Rattray Marsh Benefits from the Ongoing Commitment of the Pendle Fund

CVC Foundation Board Members take a moment to enjoy the Credit River they work so hard to protect. Left to Right: John & Marolyn Morrison, Chair of CVCF with board members Phil Green and Pat Mullin.

The Pendle Fund at the Community Foundation of Mississauga has made a second year commitment towards implementation of the Rattray Marsh Living Discovery Centre.

On Wednesday, May 30th, 2007 the CVC Foundation received a generous grant of $105,000 from the Pendle Fund for continued implementation of the Living Discovery Centre. The Pendle Fund grant is designated to two primary areas; trail improvements, and environmental and restoration components.

In 2006, the CVC Foundation received $95,000 for this project which was used for restoration efforts of existing boardwalks, and the construction of two new boardwalks, including surfacing at access points, and ensuring trail safety of visitors is maintained. To ensure further trail enjoyment, one boardwalk rest and viewing area has been rebuilt to allow additional capacity and trail access and the existing sign system has been improved with additional emphasis on key areas of interest.

Additionally with the grant, CVC is able to collect data on the past and present marsh conditions through gauge implementation, sediment samples, botanical surveys, wildlife monitoring and with this key data, they are better equipped to manage future restoration efforts.

The environmental, educational and recreational benefits for the citizens of Mississauga will long be enjoyed thanks to the gift from the Pendle Fund.

Commemorative Bench Honours the Memory of Jin-Shan Li

June Huang, daughter of Jin-Shan Li donated a commemorative bench in tribute of her father’s life and his love of Rattray Marsh.

In 2005, Rattray Marsh lost a close friend., Jin-Shan Li. Living just two blocks from trail access, Jin-Shan, had a deep appreciation and fondness for Rattray Marsh and would spend nearly two hours each day reveling in the natural environment. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends and community.

CVC Foundation Teams up with Delta Meadowvale Resort

Green Team members surround the Green Team Tree planted during Earth Day 2006.

The Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre’s environmental committee (Green Team) is proud to announce a new and promising partnership with the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation. The Green Team was formed in 2005 and has grown to be one of the core committees within the hotel. The Leadership Team and initial committee members recognized the hotel’s potential environmental impact and therefore wanted to take a proactive approach to organizing green initiatives and communicating their objectives to team members, guests, and the community.

The Delta Meadowvale’s Green Team consists of 15 members with representation from every department and is co-chaired by the hotel’s Executive Housekeeper, Cathy Fiordalisi Smith, Food and Beverage Outlets Manager, Crystal Dainard, and Front Office Manager, Melinda Jaramillo. The committee meets monthly to discuss opportunities to introduce and promote environmentally friendly practices, processes and programs that are in line with their Mission Statement:

Our objective is to create a culture in which our responsibility is to educate, initiate and exceed our expectations regarding our hotel environment. With an ongoing commitment to improve we will seek environmentally friendly products, services and practices and make every effort to conserve resources. Delta Meadowvale’s future and the future of our environment are interconnected.

Delta Meadowvale’s 2007 Green Team Strategic Plan incorporates the following goals and objectives:

• To maintain a HAC 4 Green Key rating through the continuous support and improvement of current initiatives, and the implementation of new practices in accordance with the mission statement.

• To reduce overall waste over 2006 by a minimum of 30 percent with a stretch goal of 50 percent. This will be accomplished through various measures such as the monthly ‘Green Tip’ calendar, raising “green” awareness through orientation sessions for new team members, and scheduled Green Team training sessions for each department.

• To increase external communication and presence in the community.

• To develop and implement a Delta Meadowvale Green Award. The complete program will be launched in 2008 after each department is asked to submit a list of green initiatives by October 2007. In short, the department to successfully implement the most initiatives throughout 2008 will win the Green Award.

To assist with goal number 3, the Delta Meadowvale has chosen the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation as their environmental charity of choice to strengthen their connection with the environment and create a long lasting partnership with an organization whose priority is to improve and protect natural spaces for the enjoyment of many generations to come.

Conservation Gala Raises more than $100,000 for the Environment

Chair of CVC Foundation, Marolyn Morrision, Master of Ceremonies, Robin Gill and Chair of CH Foundation, Jim Faught announce that $100,000 was raised in one evening!

Credit Valley Conservation Foundation in partnership with the Conservation Halton Foundation hosted our 2nd Annual Conservation Gala on Wednesday, May 30, 2007. Attended by environmentalists, businessmen, community members, politicians and guests this event was a huge success. The dinner and auction event was held at Rattlesnake Point Golf and Country Club.This fundraising event raised more than $100,000 for tree planting projects in the Peel and Halton watersheds.

Credit Valley Conservation will be planting trees as part of our Conservation Youth Corps initiative that will engage 200 youth in tree planting, stream rehabilitation and other eco-experience. During the summer of 2007, the Conservation Youth Corps will be planting 10,000 trees in the Credit River Watershed.

Conservation Halton will plant trees as part of their Trees for Watershed Health program that involves tree planting at new Conservation Areas such as the 176-acre Milton Quarry Park, the new 650 acre Glenorchy Conservation Area in Oakville and through partnerships with local schools to green schoolyards to create healthier learning environments for our children.

These projects continue the proud tradition that Conservation Halton and Credit Valley Conservation have of enhancing and protecting our natural environment.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Mattamy Homes, Kaneff Group of Companies, Dufferin Aggregates, Fieldgate Homes, Arista & Paradise Homes, Edgewood Valley Developments Inc., Retail Ready Foods, LaFarge, AquaResource, Stantec, Golder & Associates, Conestoga Rovers and Orlando Corporation.