Latornell 2015: Weathering Change

By Lisa Turnbull, Chair of Latornell Conservation Symposium


2015 will be the year we “Weather Change” at the Latornell Conservation Symposium. On November 17- 19, 2015 we will explore climate change impacts we are seeing in Ontario’s watersheds as well as current and emerging best management practices that are underway or can be used to build environmental, economic and social resilience.

The topic could not be more timely. The effects of climate change are being felt in all aspects of our day to day lives, both globally and locally. Flooding, ice storms, tornadoes and droughts – are all events that have become common place in news reports. The ripple effect of extreme weather events are being felt in all sectors of society. 

In keeping with previous Symposiums’ we will be bringing together key stakeholders and experts to discuss issues and solutions along with facilitating networking and learning opportunities for all spectrums of conservation professionals.  Expect riveting keynote speakers, workshops, tours, and break out session presentations.

I am honoured to take on the role of Chair for the Symposium Steering Committee in 2015. We have such a dedicated group of people on the committee that strive year after to year to provide you with the best possible experience and value for your time and money. We also have countless organizations to thank for helping us form the symposium program.

We need your input and welcome your participation in 2015! The program committee is looking for ideas on a number of different topic areas related to this year’s theme in the form of presentations, symposia, training, workshops and site visits. Submissions are due by March 30, 2015.  Please visit: http://www.latornell.ca/ for further information. 

Lisa Turnbull is the Chair of the Latornell Steering Committee and  a Senior Project Manager at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). Her responsibilities with the Project Management Office at TRCA include managing the initiation, planning, execution, control and close out phases for a diverse range of environmental projects and Environmental Assessment studies.

Wrapping up another successful year!

By Hazel Breton, Chair, 2014 Latornell Conservation Symposium

On behalf of the Steering Committee, I would like to thank you for attending the 21st Latornell Conservation Symposium. While we were certainly tested by the weather you were resolved in your determination to attend the Symposium.

With the theme of Growth & Transformation, this year’s Symposium was specifically geared to engage attendees to embrace both personal and professional growth and enable local communities in much needed transformative change.

Thank you for your feedback through the survey that was recently circulated. Ninety-three percent of respondents thought the Symposium was good to excellent and eighty-seven percent of respondents felt that they would share what they learned with those at their place of work.  We have heard that you enjoyed having a variety of learning formats including workshops, tours and traditional sessions. Networking opportunities remain a key opportunity for attendees to connect with other professionals from across disciplines and across the province. Once again attendees were very pleased with both the Nottawasaga Inn and all the amenities it offers, especially the caliber of meals.

Our fundraising activities were very well supported again this year and we were able to raise over $10,000 towards supporting attendees who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend the Symposium in 2015. Thank you for your generosity and support of these activities.

I would like to thank our sponsors for their financial support towards delivering a comprehensive three-day program. We could not otherwise produce this high caliber experience for attendees.

I am grateful to the steering committee members who worked tirelessly over the year prior to the Symposium and during the Symposium. Their commitment and enthusiasm throughout the year leading up to the Symposium is acknowledged and greatly appreciated.

Finally, I trust that you will all continue your professional journey and feel empowered, both personally and professionally, to take action to begin to transform your local communities (offices, watersheds, municipalities, businesses etc.) to meet the challenges ahead. Some advice - start today.

It has been a wonderful privilege and honour for me to chair this 21st Symposium. All my best.

Hazel Breton is the Chair of the 2014 Latornell Conservation Symposium.

It's in our nature, and nature is us!

By Mike Puddister, Director Restoration & Stewardship, Credit Valley Conservation

Natures benefits, or ecosystem services is a way of thinking about our relationships, in fact our dependence upon, the natural environment for our social, physical, mental and economic health and wellbeing. In reading a number of Latornell blogs posted over the last several years, I was amazed at how many fellow conservationists spoke of the important relationship we have with the natural environment.

It is obvious to me that these messages are having a hard time getting beyond the tree huggers; and I mean that in the fondest way…heck I’m one of them! When I think back to the challenges our planners face day in and day out, this lack of understanding can hit you right between the eyes. If you’ve ever had to try and negotiate a solution for the protection or restoration of an important natural feature it often seemed like an ‘us versus them, take no prisoners smack down’!

The concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services provide a basis for better appreciating and understanding how we benefit from a healthy natural environment today and through effective conservation can continue to benefit in the future. That’s not to say the natural environment isn’t valuable in its own right, the problem is that these intrinsic values rarely get notice when one is embroiled in a benefit-cost-type discussion. Rarely will you hear reference to ecosystem services, such as the air quality, urban heat island or social cohesion benefits (and in some cases, monetary value) of a woodlot about to go under the axe. While some bristle at the idea, I am convinced that we need to talk about the importance of nature from an anthropocentric point of view. The “what’s in it for us” perspective is often what wins the day. Thankfully some altruism still exists, but I think we need to appeal more to our own self-interest.

The reality is no one makes decisions with the intent to do harm. Land use changes are however, driven by economic growth and the need to meet increased demands for housing, food, and other consumer goods and services; all of which provide us a better quality of life.  However, the external costs imposed by these activities are simply not accounted for and are ultimately borne by society. Continuing to ignore these costs in our quest for a better quality of life could end up undermining the very source of our well-being, our life supporting ecosystems, and may actually cost us our quality of life.

While we all know the protection and restoration of the natural environment is critical for wildlife habitat, water quality and quantity to name a few, the underlying message is that we need to fundamentally transform the way we think about managing our natural systems. We need a paradigm shift that requires us to recognize the natural systems that make up our landscape are not simply resources to be extracted or removed, but represent elements of an ecosystem upon which we all depend. It provides our life support systems and our economic and social support systems. We exist within a socio-ecological system. It’s another way of thinking about humans as an integral part of the ecosystem approach.

The Ontario Network on Ecosystem Services (ONES) has been established to further this conversation in Ontario and help advance the transformation we are all hoping for. If you’d like to know more about what is happening in the world of ecosystem services check out www.oneecosystemservices.ca. If you have interest in the connections between a healthy natural environment and our community health and wellbeing, keep an eye out for EcoHealth Ontario, a province-wide collaboration of public health folks, CAs, NGOs, medical and planning professionals and others. There will be a website up soon @ ecohealth-ontario.ca.

Mike Puddister has been employed by Credit Valley Conservation Authority since 1985 and is currently Director of Restoration and Stewardship (and a recovering planner). His responsibilities within the Credit include terrestrial, aquatic and wetland habitat restoration, forest management, urban and rural community outreach, education and research in areas such as ecosystem services.

 

Welcome to the 2014 Latornell Conservation Symposium

By Hazel Breton, Chair, 21st Annual Latornell Conservation Symposium

I am very pleased to announce that the registration for this year’s Latornell Conservation Symposium is open.

The steering committee has been working with great enthusiasm to make your time at the Symposium memorable and ensure that you are able to take away new thoughts, ideas and tools that will serve you in the months and years following the Symposium. We have listened to your feedback and have made some changes this year to make your experience at the Symposium that much 'more'. 

We are now offering three full days that encompass a variety of sessions including workshops, tours, as well as the traditional presentations. This year we will be featuring over 240 speakers, an increase of over 100 speakers from previous years. To do all of this, the Symposium will now begin on Tuesday November 18th and end on Thursday November 20th.

Our theme this year is Growth and Transformation. As our communities expand we continue to experience the challenges that growth brings.  In more recent years, these challenges have been exacerbated by extreme events such as our weather. As environmental professionals and members of local communities, we need to be able to transform our attitudes, behaviours, and expectations so we are prepared for the environmental challenges and all things connected ahead of us.

I invite you to come learn with us, share a few laughs, and leave with a sense of renewed enthusiasm that you can and will make a difference.

See you in November!

Hazel Breton is the Chair of the 21st Annual Latornell Conservation Symposium and Manager of Water Resource Engineering at the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

A special message from Chris Hadfield: Resilience- The ability to adapt to change

By Chris Hadfield, Astronaut, Former Commander of the International Space Station

There's an old adage that "if you want things to stay the same, things are going to have to change". While the humour in this is wry, the core idea is very sound. Nothing stays the same. Change is normal, to be expected, and thus, most importantly, to be planned for. 

Each of us plans for change to a different degree. In the big picture some of us buy insurance, contribute towards a pension, we even get extra education. These don't really help in the short-term, but are, rather, investments in future ability to adapt to expected changes. 

How do you get ready for unexpected change, though? Knowing that things change is only a part of the solution. The necessity to plan for unforeseen changes is key in being able to adapt. 

In astronaut parlance, we call this “visualizing disaster”. We don’t visualize success, as that is often akin to doing nothing and hoping it all turns out OK. In my book An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, I put it this way:

It’s puzzling to me that so many self-help gurus urge people to visu­alize victory, and stop there. Some even insist that if you wish for good things long enough and hard enough, you’ll get them—and, conversely, that if you focus on the negative, you actually invite bad things to happen.

Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it’s productive. Likewise, coming up with a plan of action isn’t a waste of time if it gives you peace of mind. While it’s true that you may wind up being ready for some­thing that never happens, if the stakes are at all high, it’s worth it.

You don’t have to walk around perpetually braced for disaster, convinced the sky is about to fall. But it sure is a good idea to have some kind of plan for dealing with unpleasant possibilities. For me, that’s become a reflexive form of mental discipline not just at work but throughout my life. When I get into a really crowded elevator, for instance, I think, “Okay, what are we going to do if we get stuck?” And I start working through what my own role could be, how I could help solve the problem. On a plane, same thing. As I’m buckling my seat belt, I automatically think about what I’ll do if there’s a crisis.

But I’m not a nervous or pessimistic person. Really. If any­thing, I’m annoyingly upbeat. I tend to expect things will turn out well and they usually do. My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I’m luckier than other mortals, and they sure don’t come from visualizing victory. They’re the result of a lifetime spent visualizing defeat and figuring out how to avoid it.

So think about it. How are you planning for change? Have you taken the time to truly visualize the details of what may happen? And more importantly, have you then thought through the details of your actions if/when it happens?

It doesn’t take long to consider and think about it, but the readiness that it gives, the confidence it engenders, will not only make you more likely to handle change well – you’ll be more optimistic in looking forward to change.

Chris Hadfield is the pioneer of many “firsts” in Canadian space history. In 1992, he was among the first chosen as Canada’s second class of astronauts. Three years later, he became the first Canadian to use the Canadarm and the first Canadian to board a Russian spacecraft during his mission to the Russian space station. In 2001, he performed two spacewalks as a mission specialist on STS-100—the first Canadian to do so, and in 2010 the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced Hadfield’s third mission: commanding the International Space Station (ISS)—again a first for a Canadian.
Hadfield launched into space on December 19, 2012 and took command of the ISS on March 13, 2013. His multiple daily Tweets and photographs from space made people see the world differently.
A heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and test pilot, Hadfield’s many awards include being named a Member of the Order of Ontario (1996); receiving an honourary Doctorate of Laws from Trent University (1999); the Vanier Award (2001); the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (2002); and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2003).
Hadfield is the Friday Lunch keynote speaker at the 2013 A.D. Latornell Symposium.

Green Hotel Practices:Just a few ways the Nottawasaga Inn helps to make your stay environmentally friendly

By: Ashley Noseworthy, Marketing & Event Coordinator, Nottawasaga Inn

 

With the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium officially kicking off next week it’s both a busy and exciting time for us here at the Nottawasaga Resort.  Not only do we have the privilege of welcoming like-minded environmentally conscious guests, it’s also a great opportunity for us to showcase the many green initiatives that we have in place throughout the resort.

While many of our active environmental programs are visible within our public spaces (recycling bins in guest rooms, low flush toilets, etc), there are many more that we practice “behind the scenes” that are some of the most exciting such as:

Lighting
Our resort is quite large which means that we have a lot of light bulbs! It’s important to us that we use a sustainable and environmentally responsible means of lighting the way for our guests and we were able to accomplish this by replacing the existing T12 bulbs with new high efficiency T8 bulbs. These new bulbs use 40% fewer watts, produce 40% less heat, and output 10% more light.  Conservation of energy is further achieved through the installation of motion sensors ensuring that lights are not unnecessarily left on in rooms when not required.

Water Conservation

One of the most important green initiatives that we undertake here at the resort is the recycling of tertiary treated effluent from our own private sewage treatment plant.  Throughout the golf season the recycled treated effluent is used on the golf course which not only helps to feed the grass and reduce the amount of granular fertilizer needed to keep the golf course healthy, but also reduces the amount of phosphorus rich water that enters our receiver stream.  In addition this practice also helps to reduce the amount of water needed from the river to irrigate the course ensuring that we’re operating our business in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Paper Consumption
We have an ongoing commitment to reduce our paper consumption which includes changing over existing supplies to recycled and FSC sources whenever possible.  This year we introduced a line-up of environmentally friendly take out containers and cutlery throughout the resort helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Locally Sourced Foods

We are very fortunate to be located within a rich growing area which means that we have access to an abundance of locally sourced foods.  We try to buy local whenever possible; not only because it’s important to us to support our local food growers but the food comes to us at its freshest.  Throughout the summer months our Head Chef also keeps a garden on the property that provides us with an abundance of delicious herbs and heirloom veggies.

When we prepare food for our guests we are always very diligent about ensuring that there is as little waste as possible; however kitchen scraps are inevitable.  A little known, but very interesting, fact is that all of our kitchen produce, peelings, deep fryer shortening and discarded food scrapings are collected and converted into secondary fuels.

Eating local is easier than you think!  Our Executive Head Chef, Paul Dills, has created a delicious Cedar Plank Trout recipe that includes ingredients that can be sourced locally within your own area.  Bon Appetite!

Cedar Plank Trout with Maple Butter

The inspiration behind this plate came from the iconic Canadian summer campfire and it’s glorious smoke scent.  A cedar plank is an excellent way to capture this adding an incredible aroma and flavour to the fish.  The trout has been paired with a delicious maple butter giving it a hint of sweetness which is the perfect accompaniment to the earthiness of the trout.

Ingredients

Trout

2 Whole Trout, fillet and bones removed

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Chopped Fresh Herbs (chives, thyme, parsley), to taste
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Maple Butter

4 oz Dark Maple Syrup
8 oz Butter, softened

Supplies

4 Cedar Planks, approximately 4” x 10”

Candy Thermometer

Mixer

Piping bag

Instructions

1. Soak the cedar planks in water for a minimum of one hour. 
2. Meanwhile, place the softened butter into a stand mixer.
3. Heat the maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer (approximately 7 minutes).
4. Once heated, slowly pour the syrup over the butter.  Turn the mixer onto a high speed and whip the butter and maple syrup together until well blended.  
5. Using a piping bag, pipe the mixture onto parchment paper (into desired shape) and chill in the refrigerator.
6. Remove the planks from the water and pat dry. 
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
8. Place the trout on the plank, skin side down. Rub the trout lightly with olive oil, salt and black pepper so that it is fully coated.
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the fillet can be flaked with a fork.
10. Transfer the trout and plank to a plate and garnish with fresh herbs.  Place the Maple Butter pats on top of the trout just prior to serving.

On the Grill

Preheat a grill to medium-low heat. Place plank with fish on the grate and cover. Grill for approximately 15 – 20 minutes, or until fish can be flaked with a fork.  

Serve trout with potatoes and a fresh selection of seasonal vegetables.  Serves 4 people

Outdoor dining recommended!

Enjoy with the refreshing clean finish of Hillebrand Trius Riesling Dry.

Ashley Noseworthy is the Marketing & Event Coordinator at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort & Conference Centre located in Alliston, ON.  The 2013 A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium will be held at the Nottawasaga Resort on November 20-22, 2013.