Ontario Land Trust Alliance turned 20 years old this July!! We are incredibly grateful for the 20 exceptional years we’ve worked with the land conservation community in Ontario and our land trust members.
It is amazing to think how much the land conservation movement in Ontario has changed over the years and how land trusts, and our land trust heroes, have contributed to these positive changes.
A short history…
Some impactful groups in Ontario that influenced the land trust landscape (pun intended!) date back to the early 1980s with the formation of the National Heritage League. This group was active until around the 1990s and once this dissolved, several active members created a committee of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (now known as Ontario Nature) to continue furthering the conservation work of Ontario land trusts and non-profit conservation groups. In 1997, this became the Ontario Nature Trust Alliance (ONTA), with 14 founding members.
By mid-2001, with a membership of 23 land trusts, it was decided to fully incorporate as the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA Inc.); the letters patent for OLTA were approved on July 2, 2002, and OLTA became the official provincial association for the Ontario land trust movement!
Now, OLTA has a strong network of 36 land trust members, 5 associates and many partnering organizations, with an impact of protecting more than 110,000 acres of significant natural lands across Ontario!
When incorporated in 2002, OLTA was a small group of incredible and dedicated volunteers, including Stew Hilts, Dave Walker, Paul Peterson, Ron Reid, Ian Attridge, and Andrea Kettle, to name a few. Where would OLTA be without all your enthusiasm and commitment to the land trust community?
Now in 2022 we have a staff team of nine (see picture below, on the left), including our lovely and long-serving bookkeeper Jean. We coordinate research, initiatives, and programs covering the full range of land conservation topics for land trusts. Our team is thankful for the support of hundreds of volunteers and supporters, and an amazing, diverse, knowledgeable, and utterly committed board of Governors (below, on the right).
During our anniversary preparations, we heard wonderful stories of how OLTA has impacted the journey for Ontario’s land trust community. From providing government relations support, fieldwork expertise, learning and training resources, increased funding opportunities, and informative and connection-building annual gatherings, OLTA has had a far reaching impact on our land trust members and partner organizations. In turn, all our land trust members, partner organizations, volunteers, and supporters have impacted us immensely and make the land conservation community tremendously influential and far-reaching. We want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone that has been, and continues to be, part of the land trust community and OLTA’s journey over the past 20 years. We couldn’t do this work without you!
In the coming months, we plan to share stories and pictures from our land trust members, interesting insights into our collective impact and an interactive story map! In addition, stay tuned for an anniversary celebration event this fall!
This July, we are filled with joy and appreciation for the strong community we have, and how far we have come in the past 20 years. HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLTA, and here is to another 20!!
Thank you for your continued support,
Alison Howson, Executive Director
