TRAIL STATUS UPDATES

In Featured by couchiching

May 1st, 2025

OPEN NATURE RESERVES: Alexander Hope Smith and Sweetwater Farm

CLOSED NATURE RESERVES: Adams, Cameron Ranch, Carthew Bay, Church Woods, Grant’s Woods, East Coulson Swamp, Kris Starr Sanctuary, Little Bluestem Alvar, Prairie Smoke Alvar, Ron Reid, Scout Valley, Thomas C. Agnew, Windmill Ranch

If You Would Like To Help

Volunteer Trail Clean Up Dates: More to be added after arborist has been through

Wed. April 30th Sweetwater Trail Clean Up 10am-2pm

If you’re interested in helping clean up trails, please come to the above Nature Reserve at the given time with a rake, work gloves, appropriate footwear & clothing and a cell phone. If you have tree loppers please bring them along. The address is available by following the nature reserve link. Further dates will be posted as they are planned. Thank you to all our fabulous and hard working volunteers!

Donations appreciated as this has dominated Couchiching Conservancy’s 2025 field season. 

April 24, 2025 update: First trail re-opened

Alexander Hope Smith Nature Reserve is OPEN. 

Thank you to this crew of volunteers for trail clean up!

Grant’s Woods OFFICE is open but trails are closed. 

All other nature reserves are closed. 

Volunteer Clean Up Dates:

Wed. April 30th Sweetwater Trail Clean Up 10am-2pm

If you’re interested in helping clean up trails, please come to the above Nature Reserve at the given time with a rake, work gloves, appropriate footwear & clothing and a cell phone. If you have tree loppers please bring them along. The address is available by following the nature reserve link. Further dates will be posted as they are planned. Thank you to all our fabulous and hard working volunteers!

April 11, 2025 update: Damage is assessed and cleanup begins

All nature reserves are closed. The office at Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve is open.

We are making progress towards getting our nature reserves ready for use again. All Couchiching Conservancy nature reserves with public access have been assessed for damage and safety hazards by our stewardship staff. All trails have extensive cleanup needs. The trails acted as wind tunnels during the storm and damage is much worse on and immediately surrounding the trails than in other areas of the nature reserves. Please have patience and respect that these areas will remain closed for your safety as arborists resolve overhead hazards and our staff chainsaw through large branches and trees over the trails. No one should use nature reserves off trail in order to protect the habitat and species at risk. After chainsaw work is complete, we will hold cleanup events with volunteers to remove debris remaining on the trails.

Dates and times for cleanup events are below. Unless otherwise noted, we will meet at trailheads for each nature reserve. If you would like to attend, please wear appropriate protective clothing, bring work gloves and hedge clippers or a rake if you have them. At least one member of our stewardship team will be in attendance to coordinate. Contact Meghan Duell, our Conserved Lands Manager, for more information at [email protected].

For nature reserves with TBD cleanup dates, please have patience. These areas may have trees over roads, flooded parking, blocked entry that needs to be handled by a different organization and/or trails that need hazard marking, remarking, or chain sawing for safety purposes. If you are interested but cannot make these dates, we are recording your interest and will be in contact with additional dates. Please do not organize independent volunteer cleanups until after staff have given the go-ahead due to overhead hazards.

Grant’s Woods – Tues Apr 15 – 10am

Grant’s Woods – Thurs Apr 17 – 10am

Alexander Hope-Smith – Thurs Apr 23 – 10am

Church Woods – Wed Apr 24 – 10am

Carthew Bay – TBD – Parking area flooded, trees over road

Sweetwater Farm – TBD – Parking area flooded, trees over road

TC Agnew – TBD – CN Rail arborist must clear before entry

Kris Starr Sanctuary – TBD – Parking area flooding damage

Carden Alvar Provincial Park – Sedge Wren – TBD as CAPP continues damage assessment

Adams – Closed for the spring to protect breeding wildlife

Jennett Woods – Closed until further notice for forestry work and restoration

Ron Reid – No road access until May, date TBD

April 8, 2025 update:

All nature reserves are closed. The office at Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve is open.

Nature Reserves will trails are currently being assessed for damage, we are working on cost estimates to clean up each trail (staff time, hiring an arborist, etc). This page will be updated as work progresses. There will be an opportunity to help with trail clean up. Watch our social media for information.

  • Grant’s Woods Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Church Woods Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Thomas C. Agnew Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Sweetwater Farm Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Alexander Hope Smith Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Starr Sanctuary – closed, being assessed
  • Cedar Grove Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed
  • Sedge Wren trail – closed, being assessed
  • Ron Reid Nature Reserve – closed, being assessed

How does an ice storm affect nature? Read this new blog post from Conserved Lands Manager Meghan Duell.

Ice Storm Aftermath Update – April 7 2025: Damage Assessment

You can report issues by phone (705) 326-1620 or by email:  [email protected]

Stewardship staff are currently visiting all nature reserves to assess damage and safety hazards. When this process is complete, we will send arborists out to deal with overhead hazards like branches or fallen trees that pose risks for falling on trails or parking areas. We will also chainsaw trees that have landed on trails, and organize volunteer cleanups to remove debris.

For now, please stay away from the nature reserves! Trails are not safe until they have been properly assessed and hazards have been removed! All nature reserves are closed until this process is complete. We will be posting updates here and on social media when nature reserves are reopened.

Our priorities are nature reserves that are open to the public with trails and nature reserves that have neighbours that are affected by tree fall damage, stewardship sites where volunteers collect community science data, and finally, nature reserves that are open to the public that do not have trails.

Please note that Jennett Woods and Adams Nature Reserves will remain closed throughout the spring, regardless of ice storm cleanup. We are planning forestry work at Jennett Woods. Adams Nature Reserve has sensitive wildlife and will be closed for protection through spring breeding season.

Stay tuned for updates!