As many of you might know, Ghandi once said: “Be the Change you wish to See in the World”. That is the motto that I have chosen to live by; and that is what has brought me to the rare Charitable Research Reserve.
At rare, I have joined a team of dedicated staff, Board members, volunteers, honourary Ambassadors, and donors; from within and outside the community. Together they have amazing collective expertise and also have the wisdom, passion and desire to ensure rare remains an environmental jewel in the crown for the Region; the province and hopefully one day nationally and internationally.
So why exactly am I starting a blog about rare? Basically, I wanted to invite you on my journey as Executive Director at rare, so that together we can learn everything there is to know about rare; the past, the present and future opportunities. And let me tell you there is a lot to learn!
Each and every day since I began my role as Executive Director with rare I have been asked what or who is rare? And what exactly does rare do? Suffice it to say that I am not going to attempt to answer this fully in my first blog after only three short months on the job. But what I can tell you, is that I am learning something new about rare each and every day.
A scientific advisor to rare, with much greater wisdom and knowledge than I, described it to me like this: rare is not only a place; it is also a concept and more importantly, it is an attitude. Now before this
definition gets too complicated perhaps a good place to start would be the beginning; where exactly did rare come from? And why?
A quick review of rare’s website (http://www.raresites.org) will tell you that the property that forms rare today was part of the original estate of the Wilks family for more than 150 years. In 1968, the estate was bequeathed to the University of Guelph and transferred officially in 1973 upon Matthew Wilks death. However, as the decades unfolded, the University decided it could no longer continue to manage the property and in 2001 a group of concerned citizens came together to form a charitable organization to purchase the property with the intent to preserve it in perpetuity for the benefit of all. Today rare Charitable Research Reserve consists of over 900 acres of ecologically and environmentally significant and sensitive land.
Why did local concerned citizens do this? Because they knew and understood that the property is unique in many, many ways. It is one of the largest green spaces within an urban setting in Canada; with forests containing trees more than 230 years of age. These mature forests, along with the many other significant
natural features on the property, provide habitat to a diversity of organisms, some of which are species at risk regionally, provincially, nationally and globally. Matthew Wilks was indeed an environmentalist ahead of his time and should be recognized for his foresight to maintain areas within the property in their truly natural and original state. You can find a more detailed history on the website at http://www.raresites.org
Matthew Wilks’ wisdom has left a natural laboratory for scientific study and research-based education programs on the lands of rare. And today, we, in North Dumfries Township, the City of Cambridge and the entire Region of Waterloo, are now blessed with a unique opportunity to understand our environment with this incredible green space in one of the fastest growing urban areas. The possibilities for research, education and international recognition, are just beginning.
So what better place to find myself in the late afternoon sun recently, than on the Grand Allée trail beside Indian Woods, an old growth Maple-Beech forest; truly one of mother nature’s incredible gems. It was quite magical to walk along the path that once provided passage for horse drawn carriages on their way to Langdon Hall, and quietly contemplate what life must have been like over 100 years ago.
It was also incredibly peaceful and silent on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, hearing only the rustle of the wind through the trees and the sound of my feet along the path. What you can observe in an old growth forest is trees with incredible height and stature - some over 200 years in age - side by side with new growth and the
remnants of fallen trees nourishing the floor of the forest as they deteriorate. The forest also has its own small watercourses within which the sun glistens on this quiet Sunday afternoon. The silence is interrupted
only by the sounds of several types of birds flying overhead.
Yes, the property that belongs to rare is indeed a jewel in the crown for North Dumfries Township, the City of Cambridge and the entire Region of Waterloo. Mother Nature has done her work providing the Old Growth Forest and now it is up to all of us to make sure that it is conserved, restored and enhanced.
