The Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust (TIWLT), is proud to announce the successful purchase of the 360-acre [146-hectare] Red Horse Highlands Property, a biologically rich and ecologically vital landscape within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere.
This landmark $1.5 million acquisition was made possible through generous financial support from:
- Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership administered through the Ontario Land Trust Alliance
- Wildlife Habitat Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada, through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program – Land Trust Conservation Fund
- Ontario Conservation Accelerator (OCA), and the charitable funders who contributed through them: the Schad Foundation, the ECHO Foundation, and The Waltons Trust.
- Individual local community donors, whose contributions made up an impressive 29% of the total project cost.
Meeting a thrilling November deadline, TIWLT and its supporters rallied to raise the full amount, ensuring that the Red Horse Highlands is now permanently protected under the stewardship of the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust.
In August, TIWLT shared news of an ambitious new conservation effort – the protection of the 360-acre [146-hectare] Red Horse Highlands, a dramatic expanse of Frontenac Arch landscape that had come onto the open market and required swift action to secure. The project was a clear conservation win but a daunting prospect, with a fundraising goal 200% larger than the largest project in TIWLT’s history at that time.
By early November, the response from the community was nothing short of extraordinary. Local individual supporters rallied behind the cause, contributing over $400,000 toward the project – nearly 30% of the total cost of conservation. Their generosity pushed the campaign over its fundraising goal and allowed TIWLT to move forward with the acquisition, ensuring this ecologically significant property is protected for generations to come – 4ever!
“This has been exhilarating,” says Calder Schweitzer, TIWLT Executive Director, “For TIWLT to take this big swing at a huge property, with a seven-figure price-tag, and a rapid fire deadline – all systems were go! For all of us. But then, to see the community rally around this goal in the mind-blowing way that they did – it has shown us just how important conservation and environmental protection is to a broad community here in Eastern Ontario.”
“I’m pleased our government is supporting the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust in its acquisition of the Red Horse Highlands property with a $331,875 grant through the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Greenlands Conservation Partnership,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “The Partnership’s support of the Watershed Land Trust on projects like this helps them leverage private donations to protect more of our region’s majestic natural areas, ensuring they are preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
TIWLT has worked in close partnership with the Ontario Conservation Accelerator (OCA) to achieve this monumental goal. The OCA was founded by a group of conservation experts in 2024 with an aim to boost conservation in Ontario through mentorship, funding support, and their own innovative approaches to conservation.
The Red Horse Highlands Property lies along the northwestern boundary of Charleston Lake Provincial Park in Eastern Ontario. With 2,000 feet of shoreline on the west side of Red Horse Lake, it occupies a central and ecologically significant position within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere – a globally recognized UNESCO region that connects the Adirondack Mountains to the Canadian Shield, with migrational movement that extends well beyond. Located just east of Lyndhurst, north-west of Brockville, north of Gananoque and the St. Lawrence River, and about an hour and a half south of Ottawa, this protected area helps preserve one of Canada’s most important migratory corridors for wildlife.
“This geography matters – to our water, our air, our health, and the health of countless species of animals and plants,” says Schweitzer. “By protecting this property, we’re safeguarding habitat for Gray Ratsnake, Black Ash and Butternut Trees, Wood Thrush, and Eastern Wood-Pewee. It’s also home to Bobcat, Black Bear, Fisher, Weasel, Deer, Coyote, Bald Eagle, and Barred Owl populations.”
Schweitzer’s enthusiasm for the project is echoed throughout the Land Trust, from the Board of Directors who champion its protection to the biologists who study the land. TIWLT Head Wildlife Biologist Maggie Stevenson, identified many of the interesting and at-risk species on the property, noting their significance. The Red Horse Highlands encompass 360 acres [146 hectares] of quintessential Frontenac Arch terrain – a dramatic landscape of pink granite ridges and valleys, elevated wetlands, mixed forests, and striking cliff-top vistas. This ecologically rich mosaic provides critical habitat for numerous species at risk. “It’s one of the most significant conservation projects in our history,” Schweitzer adds. “And with its extensive shared boundary with Charleston Lake Provincial Park, it plays a vital role in maintaining habitat connectivity across the region.”
“Securing the Red Horse Highlands is a major achievement for conservation in Ontario. This 360-acre property strengthens natural resilience and connects important landscapes near Charleston Lake Provincial Park,” says Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. “Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, we’re proud to protect Ontario by supporting projects of this scale that safeguard ecosystems and deliver lasting benefits for communities.”
The Honourable Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature), confirms that “Forests and wetlands like those in the Red Horse Highlands are the foundation of healthy ecosystems. By protecting this property, we are ensuring habitat for species at risk, preserving clean water, and maintaining the natural connections that sustain both wildlife and communities across the Frontenac Arch.” Provost’s perspective is further supported by her colleague the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, who stresses that, “The Protection of the Red Horse Highlands is a remarkable achievement for conservation in Ontario. By securing this ecologically rich landscape, we are safeguarding habitat for species at risk, strengthening the health of our forests and waters, and ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from the natural heritage of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere.”
The Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust is excited for a future that includes the caretaking of such a magnificent part of the Canadian landscape.
Images: Credit: Deb Lace-Kelly, TIWLT Communications, except for the last one: Anne Henderson, Board Director.
For media: interested in covering this story – we can provide photos and drone videos of the Red Horse Highlands, as well as interviews with: TIWLT President Don Ross, Executive Director Calder Schweitzer, and Head Wildlife Biologist Maggie Stevenson. Please reach out if you are interested in an interview, or if we can provide more information: Deb Lace-Kelly, TIWLT Communications, 416-453-7013, deb.lace-kelly@tiwlt.ca
About the Natural Heritage Conservation Program – Land Trust Conservation Fund
About the Greenlands Conservation Partnership
The Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure
private land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance,
leverages non-governmental dollars to acquire, restore and manage privately owned natural areas
such as wetlands, grasslands and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant
recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual
donors, foundations and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has
invested $58 million into the program, which has helped to protect over 430,000 acres (174,310
hectares) of private land across the province – more than 2.75 times the size of Toronto.
About the Ontario Land Trust Alliance
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) focuses on providing community, knowledge sharing and support
to land trusts across Ontario. It empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts
that engage their communities to protect forests, wetlands, nature, and water sources and provide
natural climate solutions. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs,
connecting land trusts to each other, resources, and their communities, leading and supporting on-
the-ground conservation work, sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to
land conservation, promoting organizational excellence, providing access to current research and
acting as a voice for land trusts among the public, governments, and other rightsholders.
Our impact is Ontario-wide through 51 connected charities and communities. OLTA’s local land trust
members currently collectively own and steward over 2,000 natural areas and green spaces across
Ontario, with the leadership of thousands of supporters and volunteers annually. To support your
local land trust, visit OLTA.ca.
Thousand Island Watershed Land Trust – Organization Info:
The Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust is a small charitable, non-profit organization made up of dedicated directors and staff concerned with the protection of ecologically important land. TIWLT’s mission is “To permanently protect land in the Thousand Islands Watershed region through acquisition or conservation agreements, and to achieve good land management through stewardship agreements and education.”
Headquarters: The Glen Elbe Learning Centre, 870 County Road 42, Athens, Ontario.
Website: tiwlt.ca Instagram: @4everTIWLT Facebook: @4everTIWLT
Established in: 1993. Operates within the Frontenac Arch Biosphere in Eastern Ontario. The general boundary is: The Rideau Canal in the north. Gananoque in the west. Brockville in the east. The St. Lawrence River in the south.
This region is home to two major migration pathways: the north-south corridor between the Adirondack Mountains and Canadian Shield, and the east-west corridor linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. We have an immense amount of biodiversity, a third of all species at risk in Ontario, and an ecosystem unique to the region. It’s an internationally recognized ecological gem, but that hasn’t stopped threats from development and land use change. That part is up to us. Healthy habitat for wildlife turns out to be one of the top solutions to offset climate change. Through land donations and legal agreements, TIWLT helps willing landowners turn their rural property into privately held protected areas that last forever, as it has done for over 6,600 acres [2,670 hectares] to date.
These protected lands are more resilient to the effects of climate change, offering humans many free ecological services. These include the storing of carbon, providing refuge & migration routes for wildlife, filtering our air & water, and mitigating the effects of flooding.
Media Contact
Deb Lace-Kelly, Communications
Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust
deb.lace-kelly@tiwlt.ca
416-453-7013
Executive Director
Calder Schweitzer
Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust
Calder@tiwlt.ca
Founder & Board President
Don Ross
Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust
Don@tiwlt.ca
