North Dumfries/Cambridge - A local charity, built and supported by the community -- and the location of a memorial for a local teacher -- is asking for help after that memorial was stolen recently.

Tim Walker, who died in 2006 of a congenital heart defect, was a well-known member of our community. He was a teacher at Southwood Secondary School in Cambridge – site of Canada’s first environmental magnet program, led by Tim’s best friend, Jason Bracey, an environmentalist, a coach, a friend and a loved one. Tim’s mother, Stephanie Walker, shared Tim’s fond feelings for the rare Charitable Research Reserve, having grown up playing on the lands that are now protected in perpetuity, thanks in part to her son’s tireless efforts to make the public aware of their special value. She was, therefore, especially struck by Executive Director, Patti Leather’s description of the Reserve as the ‘Collective Backyard’ for residents of Waterloo Region.

Along with friends and loved ones, Stephanie decided at the time of Tim’s death that the Reserve would be the beneficiary of memorial donations in Tim’s name. In addition to establishing a Tim Walker Memorial Award for environmental stewardship for secondary level students, donors also planted a Bur Oak and located a park bench and plaque in a prominent location. In fact, if you have ever driven along Blair Road and noticed the largest Bur Oak in the region (more than 100 years old), standing alone like a brave soldier guarding the landscape, you may have also noticed Tim’s tree proudly growing new roots alongside.

What you won’t see any longer is Tim’s bench and plaque. That honour has been disrupted by an act of selfishness and disrespect. “Is nothing sacred anymore? There is a lot of meaning in that bench for the community -- it was hand-built to honour Tim and many people have stopped to rest and admire the native trees and Tim’s contribution to saving this land for us all,” explained Ms Leather. “We’d be very happy to have it back - no questions asked. And, of course, if that doesn’t happen, we’ll find a way to replace and secure it.”

Located at the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers and within the designated Blair-Bechtel-Cruickston Environmentally Sensitive Landscape, rare is not only a beautiful landscape but includes trees more than 230 years old and provides over 24 habitat types – including 6 of 8 pre-settlement landscapes – that are home to a diversity of organisms some of which are species-at-risk regionally, provincially, nationally and globally.