Open Country
Open Country Working Group
The collaborative Open Country working group is working to preserve rare and important tallgrass prairie habitat in the Long Point Walsingham Forest (LPWF) Priority Place. Open Country refers to any vegetation community where the combined cover of trees and shrubs over 1 m tall is less than 60%, excluding agricultural lands. It encompasses tallgrass communities, which support significant biodiversity, and their deep roots prevent soil erosion and help clean the air and water.
The priorities of this group are to:
- Develop a database on historical and restored tallgrass prairie in the LPWF
- Collaborate on restoration and management activities on private and public lands to improve the condition of tallgrass prairie (like prescribed fire and planting more native flowers)
- Provide opportunities for the public to learn about tallgrass prairie ecosystems and their management
- Support private landowners looking to manage, restore and maintain open country habitat on their lands
Partner organizations within this group include: Natural Resource Solutions Inc., Nature Conservancy of Canada, Long Point Basin Land Trust, St. Williams Conservation Reserve, ALUS Norfolk, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Ontario Nature.
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