Having met its goal of saving land to the east from bulldozers, the Friends of the Eramosa Karst is setting a new target: to help pay for any trails to integrate the open meadow with the existing park.

Brad Gautreau, the group’s chair, last week presented a cheque for $3,000 to the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s fundraising foundation, the first installment of a pledge to donate $15,000 toward the so-called feeder lands over the next three years.

That’s on top of the $5,000 the volunteer group has already donated toward the 73-hectare Eramosa Karst Conservation Area since forming in 2007 to fight plans by the Ontario Realty Corporation to sell the feeder lands to housing developers.

“It’s a good spot for a meadow trail because right now there are no trails through that part,” Gautreau said of the feeder lands, whose importance grew with last year’s discovery of threatened bobolinks breeding there.

“Obviously part of it will be left as meadows to support the wildlife they found there and parts of it will be trails, and the remainder will be as is.”

Preservation of the 34-hectare field meadows took another leap forward with the July 7 release of an addendum to an environmental assessment study that effectively kills an original plan to sell the land for housing.

The addendum now identifies a new preferred alternative “to dispose or lease the lands” to the conservation authority, fulfilling a commitment made by Hamilton Mountain Liberal MPP Sophia Aggelonitis back in March.

The change of heart also reflects her government’s decision in March to accept the city’s rezoning of the area to open space from the neighbourhood designation that allowed for housing.

“This is what we were asking for all along and we’re glad that the provincial government has recognized the importance of the land,” Gautreau said. “It really hasn’t sunk in, to be honest, that we’ve won.”

Stoney Creek Councillor Brad Clark credited the group for also changing the city’s mind about the feeder area, which had long been designated for housing with a collector road running through it.

He called the results an example of what real community engagement can achieve.

“They did it in such a professional manner. It wasn’t, ‘Hell, no, we won’t go.’ It wasn’t the yelling and screaming that we’re familiar with,” Clark said.

“They presented themselves in a professional, articulate, educated (way). They did their research, they brought in scientists.”

Conservation authority vice-chair Jim Howlett said the group’s spirit is the opposite of the not-in-my-backyard mentality that can infect public debate.

“I see people saying, ‘Yes, in my backyard. This is what I want, this is what I’m passionate about. I will fight for that, I will work for that and I will work positively towards that.’ It’s inspiring,” he said.

“I find it very much like (former U.S. president) John F. Kennedy’s words. Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your community.”

To meet its $15,000 target, Gautreau said Friends of the Eramosa Karst will continue to hold an annual dinner and dance – the next one is set for March 3 – and other fundraisers, like spring tree plantings.

Donations will also be accepted via the group’s website at www.friendsoferamosakarst.org.