Sydenham Field Naturalists Awarded Grant

Sydenham Field Naturalists has been awarded a $1,000 Centennial Community Grant from Union Gas to support their restoration work at Wallaceburg Paw Paw Woods. Union Gas is celebrating 100 years of delivering safe, reliable and affordable service to customers and communities across Ontario in 2011. This award is one of 100 Centennial grants of $1,000 each that Union Gas is giving out to support charitable projects focused on the environment, community safety and education across the province.

Dave Simpson, Director Storage and Transmission Operations for Union Gas, presented the cheque to Denise Van de Veire, President, Sydenham Field Naturalists at a Helping Hands in Action event held Saturday, September 10 at the site of the woodlot. Volunteers from Union Gas joined forces with volunteers from Sydenham Field Naturalists, 4-H “Walk on the Wild Side”, and the community to plant native species of plants and shrubs purchased through the Centennial grant. These plantings will help to increase the diversity of the understory layer and promote local natural heritage education and tours in an easily accessible location.

“A passionate commitment to stewardship is central to our business culture and operations,” said Dave Simpson, Director Storage & Transmission Operations for Union Gas. “Our success as one of North America’s premier natural gas storage, transmission and distribution companies is shared with the communities we serve and we can’t think of a better way to mark this occasion than by giving back to a community program that so closely aligns with these business values.”

”We are very appreciative of the financial assistance from Union Gas and recognize this company as a partner in our efforts to enhance this significant natural area,” says Eric Fields, Vice-President of Sydenham Field Naturalists. “Upon the discovery of the Paw Paw tree, ranked rare to uncommon, in this woodlot it has become a club project of conservation to preserve this significant natural area.”

Denise Van de Veire, club presidents says “Today’s planting is a considerable step forward as we work to returning this woodlot to its natural state with the re-vegetation of Carolinian species. We want to thank Union Gas for their community support.”

About Sydenham Field Naturalists

Sydenham Field Naturalists is the naturalists club of Chatham-Kent. We are a registered, non-profit organization whose members aim to enjoy, as well as preserve wildlife and natural history, primarily in the Chatham-Kent area. The club is involved in a variety of projects including prairie restoration and conservation efforts to preserve significant natural areas in the region.

About Union Gas

Union Gas Limited, one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2011, is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with nearly 100 years of experience and service to customers. Union Gas is a Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE) company with assets of $5.6 billion and approximately 2,200 employees. For more information, visit uniongas.com.