High-value waterfowl haven in Hastings County is a conservation inspiration

January 21, 2022 Ontario Provincial

The Cosford Farm wetland restoration property is dotted with a variety of habitats including pasture, forest, wetlands, creeks and rivers.

There’s a haven for wildlife amid the farm fields on the rolling landscape north of Belleville. The Cosford Farm project is more than 300 acres (120 hectares) of mixed habitats that have seen many changes since the dips and mounds were formed by ancient glaciers. In the past decade, since DUC purchased the land, some of the habitat has been restored and the work continues.

Cosford Farm project is dotted with pasture, forest, wetlands, creeks and rivers

For many years, the land was farmed and many of the wetlands were altered or drained. In 2021, DUC continued restorations of formerly drained wetlands on the property, with the support of the Government of Ontario, to preserve and enhance the habitats that attract nesting waterfowl and other wildlife while supporting cleaner water in the Trent River watershed.

Investing in the human spirit with nature

DUC’s passionate supporters are inspired by natural landscapes like Cosford Farm. Tim Binch leads the DUC volunteers who raise funds for nature by hosting tournaments and banquets, getting outside for sponsored rides or runs, and holding raffles, workshops and calendar sales. These funds provide DUC with a powerful base and case for support that attracts matching funds from our conservation partners across the country and beyond.

“Investing in conservation is for birds and other wildlife, but it’s also for the human spirit,” said Binch, DUC’s national manager of volunteer fundraising. “When you’re at the edge of a wetland and a barred owl is flying back and forth, you’re one with nature—something that’s hard to describe unless you’ve actually experienced it.”

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BACKGROUND

This restoration project was supported by the Ontario Wetlands Conservation Partner Program, a $30 million, five-year program focusing on enhancing and restoring wetlands in the Great Lakes watersheds, supporting municipal stormwater management and building climate change resiliency.

High-value waterfowl haven in Hastings County is a conservation inspiration

Cosford Farm project is dotted with pasture, forest, wetlands, creeks and rivers

Investing in the human spirit with nature

BACKGROUND

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