By Ashley Clark [1]
BELLEVILLE –’Tis the season for Quinte Conservation [2] to promote its annual Adopt-an-Acre program to protect local conservation areas.
“It makes a great gift idea,” said Quinte Conservation communications assistant Kirsten Geisler.
People can adopt an acre for $20 and receive an adoption certificate and tax receipt. If two or more acres are purchased, donors get the choice between having a stuffed chipmunk (Chippy) or Fern the fox, which is a new addition this year.
Adopting an acre can be done through the website [3], or by calling the organization.
Geisler said the money will go towards putting up signs about local invasive species, such as European buckthorn [4] and dog-strangling vine [5], in some of the conservation areas. Invasive species are certain types of plants or animals that are out of place in an environment. They reproduce quickly making them hard to get rid of, and threaten native species.
The Adopt-an-Acre program has been ongoing since 1996, and is not limited to the holiday season.
“You can adopt an acre all year long,” said Geisler.
This year’s goal is to adopt out 225 acres, or to raise $4500.
“It’s a great cause, so if you’re passionate about the environment it’s something to look into,” Geisler said.
Quinte Conservation is an environmental protection agency in charge of 23 local conservation areas. It aims to educate the community about the environment in order to preserve and protect it.
For more information about local invasive species, see Charlotte McParland’s stories here:
Harsher penalties in place to fight off invasive species in Ontario [6]