By Guest Blogger Bob Ferguson, CHBTC President
Happy New Year everyone! As we look ahead to 2018 it’s a good time to reflect on the many successes from the past year, and take a fresh look at the challenges of next year.
One of the highlights of 2017 for me was to attend the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC) Annual Donor Night. The Caledon Hills Club has reached the “Protector of the Biosphere Reserve” level in the BTC donor recognition program. Our cumulative giving as of June 30, 2017 was over $117,000! These funds are used to help secure the Bruce Trail as a conservation corridor along the length of the Niagara Escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory. Currently 64% of the Trail is secure and the goal is to secure the remainder over the next 20 years.
The Caledon Hills Club intends to continue the tradition of fund raising for the BTC to achieve its vision of a totally secure Trail. This is accomplished in a variety of ways including the highly successful annual Christmas tree sale each December, and the film event (“Call of the Forest, The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees”) held for the first time in October. We plan to continue these and other fund raisers in 2018.
There is a busy schedule of hikes planned for 2018. Check the Club website www.caledonbrucetrail.org for details. A new Kids Hike was featured for the first time in 2017, the first in a series with the trail elf Bruce. Who knew that hiking with a bunch of other kids can be so much fun!
Our Members and Volunteers are the heart of the Club and key to its success. Membership numbers increased to 926 in December 2017, a significant improvement from a year ago. This illustrates the tremendous enthusiasm of the Caledon Hills Club members. If you love the outdoors, and want to experience the natural beauty of the Escarpment, and meet like-minded people, please consider joining the Caledon Hills Club.
Hope to see you soon on the Trail!
Bob Ferguson
Photo Credit: Bob Ferguson
Great message thanks!