Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation

06/24/2026

Volunteer with us as a Member of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation!
https://lowerthamesfoundation.ca/you-can-help/volunteer/
After reviewing The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation details above, please send us an email with your volunteer member interest and intent to [email protected] and our team will contact you with the next steps.
[email protected]

There is no cost to become a member of the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation. Just submit your name with a little information about you and your interests so that we can present your application for board approval. We welcome your input and participation in our activities no matter how sma...

06/07/2026

Couldn't have had a more perfect weather day for the annual Merlin Memorial Forest Dedication Service in partnership with the McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd. Around 35 - 40 family members and friends of loved ones attended the afternoon service.

The hour long program included a Prelude and Postlude Piper - Ken Poole, and Welcome by Ken Brooks - Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation and Mark Peacock - Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. Amy Ostropolee presented McKinlay Woodlands Reflections. Nathan McKinlay acknowledged organizers and read the names of the 30 loved ones who had passed between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026. Memorial tree seedlings had been planted in their memory at Merlin Conservation Area's memorial forest.

A ceremonial White Oak tree was planted by the families and friends of the loved ones. Refreshments and time for fellowship followed at the site.

If you would like more information about the Foundation's memorial forest program please follow this link https://lowerthamesfoundation.ca/you-can-help/memorial-trees/

05/31/2026

Yesterday’s Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail cleanup at Longwoods Road Conservation Area (Mount Brydges) went super well! We got everything done we planned on, and a wee bit more! Volunteers worked from around 10 a.m. until lunchtime. The weather was on our side, sunny and cool, and the bugs behaved!

A huge thank you to the 15+ helpers who helped out! Special shout out to Foundation Directors Ken and Heather Brooks, Don Pearson, and Foundation Members Peter Snow and Bonnie Carey who came armed for a morning of trail work! Also Rick Carey and his brother John helped out and saw how much their parents' arboretum and trail legacy has matured over the past 18 years. https://lowerthamesfoundation.ca/carey-carolinian-arboretum-and-trail-2008-to-present/

We moved a sheet of plywood, 2 ladders and palate that were behind the arboretum kiosk to behind the propane tank, so things looked tidier. All around the arboretum kiosk area was raked. One of the old native garden's black plastic edging was removed as both gardens that were behind the kiosk were unfortunately eliminated during construction of the Indigenous Learning Centre and Museum (ILC). We couldn't pull the other edging out.

The native garden on the hill beside the ILC was cleaned up as well as the hill itself - all the fallen branches were removed to tidy it up.

The native garden beside the parking near the museum entrance also received tlc!.

40+ arboretum trail signs were washed, including all the tree signs on the cabin side.

This accessible trail had leaves and sticks removed and raked. Where LTVCA Eastern District Supervisor Mike Shore had begun to spread chip and dust on the far side of the ravine looks amazing!!!! Brand new!! Great job! Looking forward to the entire trail getting the chip n dust facelift! Volunteer Kate Garant and her little girl Elli raked it to help make it even.

Over at the cabins, Rick and ‘the boys’ trimmed the trees to facilitate mowing, tidied up in front of the cabins, and trimmed and removed vegetation as per Ska-Nah-Doht Village and Museum Curator Alison Klages’s suggestions in prep for cabin repair.

Thank you everyone for all your help!

01/09/2026

Thank you to our partner organizations who play such a huge role in helping our reforestation efforts across the lower Thames River watershed through our Memorial Forest Program. This program has been 'greening' our region for nearly 30 years. To make a memorial tree donation or information https://lowerthamesfoundation.ca/you-can-help/memorial-trees/

A total of 295 memorial tree seedlings were donated in 2025 that will be planted throughout 6 memorial forest sites later this year. McKinlay Funeral Homes Ltd. (Ridgetown, Chatham and Blenheim) donated 218 trees in memory of loved ones and the thoughtfulness of Nathan and Amanda McKinlay is appreciated. https://mckinlayfuneralhome.com/home These seedlings will be planted at the Skakel Memorial Forest near Thamesville and the Merlin Memorial Forest in Merlin.
The Tilbury and District Horticultural Society https://www.facebook.com/TilburyDistrictHorticulturalSociety cultivates its memorial forest at Tilbury Northside Park. Its volunteers are dedicated to the reforestation and beautification of this local area.
Private donations for the remaining 77 memorial seedlings make up the balance of trees to be planted in memory of loved ones across the watershed at 6 conservation area properties.
All memorial tree seedlings are carefully ordered, planted and maintained by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority https://lowerthames-conservation.on.ca/ which has supported the Foundation with this program since its early beginnings.