The Urban Stewardship Awards of Excellence (USAE) recognize individuals, organizations and initiatives in two categories. The Hands for Nature Awards, sponsored by Evergreen, EcoSuperior and Sudbury Better Beginnings Better Futures, celebrate the spirit of volunteerism in Ontario's urban greening movement, recognizing excellence in the enhancement and restoration of urban greenspace. The Living with Wildlife Awards, sponsored by Wildlife Habitat Canada and York Region, honour exemplary leadership in urban wildlife habitat stewardship.

For more information about the 2003-2004 Hands for Nature nominees and recipients, visit Evergreen's website.

WHC and York Region extend their sincere congratulations to the 2003-2004 Living with Wildlife nominees and recipients!

Recipients

• Cruickston Charitable Research Reserve, Cambridge
  The Cruickston Charitable Research Reserve (CCRR) was officially established in 2002 to protect and conserve Cruickston Park, one of the largest urban greenspaces in Canada. The CCRR conducts research, interpretive activities, conferences and public forums about the flora, fauna, agricultural practices, hydrology and geology of the surrounding landscape in an effort to ensure community involvement and scientific rigour in the long-term stewardship of Cruickston Park. The Reserve is already an important natural area for the residents of Cambridge and promises to become even more significant as the communities of Kitchener and Cambridge grow around it.

• Mr. Jim Robb, Friends of the Rouge Watershed, Scarborough

  For the past 30 years, Jim Robb has dedicated his time and energy to environmental issues. As the General Manager of Friends of the Rouge Watershed, Jim promotes better planning, monitoring and management of the watershed in an effort to ensure the health and vitality of the community and the surrounding environment. Jim's dedication to the cause has allowed Friends of the Rouge Watershed to form valuable partnerships to ensure the long-term stewardship of the watershed. Jim's leadership has allowed Friends of the Rouge Watershed to employ and mentor youth and involve thousands of students and community members in volunteer activities that enhance the watershed and foster greater public appreciation of environmental issues.

• General Motors of Canada Limited, Oshawa
  General Motors is recognized for the leadership they have demonstrated to ensure the long-term protection of Second Marsh, a provincially significant wetland. In choosing to locate their Canadian Headquarters next to the marsh, GMCL helped to encourage proper land use practices by employing numerous environmental design features in the planning and construction of their building. In addition, they devoted over half of their property to establish the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve. A strong partnership between GMCL and Friends of Second Marsh has led to a major campaign to establish a Great Lakes Wetlands Centre at Second Marsh. On Earth Day 2003, GMCL announced the donation of a five-acre site to host the planned educational and interpretive facility.

• Dundas Valley Interior Forest and Oak Savanna Restoration Project, and
• Hamilton Region Conservation Authority and Ontario's Niagara Escarpment (ONE) Monitoring Program, Ancaster
  This partnership initiative began in 2001 and continues today in order to enable the restoration and ensure the long-term monitoring of nine sites in the Dundas Valley. The project saw previously dormant agricultural lands and gravel pits restored to functioning forest and oak savanna ecosystems that will support a diversity of wildlife and provide educational and research opportunities for the community. Over time, the newly restored sites will extend the existing forest to connect isolated patches and provide additional habitat for forest interior dependent species.

• Findlay Creek Village, Ottawa
  Located next to a provincially significant wetland, the developers of Findlay Creek Village promote proper land management and stewardship practices as a central theme of this new urban community. In response to community concerns about this sensitive development, a portion of the wetland has been donated to the South Nation Conservation Authority to ensure its perpetual protection. The Findlay Creek Stewardship Committee has been created to further educational activities around the value of this important wetland.

• Willow Park Ecology Centre Steering Committee, Georgetown
  Willow Park is a community cooperative centre that opened in September 1998 to provide a focus for nature study and ecological education in the Town of Halton Hills. The Steering Committee, which supervises and operates this facility, represents a collaboration of 9 different organizations that have greatly contributed to the stewardship and enhancement of this flood plain area at the confluence of Silver Creek and the Credit River. The Committee has raised funds and rallied volunteers in order to complete projects like the butterfly garden, snake hibernaculum, the removal of invasive species, enhancing fish habitat along the rivers, environmental summer camps, a grade 3 program for Halton area schools, and community learning events.

Other Nominees

• Waterfront Trail Phase 3 - Bay Area Restoration, Peterborough
• Prescott Blossoms, Prescott
• Mr. Stephen Smith, Urban Forest Associates, Toronto
• Natural Heritage Section, Town of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill
• Mr. Mark Carroll, Stouffville