2025 Annual Campaign: Your Donations Support Wildlife Monitoring, Education, and Meaningful Volunteer Work
There are only a few days left to contribute to our 2025 Annual Campaign, and we still have a chance to reach our goal of $30,000 by year’s end, complementing the other fundraising efforts we’ve accomplished throughout 2025. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’re over 75% of the way there.
Keep reading below for highlights from this year, including recaps of our monitoring programs, education and outreach events, and the incredible work of our volunteers. Every gift helps ensure we can continue protecting Central Algoma’s landscapes, wildlife, and communities in the year ahead and make an even greater impact in 2026.
If you are looking to make a donation that is eligible for U.S. tax benefits, please visit the Friends of Central Algoma Land Trust website here.
Monitoring Programs
Our Bat Monitoring and Education Program had another outstanding year. Across eight monitoring locations, we collected an impressive 204,478 individual bat recordings as we continue to build a dataset that will help guide future conservation efforts. While analysis is still underway, early indicators suggest that we once again detected most, if not all, of Ontario’s eight bat species, reinforcing the importance of our region as critical bat habitat and highlighting the value of continued monitoring and public education.
Our Water Quality Monitoring Program also delivered strong results. Over the season, 163 water tests were conducted at 28 locations throughout the Central Algoma region. This data is helping create a baseline dataset for local water quality.
In addition, staff and volunteers monitored 55 bluebird nest boxes, surveys a series of salamander boards, conducted the Desbarats Christmas Bird Count, and collected a variety of other plant and wildlife data. Together, these programs demonstrate how your support translates directly into hands-on conservation, community engagement, and reliable data that protects our natural landscapes.
Hailey Frasier, this year's Bat Monitoring Technician
Education and Outreach Events
Our education and outreach events continue to deliver meaningful, hands-on impact across our community. This year alone, we engaged 416 youth through 12 educational programs, helping foster early connections to nature and conservation. We also hosted 28 public events that welcomed 936 participants, from birding programs to community events and guided hikes and paddles. These numbers reflect more than attendance, they show a growing community of people learning from, connecting with, and actively supporting our conservation work.
Participants at a guided snowshoe event
Volunteer Work
A huge thank you to the over 100 volunteers who support our conservation work throughout the year. This includes our dedicated Board of Directors, who contribute countless hours of behind-the-scenes governance to ensure the organization remains strong, accountable, and focused on the right path forward.
Volunteers are also a crucial part of so many of our programs and events, generously sharing their time, skills, and passion to make our work possible. From hands-on conservation, monitoring, and trail maintenance to public outreach and community events, their commitment greatly expands our capacity and strengthens our impact across the region.
Volunteers assisting with our Adopt-a-Highway litter cleanup
Together, these efforts show what is possible when a community comes together to care for the land and water we all depend on. From collecting critical ecological data and engaging hundreds of youth and community members, to maintaining trails and supporting conservation programs, every achievement is strengthened by the generosity of our donors and volunteers. Your support ensures this work can continue and grow, protecting Central Algoma’s natural landscapes today while building a healthier, more resilient future for generations to come.
