existing between Parks Canada and the Islanders. The battle to expropriate the islands was short lived but Don and Marnie remained.

In 1993, Don and Dave formed the first edition of the land trust called the Canadian Thousand Islands Heritage Conservancy (CTIHC). Their Clayton neighbor, the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) loaned them the $500.00 needed to pay the legal fees. They were now an Ontario charitable corporation. In 1993, land donations cost the owners money as there were capital gains to be paid with no charitable receipt. 

TIWLT

In 2006, the CTIHC changed its territory and its charitable designation to form the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust, (TIWLT). TIWLT now incorporated land south of the Rideau Canal, a 202 kilometer canal that links the Ottawa River, the Cataraqui River, and Lake Ontario at Kingston, and the South Nation River, which originates from forests and marshes north of Brockville and flows approximately 175 kilometers northeast emptying into the Ottawa River. TIWLT was now a federal charitable corporation. 

There is no longer a capital gains tax on donations of fee simple gifts or easements. 100% of the appraised value equals the value of the charitable receipt and owner can use that in one year or over a period of 10 years. Check out the Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program or better yet, reach out to Don and Marnie via their website: thousand islands watershed land trust.com incorporating Land, Learning, Life and Legacy.

TIWLT Team Today

Today, TIWLT is governed by a Board of Directors. Don and Marnie rely on their knowledge and expertise. Executive Director Calder Schweitzer heads the staff, supported by Head Biologist Maggie Stevenson, Communications Specialist Deb Lace-Kell, Educator Rebecca Despres, with further assistance from Summer Biologist Matt Hudson and Property Manager and assistant Biologist and Educator Graeme Podsiad.

Together, they run the daily operations, work on special projects, and manage the annual operating budget, which includes salaries, insurance, property taxes, maintenance, and more. (In the US, land trusts are exempt from property taxes if formed as a charitable organization.) About the board and the staff, Marnie states:

“We rely on them. We are at a place where the Board, with its new members, and the staff can carry us forward and we can still be relied upon to remember details of the things that happened in the past to get where we are today. We appreciate them and all our volunteers so much.”

Funds are received from memberships, contributions, donations, and grants. The Trust owns nearly 2,000 acres, which includes working farms, islands, marshes, and woods. It has protected 7000 acres, with Landon’s Bay and Jones Creeks among those protected parcels. Their mission is to “permanently protect the land in the Thousand Islands Watershed Region through acquisition or conservation agreements and to achieve good land management through stewardship agreements and education.” 

World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO

The Thousand Islands Region in the St. Lawrence River is where a branch of the Canadian Shield, known as the Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch region runs south across the River to connect with the Adirondack Mountains. The area was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002, due to the efforts of Don and Dave, helped by Carol Clemenhaugen who wrote the papers and canvased for support. The Frontenac Arch Biosphere is where the Thousand Islands create a land bridge over the River and around the Great Lakes for animal and bird migration.

Team On

Speaking with Don and Marnie, sitting at a picnic table, on a dock in one of the more than 1,800 islands in this idyllic setting, I realized just how much they are a team. A team united in their passion and love for this region, with a fierce dedication to protecting it in its natural and glorious state. Not for them are the shorelines of rock and cement that close the paths and affect the lives of creatures at and below the waterline. They are the gatekeepers and their protection is what makes life and biodiversity continue in this Crossroads of the Continent. Life requires clean air and clean water. Don, Marnie, the staff, and the members of TIWLT strive every day to make and keep this a reality. Talking with Don and Marnie is akin to feasting at a smorgasbord, as they skip from one topic of preservation and conservation to another, always extremely well versed in every topic. During the last forty years, they’ve received numerous awards recognizing their commitment and abilities in the field. 

They’ve been together for a long time. Marnie told me that Don’s mom knew he was serious when he brought Marnie home for the first time and she helped him clean a duck slated for supper. Team on!

By Allison Burchell-Robinson

Allison Burchell-Robinson's great grandfather built a cottage on Wyoming Island in 1910, and five generations have followed. She spent her childhood summers in the River, on the River or by the River. Eventually, she and her husband moved to an island in Ivy Lea Group. She is happy to return every summer to enjoy, relax and rejuvenate in an area her son referred to as the most beautiful place in the world. Many will recognize Allison for her many years of service to the Thousand Islands Association TIA serving as President then Secretary/Treasurer, and until recently, editor of TIA's "River Talk". See Allison's other TI Life contributions here..