The Nature Conservancy of Canada is organizing an evening conference that will highlight the sometimes, unknown riches of the Covey Hill region.
The event, which is open to the public and free of charge will take place on Thursday, March 31 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Vergers Hillspring, 1019, route 202 in Franklin.
It will begin with a presentation by Gregg Edwards from the Chateauguay Valley Historical Society on the history of Covey Hill. Carine Deland, from the Nature Conservancy of Canada will then talk about the ecological riches of Covey Hill.
Gérald Chouinard, an agronomist with the Institut de recherche et de développement en Agroenvironnement (IRDA) , will give a talk on possible, advanced solutions for producing apples without affecting the biodiversity. The conference will end with a round table on the challenges and goals of the future.
Species at risk
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has already identified an area of Covey Hill as a refuge for aquatic salamanders, in particular the Allegheny mountain dusky salamander, a species considered at risk in Canada.
« These salamanders live in only two areas; on Covey Hill in the Montérégie and in Ontario in a small section of the Niagara Escarpment. At 340 metres Covey Hill is the most northerly extension of the Adirondack mountain range. It straddles two municipalities in the Haut-Saint-Laurent MRC: Havelock and Franklin and extends into New York State, » as stated on the organization’s web site.
The NCC works to protect waterways, forests and wetlands in this area and support their ecological integrity to the benefit of the aquatic salamander. A natural laboratory has been established on Covey Hill where different aspects of the natural environment such as the region’s unique water system are studied in partnership with a number of universities including the Université du Québec à Montréal.
(Translated by Cathleen Johnston)
