After four years of planning, the Collavino Conservation Area in Amherstburg is finally open.
Nearly 150 guests joined the Collavino family, the owners of Prestressed Systems Inc, officials from the Essex Region Conservation Authority, and local dignitaries to celebrate the official grand opening on Thursday.
Loris Collavino got the ball rolling with a donation of $100,000 and 150 acres on North Side Road.
The Essex Region Conservation Foundation helped develop amenities for the public, creating a community destination for outdoor education, recreation, and the appreciation of nature.
Collavino also announced he was donating another $50,000 to support the amenities now and into the future.
"We could not be more thankful to the Collavino family for their philanthropy," said the Chair of the Essex Region Conservation Foundation. "Celebrating the opening of the Collavino Conservation Area on the eve of the United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity highlights the importance of this place as a habitat for vulnerable species and where communities can connect with, appreciate, and protect the natural world."
Visitors to the conservation area can enjoy a 2.2 km mowed walking trail with scenic views. Interpretive signage sharing the history and ecological importance of the area will be added, and a portable classroom, also donated by the Collavino family, is planned to support future educational programming.
Future plans also include a small memorial forest, a potential canoe and kayak launch, and a viewing tower overlooking the wetland.
The Collavino Conservation Area is a provincially significant wetland and environmentally significant area that is home to a number of species at risk, including Blanding's Turtle, Eastern Foxsnake and the Queensnake.
