Projects by year
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2018-2019 Project Highlights

Conservation Action Planning
With the  help of a SEED grant from the Trillium Foundation, the A2A in partnership with the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, completed a local Conservation Action Plan in the FAB area.  Over 30 stakeholders met in 5 workshops to develop an initial Conservation Action Plan building on the A2A Stage 1 work and CAP lens and applying the CAP technique to the FAB area.  Specific Conservation Actions are being explored in 2020 to implement the Plan

A2A Trail- A pilgrimage for Nature
The A2A Trail continues to grow as a new on-line map has been completed which can be downloaded and used to explore the trail in Goggle Earth.  The Kingston link was also opened with a hike/bike event in June 2019.  

Road Ecology
The research stage of the A2A Road Ecology work wrapped up with conclusion of the Hwy. 2 mortality analysis.  Stage 2 of the initiative is looking at hot spot areas, identifying locations for mitigation, and communicating results and working with agencies to put mitigation in place.  This stage began with a project in partnership with the 1000 Islands National Park to look at hot spots within the park and analyse the surrounding landscape to identify priority areas and corridor for mitigation.

A2A Science Symposium
In April 2019, over 90 stakeholders met in Clayton, New York to explore the state of knowledge in the A2A.  Along with a keynote presentation from Roland Kays, over a dozen experts gave presentations on subjects ranging from ecological mapping, to species status, to cultural linkages.  The day concluded with a session exploring future research priorities.  Better information on the State of the A2A, the impact of climate change, and data on species movement were all identified as future priorities. 

Get further information on projects in our 2019 Annual Report




2017 Projects


Conservation Action Planning Update
The A2A CAP project continues to progress and evolve.  Listen to our recent webinar with Jarmo Javala (Carolinian Canada) and Megan Ihrig (A2A) here.

A2A Trail
The A2A trail took a big step forward with an end to end Reconnaissance hike.  In October, John Allport set out from Algonquin Park while John Davis left Newcombe in the Adirondacks.  After two weeks of hiking, cycling, and paddling the A2A multi-modal trail, they met on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence to trade stories and lessons learned along the way.  An amazing journey that you can follow on our facebook posts from October - https://www.facebook.com/A2ACollab/ www.facebook.com/A2ACollab/
and read about in a great article in the Adirondack Explorer that you can find here.

Road Ecology
The research stage of the road ecology work wrapped up with completion of the Hwy 2 survey work.  Next step involves a strategy for helping wildlife cross highway barriers and outreach to implement mitigation measures  You can learn more under road ecology in our projects section or by reading a great article on our road ecology project from OnNature, Summer 2018 edition that you can find here

2016 Projects

2015 Projects

  • A web-based tool to share our connectivity mapping project data with our partners and municipal planners to prioritize conservation efforts (see Mapping)
  • Kickstarting the A2A trail project by convening key partners and planning a preliminary route to highlight various ecosystems, accommodations, and sites of cultural and natural heritage (see A2A Trail)
  • Collecting and cataloguing submissions to our online resource database for partners
  • Renewing Indigenous-non-Indigenous relationships with Plenty Canada (Anishnaabe) and the Conservation Department of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (Haudenosaunee) to plan cross-cultural collaboration training for A2A partners

2014 Projects

  • ​A capacity building effort (2014-2017) supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, beginning with hiring our first full-time staff -- Program Director, Lilith Wyatt -- and continuing with improvements to strategic planning, communications, our website, and fundraising
  • A connectivity mapping project (2013-2014) with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, expanding on the Sustaining What We Value maps, with the same methodology, to include the entire A2A region
  • A road ecology project (2014-2016) exploring wildlife crossings on highway 401 between Gananoque and Brockville, Ontario, in partnership with the Ontario Road Ecology Group (OREG) -- see photo in sidebar
  • The design phase of an A2A resource database done by a summer intern from the University of Toronto

Projects by topic

Workshops: "Working toward a Strategic Roadmap for Connectivity"

A2A held two important workshops at the Queen's University Biological Station (QUBS) on the Opinicon Road in April and October 2012. They gathered partners and advisors to help reshape our organization as a Collaborative that takes on strategic regional projects in support of a network of local partner organizations instead of focusing on on-the-ground projects at the A2A pinchpoint in the Thousand Islands. 

See Workshops Proceedings here for Workshop 1 and Workshop 2.
June 2014 -- Our field team at work on the highway 401 road ecology project

Gananoque River Watershed

In 2008, we, along with 14 partnering organizations, received a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Species-at-Risk Fund to conduct research on the Gananoque River, which is located within the bottleneck of the A2A landscape. Although this pathway hosts high biodiversity and is essential for species movement north and south, species at risk are understudied in the Gananoque river system. Data was collected in order to develop management strategies to ensure the long-term health of the waterway and better survival rates of species at risk. The project looked at the entire watershed of the Gananoque River, including 18 lakes.

Volunteers played an integral role in implementing the project, from taking water samples and helping researchers net fish and record data to observing their shorelines and participating in outreach. More than 70 local residents volunteered for the project.

See the Stewardship Project Reports here: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3.
Summer 2010 -- The Gananoque River Watershed project engaged hundreds of landowners, worked with 14 partner organizations, assessed the river and 18 lakes, and found one beautiful American Eel.

Biodigester Workshop

We believe that a strong farming community is essential for the welfare of the A2A region — people and landscape. In 2007, we hosted a one-day workshop about biodigesters at no cost to farmers. The intent was to provide owners of small farms with information on how they could increase their income, both through generating and selling electricity and through reducing costs associated with nutrient management and the amount of electricity they have to buy.

Speakers:
> Nils Semmler, president of RENTEC Renewable Energy Technologies Inc.
> Tom Hutchinson,  farmer and professor of ecology at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario
> Russ Christianson, consultant to cooperatives on strategic planning and development
> Steve Clarke, energy and crop engineering specialist at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Eighty people attended the workshop, most of them farmers. In a questionnaire following the workshop , participants unanimously answered that the workshop was worthwhile. Many expressed an interest in the workshop being offered in other parts of the A2A region.   

Thank you to our partners: Township of Elizabethtown Kitley, Rideau Environmental Action League, Frontenac Arch Biosphere, Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Toronto Food Policy Council, Hillside Farms, McCann Farm Automation, Leeds County Stewardship Council, E-Solutions, and Rural Leeds 2000 and Beyond.
Download the A2A factsheet to learn more about integrating biodigesters 
into farm operations

Highway 401 Porosity Study

To restore and enhance connectivity of the A2A region, we aim to document and understand the threats and opportunities related to connectivity. Among the most significant barriers: 401 Highway, intensive residential development and the urban barriers of the Town of Gananoque and Brockville. In 2004, we commissioned research focused on the 401 Highway.

The study sought to learn whether it was possible to improve crossing success and lower the barrier of the highway by diverting, guiding and channeling wildlife, large and small, to new and/or improved structures.

This study was undertaken by the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve and was done in collaboration with Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Leeds County Stewardship Council, and St. Lawrence Islands National Park. All map work was completed by Eastern Ontario Model Forest and was adapted from work completed by Eastern Ontario Heritage Working Group.

The project was funded by grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Environment Canada Habitat Stewardship Program.

 

Download the results of the Highway 401 Porosity study