The Core
We owe a great debt to the twelve businessmen/sportsmen who, in 1866, purchased from the Crown almost all of the centre and eastern part of the Point with its great marshes. They established the first management plan for the area at a time when it was threatened by market hunters, poachers and a public that paid little attention to sustainable use. After maintaining fine stewardship of the resource for over a century the Long Point Company donated about half of its holdings to the people of Canada, with a provision that the government would continue to protect the area.
Distinctive plant communities in the core support a great diversity of wildlife and, together with the Buffer area, provide one of the best waterfowl staging areas in all of Ontario during migration. Long Point is on a major flyway, especially for song birds. The area is also improtant in that the northern distributional limits of some southern species and the southern limits of some northern species overlap there. Several of these species are rare or threatened in Canada.
Examples of Species Vulnerable, Threatened or Endangered in Canada which are found on Long Point
The diversity of human influence in; the Buffer area merits great attention. Concerns with boating, construction, cottage life, dredging, fishing, hunting, nature study, swimming, water supply, wildlife habitat etc. contribute to this diversity. Among Canadian Biosphere Reserves management of Long Point is very complicated, as 19 government agencies have administrative responsibilities in it. There are at least 22 government policy and planning documents relating to Long Point and 30 different organized stakeholder groups. They include both local and distant residents and so brand the Reserve as an area of broad concern, geographically.
The ongoing challenge to the LPWBRF is to promote public information and education regarding the nature of the Biosphere Reserve program and its significance to the public in general.
Private control of sections of the marsh areas has in general demonstrated stewardship of the resources that is in harmony with Biosphere purposes.
In a geographical sense the Big Creek and Dedrick Creek watersheds are considered part of the Zone of Co-operation, since land use there affects the welfare of the Inner Bay. Such areas as the Backus Woods, the St. Williams Forestry Station, Ontario Heritage"s Rowanwood Sanctuary and the three local Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (Delhi-Big Creek, South Walsingham Sand Ridges and Big Creek Floodplain) might be high-lighted in descriptive statements of the Biosphere Reserve boundary. The guidelines under which we operate are flexible enough to allow for the extension of boundaries and/or the recognition of satellite areas of interest.
Through speakers at the LPWBRF annual meetings, and through various seminars and workshops, we have provided information and a forum for discussion of local problems related to our mandate. For some issues, we have used project oriented means to acquaint the public with the nature and significance of the Biosphere Reserve movement.
We wish to thank the NORFOLK DISTRICT COMMUNITY FUTURES CORPORATION, which provided approximately 50% of the funds, and the following major donors: Rotarty Club of Simcoe, Friends of the Environment, Norfolk Field Naturalists, Long Point Foundation for Conservation, Port Rowan Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, and The Bluff Club.
