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Greening Your Property: A Stewardship Manual for Landowners

Monday, 13 July 2009 18:50

To encourage more environmentally friendly shoreline ecosystems, the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve has developed a Stewardship Manual for residents and cottagers of Eastern Georgian Bay. Modeled off The Stewardship Guide for the Lake Huron Coastline, the manual guides readers through an environmental self-assessment of their property, providing valuable tips on how to minimize human impacts on the environment.


Land-use evaluations are designed to show us what we are doing well and how we can improve to protect the natural environment. “Property self-assessments allow us to identify the impact our living spaces have on our natural environment. They provide us with simple solutions for becoming more environmentally sustainable,” states Greg Mason of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. “It’s about what we can do everyday to raise the bar and to become more eco-friendly.”

Whether planting native flowers, shrubs and trees; using phosphate-free soaps and detergents, or upgrading an old septic system, there are many ways to reduce your impact on the environment. By working through the manual you will think about your land, its buildings and structures, and how they affect the natural environment. Tips are provided for decreasing environmental risks to ensure a healthy ecosystem for future generations.

This summer of 2009 the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve will be holding a series of “cottage parties” to pilot the Stewardship Manual with individuals interested in learning how to evaluate their own properties.

For more information on scheduled cottage parties, or to get a copy of the Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Manual, please contact the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve at: 705.774.0978, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .