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Laidlaw Foundation protects the environment and future generations with $25,000 donation
OTTAWA, February 6, 2020 – The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) is thrilled to have received a $25,000 donation to the Conservation 2020 campaign from the Laidlaw Foundation’s Family Discretionary Grant.
The RVCF is a steward of more than 1,259 hectares of healthy, protected ecosystems throughout the Rideau River watershed. These are crucial habitats — forests, wetlands and shorelines — that work hard to reduce our risk of floods, clean our water, stop erosion and store vast amounts of carbon to keep our communities healthy and resilient in the face of climate change.
“We are grateful for this investment in the long-term protection of local conservation lands,” said Foundation Chair Jason Kelly. Donations to the Conservation 2020 campaign will be invested in the Steve Simmering Conservation Land Endowment Fund which helps pay for property taxes, insurance and maintenance. “It is a gift that will keep on giving,” explains Mr. Kelly. “Only the annual interest from the fund is taken for conservation work while the principal remains invested year after year producing a steady annual source of money.”
The fund was established in 2010 in memory of Steve Simmering, an active outdoorsman and vice chairman of the Foundation. The endowment has slowly been growing since then to provide a small stream of income to support our vibrant and vital outdoor spaces.
“We are so glad we can support this very important initiative,” declares the family members who contributed towards the donation.
The Laidlaw Foundation is a Canadian charitable foundation based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1949 by Robert A. Laidlaw, the institution was established with the purpose of providing financial support for charitable, conservation, educational, and cultural organizations in the Ontario region. Last year, the Foundation released its five-year plan which focuses the organization’s efforts on youth who are adversely impacted by, underserved and overrepresented in the justice, education and care systems.
For more information about the Conservation 2020 Campaign and how you or your business can get involved: www.rvcf.ca.
For more information, contact:
Diane Downey
Executive Director, Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1126
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Starbucks Greener Apron grant helps students experience outdoor education programs
OTTAWA AND WESTPORT AREA, January 29, 2020 – The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) is pleased to have received a $4,567 Greener Apron Grant through the Starbucks Foundation.
To help students access our outdoor education programs at Baxter and Foley Mountain Conservation Areas the Greener Apron Grant covers bus fees through the RVCF.
Starbucks Greener Apron is a community of passionate employees who are committed to serving the planet. From promoting environmentally conscious best practices in stores, to nominating local non-profits to apply for grant funding, Greener Apron partners are sustainability champions making a difference in their stores and communities, every day. “Thanks to Starbucks employee Denise Pagliaro of Manotick for nominating us for this program,” says Diane Downey, Executive Director of RVCF, “we are delighted to welcome another exceptional partner in our campaign to make outdoor education programs accessible to all.”
“Our children have so many beautiful memories thanks to the Rideau Valley Conversation Foundation – it was my pleasure to nominate them,” notes Denise.
The Greener Apron grant will cover transportation costs for 1200 children; that’s 20 school buses with two classes of thirty students each.
The programs are run by the RVCA certified outdoor education teachers at Baxter and Foley Mountain conservation areas. They welcome more than 10,000 elementary and secondary school students to their curriculum-based programs every year for hands-on experiences in nature, from catching frogs to snowshoeing.
There’s a growing body of evidence that learning through outdoor active play has positive effects on a child's physical, emotional, and intellectual health. More and more, children suffer from “nature deficit disorder” — a lack of connection with the natural world.
With support from the Greener Apron grant and other donors, the RVCA is fostering a new generation of confident explorers, nature-lovers and environmental stewards.
For more information about the RVCA’s educational programs, visit www.rvca.ca/outdoor-education. To support the Foundation’s conservation efforts, visit www.rvcf.ca.
For more information, contact:
Diane Downey
Executive Director, Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1126
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Conservation 2020: Fundraising campaign to protect local natural spaces
Sept. 30, 2019 – They say hindsight is 20/20 – and future generations may not like what they see if we don’t act now to protect and conserve our natural areas.
That’s why the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is excited to launch Conservation 2020: a major campaign to raise $125,000 toward keeping our natural areas in public hands forever.
The Foundation is a proud steward of more than 1,259 hectares of healthy, protected ecosystems throughout the Rideau River watershed. These are crucial habitats — forests, wetlands and shorelines — that work hard to reduce our risk of floods, clean our water, stop erosion and store vast amounts of carbon to keep our communities healthy and resilient in the face of climate change.
They are the lifeblood of our region, supporting vast, interconnected ecosystems that are increasingly fragmented or lost entirely to development and human activity.
Some properties are entirely untouched, left to their own devices to provide important green infrastructure functions for our communities. Others are public, close-to-home oases providing an antidote to the daily grind and stresses of daily life.
But they all cost money to maintain: whether it’s for property taxes, insurance or trail maintenance, the Foundation requires a steady stream of income to protect these green spaces in perpetuity.
Donations to the Conservation 2020 campaign will be invested in the Steve Simmering Conservation Land Endowment Fund, which marks its 10-year anniversary next year.
The fund was established in 2010 in memory of Steve Simmering, an active outdoorsman and vice chairman of the Foundation. The endowment has slowly been growing since then to provide a small stream of income to support our vibrant and vital outdoor spaces.
But more is needed to keep our natural areas secure forever.
“Today, the need to protect our conservation lands is increasingly important,” said Foundation chairman Jason Kelly. “Our 2020 campaign will look to grow this endowment fund, ensuring our local natural areas are protected and held safely in public hands.”
The Foundation, which turns 50 next year, is seeking investments large and small. Whether your family has $100 to spare or you lead a large corporation looking to make a lasting, local impact, your contribution will go directly toward conserving green space in your community for future generations.
Donors of large investments (between $10,000 and $25,000+ over five years) will be recognized in our media outreach and on the Foundation’s donor board. They’ll also receive some fun extras for the office, like complementary annual passes to our conservation areas, free facility rentals and even a staff retreat.
To invest in the region’s natural lands, contact Foundation executive director Diane Downey at 613-692-3571 ext. 1126 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For more information about how the endowment works, visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/steve-simmering-conservation-lands-endowment-fund.
