On August 25, the Cathexis team visited the Alderville Black Oak Savanna. Stewarded by Alderville First Nation, this nature preservation area about 1.5 hours drive from Toronto is the largest intact tract of native grassland in Central Ontario.
The team carpooled together to the grasslands. This was a welcome chance for us to connect and bond in-person, as much of our team is distributed.
We are grateful to the savanna’s team, including our lead guide, Radek. The savanna team spent part of the afternoon guiding us through the prairie and woodland, pointing out species at risk, pollinators, and exotic and invasive plants. We also learned about the importance of grasslands as a carbon sink and the use of prescribed burns to restore the balance of the ecosystem. Radek and his team patiently guided us and answered our questions about their work preserving and restoring the natural environment.
We first learned about Alderville from our team member Megan, who is also doing some nature conservation work in her backyard. Since then, our clients have helped us acknowledge this important initiative by completing our 2021 client feedback survey – we matched each response received with a monetary donation to the savanna.
You can learn more about the Alderville Black Oak Savanna on this recent episode of the CBC show Unreserved.