 |
| Black oak savannah. Photo: Allen Woodliffe. |
Can a golf course with manicured greens and landscaped fairways also help protect endangered plants? A course in Cambridge with an unusual name is showing that it can be done.
Since 1997, the owner of the Cheese Factory Golf Course has been protecting oak savannah and tall-grass prairie as part of a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. It was one of the very first conservation agreements signed in Ontario after provincial enabling legislation was passed in 1994.
Tallgrass prairies and savannahs are one of the most endangered ecosystems in Canada. Tallgrass once covered about 1000 square kilometres in Ontario, but now less than three per cent is left. It’s a type of ecosystem that depends on fire for both survival and renewal.
John Medeiros, General Manager of the golf course, is pleased to work with the NCC to preserve and enhance this unique ecosystem.
“We’re glad to be able to preserve habitat for native plants and animals while enhancing the natural beauty of our golf course,” said Medeiros. “With NCC’s help, we’ve developed a plan that benefits both this and future generations.”
“We’ve been impressed with the expertise and enthusiasm that John [Medeiros] and his crew have brought to this project,” said John Grant, NCC’s program manager for the area. “They engaged professionals to develop a plan that puts conservation of this globally rare habitat first, and they’re putting a lot of thought and effort into delivering on that plan.”
While some areas of tallgrass prairie and savannah have been included in parks and protected areas, others are found on private land across southern Ontario. Conservation agreements are one way of protecting them. A conservation agreement can be entered into by a landowner and a conservation group to restrict or prevent certain types of land uses, in order to protect the natural heritage features of the property. Of course, the owner still retains ownership of the land.
Each conservation agreement’s restrictions are tailored to fit the particular property, the natural features to be protected and the interest of the landowner. NCC’s conservation agreements are typically 999 years in duration, thus ensuring long-term conservation.
Tradition has it that Cheese Factory Road, where the course is located, is so named because of a cheese factory built near Moffatt Creek in 1867. The golf course is also known as Savannah Links, highlighting its role in sheltering oak savannah.
Golfers also frequently ask for more information about the agreement. Course staff are happy to field these questions and to ensure that even more people are aware of the importance of this special habitat.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is pleased to support this partnership between NCC and the golf course. It demonstrates that prairie grass and putters can get along.
For more information on conservation easements, visit the ministry’s website or the Nature Conservancy’s website.
