A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium Check Up

Has it really been 20 years?

 
By Chris Hachey, past Chair of Latornell Symposium
 
The A.D. Latornell Symposium (aka ADL) will be celebrating 20 years in 2013. That takes us back to 1993…Cheers was ending after 11 great seasons on television, Jean Chrétien became prime minister of Canada with a massive majority, Jurassic Park was at the movies and Dyson sold the first bagless cyclonic vacuum cleaner. 

When I think back about the ADL, I remember the many fascinating key note speakers who motivated my career.  The person I remember the most was a 14 year old boy named Ryan Hrljack from Ottawa. The conference theme was “Clean Water” and we had the chance to approach many scientific and well respected speakers but we chose Ryan. As a boy at the age of 8 he raised $80 to build a well in Africa to help provide clean water. At 14, Ryan raised over $1 million dollars, traveled to Africa four times, met the Queen, the Pope, World leaders, and even appeared on Oprah twice. Ryan stood up on the ADL stage and told his story and his small part in helping to provide clean water to the people of Africa. Let me tell you, 700 people that evening didn’t learn anything new about the science of clean water. But, in the 12 years of the conference nothing since has ever moved people to stand up and applaud like they did that evening. I was inspired!   

As the ADL approaches this historic milestone there are a number of questions that we need to discuss. Does the ADL meet your needs as a conservation professional?  What is the number one reason why you attend the ADL? How important are the networking opportunities? If you could change just one thing what would that be? 

We have a special webpage set up on the Latornell Symposium’s website so you can see what we’ve accomplished over the years and provide us with your feedback and advice about moving forward.

So what’s your story? 

Chris Hachey is the Land Manager Coordinator at the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.  He was the Chair of the Latornell Symposium for two years in 2004 and 2005, as well as being an active member of the steering committee for some time before and after. 

Great food and career affirmations: The musings of a Latornell Grant recipient

By Kim Ootjers, 2011 A.D. Latornell Symposium Grant recipient

 

Before applying for the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium Grant I had no idea what to expect. Would this be another conference with dry, boring talks mostly irrelevant to my interests and job duties? Would there be too much free time and too little to do with it? Would any of the exhibitors have information I could use? Would the food be gross?

Thankfully, Latornell was the opposite of all these fears. From the minute I walked into the Nottawasaga Inn and checked into my room I knew I was in for an exceptional three days. There were moments of confusion – trying to get from the dining hall to my room and back down to a workshop without taking the wrong set of stairs – and moments where I was overwhelmed – walking into the exhibitors hall for the first time to swarms of participants and exhibitors exchanging information, all of which I wanted to participate in. But through all this there was the feeling of being part of a small-knit community of like-minded individuals. Whether it was eating breakfast with a Conservation Authority CAO, chatting with fellow grant recipients at a wine and cheese reception, or listening to a workshop on urbanization and aquatic ecosystems, every interaction was saturated by a desire to change, improve, and make a difference.

Latornell packs so much information into three days that there isn’t enough time to truly absorb and embrace it all. Each workshop period gave seven options, and I was always extremely excited about at least three, and disappointed that I couldn’t attend them all. The keynote speakers provided inspiration, amusement and interesting meal-time dialogue, while the exhibitors displayed a wide variety of information relevant to the diverse crowd gathered in the hall.

Like the conference itself, the grant application process was well run and straightforward. Although I wasn’t sure how stiff the competition was, I spent a long time crafting my application answers to ensure that the organizers knew just how much I would benefit from this experience.  However, the effort more than paid off for the experience I received. The people I met, the presentations I heard and the discussions I had resulted in me having a much greater appreciation for how broad and far-reaching conservation efforts are. Beyond that it confirmed for me that the career path I’m on is exactly the one I want to be on.

If you are debating whether or not to apply for the grant, apply. Opportunities to attend a Symposium like this are few and far between and the benefits you receive from the experience are above and beyond what you will expect. And just wait until you see what they serve for lunch…

Kim Ootjers is  a Natural Heritage Technician at Conservation Halton and a 2011 A.D Latornell Conservation Symposium Grant recipient.

What's on the Menu?

By Ashley Noseworthy, Nottawasaga Inn Resort & Conference Centre

 

In recent years we’ve seen a very interesting food trend surface through the adoption of an eat local philosophy.  There are so many benefits to eating locally – fresher food, support for the local economy and the opportunity to make a connection with the farmer who is growing what you’re eating – that it’s not difficult to understand why people are becoming more invested in learning about where the food they eat is coming from.      

It’s exciting when groups such as A.D. Latornell hold an event at the hotel because their local food philosophy mirrors our own desire to include foods from Ontario (whenever possible) into our menus.  

I was curious to find out more about the local foods we incorporate into the menus we serve so I decided to interview our Head Chef, Paul Dills.

Ashley:  Why do we purchase local food?

Chef:  I try to buy local whenever possible.  Purchasing locally makes sense because not only is it important to support our local food growers but the food comes at its freshest.  It also reduces our impact on the environment (fewer resources are being used in the shipping process) which is important as the hotel tries to be environmentally responsible whenever possible. 

Ashley: What foods do we source locally?

Chef:  I purchase local foods as they are in season and then create menus that reflect the flavours of the time of year.   Often the food within our fridges comes from a variety of farms within Ontario [he walks me through the fridge for a tour].  We have carrots and beets from Bradford, potatoes from Grand Bend, cucumbers and tomatoes from the Niagara Region, butter and greens from the Alliston area, turkeys from Thamesville and the list goes on.  If I have the opportunity to purchase from a farm local to Ontario it’s always my first choice.

Ashley:  What made you decide to start a garden at the resort?



Chef:  I’m passionate about interesting types of vegetables and starting my own garden allows me to have access to varieties that I may not be able to purchase regularly.  There’s nothing better than being able to step outside and pick herbs and vegetables fresh from the garden.      



A delicious (and thriving) selection of herbs from our garden



This healthy tomato plant will soon yeild a crop of
Yellow Pear Mini Heirloom Tomatoes

Ashley: How do you decide on the menus for the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium?

Chef:  Within the fall and winter months the local foods that are available tend to be root vegetables (as they can be stored) and meats.  For the A.D. Latornell menu I will infuse a selection of hearty fall and winter vegetables (parsnips, potatoes, squash, carrots, etc) to showcase the colourful and interesting combinations of the fall and winter harvest.

To highlight some of the delicious flavours that are in season right now, Chef Paul Dills has created an Asparagus Frittata recipe that includes ingredients that can be sourced locally within your own area.  Enjoy! 

Recipe: Asparagus, Leek & Goat Cheese Frittata

(Serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 12-ounce bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup goats cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in heavy broiler proof 10-inch-diameter non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes. Add asparagus, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup goats cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup goats cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Ashley Noseworthy is the Marketing & Event Coordinator at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort & Conference Centre located in Alliston, ON.  The 2012 A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium will be held at the Nottawasaga Resort on November 14-16, 2012.

Conservationism vs. Environmentalism

By Charley Worte, Conservation Ontario

The theme of this year’s Latornell conference, Prescription for a Healthy Environment, brings into focus the relationship between human society and its environment and more specifically our dependence on the environment.  Indirectly though it also draws attention to one of the most enduring dichotomies in our business.

For as long as I’ve worked in the conservation field, there have coexisted two parallel philosophies. For discussion purposes I’ll call them conservationism and environmentalism.

Conservationism developed in the first half of the 20th century as a response to the degradation of the landscape that resulted from deforestation and agricultural settlement. It comes from a rural, agricultural perspective and is founded in a pragmatic view that humans need to restore and manage the environment in order to sustain the economic benefits that accrue from it. Under this philosophy the word conservation is usually defined as “wise use”. A conservationist plants trees but also cuts them down. A conservationist restores wildlife habitat but also hunts. A conservationist’s favourite book is probably Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Conservationism’s implementation philosophy is largely based on voluntary stewardship. Conservationism is explicitly human centric and could probably be best described as protecting nature for humans.

Environmentalism, on the other hand, emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s. It was responding to the destruction of the natural environment caused largely by pollution from the industrialization of the landscape and comes from a more urban perspective. An environmentalist might plant trees, but would likely protest against logging them. An environmentalist would protect wildlife but would certainly not hunt. An environmentalist’s favourite book would likely be Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Environmentalism’s implementation philosophy is largely based on regulation. Environmentalism is nature centric and could probably best be described as protecting nature from humans.

These philosophies are evident in the institutions we have created. The Ministry of Natural Resources, whose primary mandate in to manage the use of Ontario’s natural resources, is based on conservationism. The Ministry of the Environment, established in the 1970’s with an explicit mandate to protect the environment, is clearly environmentalist.  Each has its counterpart at the federal level.

Of course reality isn’t quite that clear cut. I know people that fall into each camp but there are many who are somewhere in between. I came of age in the 1970’s so I started out as an environmentalist but today I would likely describe myself as a conservationist. Conservation Authorities, where I’ve spent most of my career, were founded on the philosophy of conservationism (section 20 of the Conservation Authorities Act) but also deal with public expectations that they be environmentalists.

All of which, I guess, means that we still haven’t quite worked out exactly what our relationship with the rest of the planet is. But perhaps it’s time we did. Latornell’s focus on exploring this relationship by examining the connections between human health and environmental health is at least a start.

Charley Worte is the manager of Conservation Ontario's Source Protection Program. Conservation Ontario is the network of 36 Conservation Authorities, local watershed management agencies that deliver services and programs that protect and manage water and other natural resources in partnership with government, landowners, and other organizations.  Conservation Authorities promote an integrated watershed approach balancing human, environmental, and economic needs. Conservation Authorities are organized on a watershed basis.

Trees: A Healthy Dose of Green



By Rob Keen, CEO, Trees Ontario

 Trees are the lungs of the earth – inhaling toxic pollutants in our air and exhaling fresh oxygen. The water we drink, the air we breathe, and the environment we live in are all interconnected and dependant on the health of our forests.

Water is an essential component of a healthy ecosystem. To better protect our precious water sources, we must ensure the health and sustainability of all components of our ecosystem including trees and woodlands. Trees help clean our water by filtering rain water and protecting against soil erosion. Trees also shade water, prevent flooding and provide habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species.

Trees have also been linked to numerous health benefits. A growing body of evidence suggests that human mental and physical health is closely associated with the health of our forest ecosystems.

Trees Ontario recently released a publication that documents the growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of forest ecosystems for human health. Click here to download a copy of A Healthy Dose of Green: A prescription for a healthy population.

Health Benefits of Trees

Trees help to reduce smog and pollution in our cities by filtering out many airborne pollutants that have negative impacts on our health, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide and particulates. These pollutants have been linked to heart disease, respiratory illnesses, diabetes and cancer. Forests and green spaces have also been linked to a significant decline in stress, improved rehabilitation, faster hospital recovery rates, and a decrease in the severity of symptoms in attention deficit disorders.

State of Our Forests

In Ontario, our rural and urban forests are in serious jeopardy due to many factors including displacement by other land uses, climate change, invasive species and pollution. Ongoing population growth will add to these pressures, making it increasingly urgent to expand and intensify tree planting and forest restoration initiatives.

Ideally, rural and urban trees should function as components of a large and contiguous forest that extends beyond city boundaries and across the countryside. However, the current forest fragmentation in the settled landscapes of Ontario is contributing to an unstable ecosystem resulting in habitat loss, environmental degradation and an inability to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Environmental experts say that a minimum 30% forest cover is required for a healthy ecosystem. In some regions of southern Ontario, forest cover is as low as five percent. To achieve the minimum forest cover in southern Ontario, at least one billion more trees must be planted.

Increasing forest cover through tree planting will enhance the resilience of our ecosystems, enabling them to adapt to the effects of environmental change while sustaining a healthier human population.

A relatively modest investment in forest restoration activities will reduce long-term health care costs while contributing to the collective health, well-being and productivity of current and future generations.

Rob Keen (RPF) is the CEO of Trees Ontario, the largest not-for-profit tree planting partnership in North America. Trees Ontario leads the 50 Million Trees Program which strives to plant 50 million trees by 2020 to help fight climate change and re-green the province.

Prescription for a Healthy Environment

By Deborah Martin-Downs,
Chair of 19th Annual Latornell Symposium

Why is it that, as a society, we spend more on treating sickness than we do on enhancing or protecting the environment?  It is well known that sickness can be caused by the environment we live in, including pollution of air, water, plants and animals by chemicals, pathogens and a variety of other contaminants, as well as our community design which encourages a less active lifestyle. 

The recently released Drummond report noted that Ontario spends $ 44.8 billion on health care while the Ministries of the Environment and Natural Resources (MOE and MNR) together have less than $1 billion in funding or just over 2% of the Ontario Budget.  Further, the Drummond Report suggests that these departments be subject to a 2.4% reduction in spending while the same increase would be applied to health care and a further 0.5% to social services. 

So maybe it’s time to see the health care benefits of the environment, not as a cost to the tax payers but as an essential service – for without a healthy environment as a foundation for Ontario, residents will have to rely more heavily on a health care system that is already overloaded.  Heart disease, diabetes and asthma are directly related to inactivity and air pollution, among other things. More of Ontario’s young people are growing up in urban areas where they become disconnected with nature and its benefits. 

The health benefits of trees can be explored through a computer model called Urban Forests Effects (UFORE), now known as the iTree models, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture to calculate the effects and values of urban forests.  Trees and shrubs in the urban forest can improve local air quality by absorbing or collecting pollutants. In a recent study of the urban forest in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon East and Bolton (Peel Region et al 2011) it is estimated that 890 tonnes of air pollution are removed annually by the trees with a total removal value of approximately $9.5 million.  The urban forest in the City of Toronto removed an estimated 1,430 metric tonnes of air pollutants annually with an equivalent value of $16.1 million/year.

From a personal health angle, the Ontario Medical Association (Ontario Medical Association 2005 The Illness Costs of Air Pollution in Ontario) estimated that approximately 60,000 Ontarians visited emergency rooms due to the effects from air pollution, and 17,000 were admitted to hospitals for chronic health problems exacerbated by air pollution in 2005. It is expected that these rates will increase to 88,000 and 24,000 respectively by 2026. In 2005, economic losses due to lost productivity, healthcare costs, pain and suffering and loss of life associated with air pollution exposure have been estimated at $7.8 billion, and this total is expected to increase to over $12.9 billion by 2026.  So, investment in trees alone to address some of the air pollution and resulting health problems looks like a good investment for the Province.    

The AD Latornell Conservation Symposium theme this year is ‘Prescription for a Healthy Environment’. Here we will explore some of the relationships between human and environmental health as well as some of the solutions that will be needed to ensure both for the future.  Hope you’ll be there to contribute to the discussion!

Deborah Martin-Downs is the Director of the Ecology Division at the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority and Conference Chair, of the 19^th Annual A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium