Written by Biologist, Toby Rowland:
Since I first learned about the conservation corridors envisioned by Ron Reid across the Couchiching region, I’ve wondered how wildlife could actually move through these areas. These corridors connect protected lands, such as nature reserves, provincial parks, and crown lands, with private lands that still contain natural habitats. While no single area can form a complete ecosystem, together they create a porous landscape that could support wildlife.
Inspired by books like Walking the Big Wild and The Shadow of Kilimanjaro, I decided to explore the corridors on foot and by kayak to better understand the challenges animals might face. I wanted to get into the mindset of a fisher, a bear, turtle, snake, frog. How would they manage it? The only way for me to answer even some of those questions was to walk it myself. If we were able to protect every single piece of greenspace within those corridors would it still have the effect we think it would? I wanted to see the barriers, some might be physical like a fence, others might be the noise pollution from the highway making adjacent land unsuitable, or light from the city impacting migrating birds.
I began mapping potential routes using our Landscape software and assessing real-world conditions to identify barriers like roads, railways, and noise pollution. I decided which anchor points I thought were important and then worked out how I think wildlife would move between them. I planned a three day route, where I paddled and walked – from Little Lake to Copeland Forest.
The closer the trip got, the more detailed in my plans I had to get. I figured out where I would camp, stashed water and waders ahead of time, figured out how I would charge the batteries for all the electronics I plan on taking, and finally packed as sparingly as possible.
What I found on the ground was a mosaic of natural spaces and human impacts from fences, and roads to people walking dogs and going around on dirt bikes. I gained more of an appreciation for how fractured the landscape is and amazed at the resiliency of the wildlife and natural spaces we still have left that are able to survive within it. Some things were expected, Highway 400 was going to be scary to cross and I knew Little Lake and Willow Creek would be a refuge for certain wildlife, but I had not anticipated how unnerving I would be to sleep near the constant sound of a road nearby, or how jumpy I would get not knowing where the dirt bikes were as they tore through the woodland. I found it eye-opening to fly up with the drone to envision the context of where I was at any point along the journey, from paddling willow creek through Midhurst and seeing how narrow that ribbon of natural space really is to finding a hunting stand, trail cam, salt lick, and cleared trees in the middle of Copeland Forest which from above looks like an expanse of forest safe for any wildlife. I wondered how wildlife manage to navigate this as a matter of necessity, without the knowledge of how to avoid trains and cars, or knowing that a dark culvert is safer than an open road.
This experience highlighted the importance of making changes to reduce our impact. Simple infrastructure adjustments, like wildlife-friendly culverts and reducing recreational pressure, can make a difference. On an individual level, we can create more hospitable outdoor spaces for wildlife by using native plants, leaving messy edges, and making small changes like gaps in fences, placing dots on windows, or turning off outdoor lights.
Conservation is not just a matter of managing natural spaces or wildlife, its about managing ourselves. It’s about empathy, about putting ourselves in the shoes—or paws, wings, or fins—of another species and considering how they move through the world. How would you move through the landscape, find food, or avoid danger?
To create a truly permeable landscape, we need a cultural shift where we consider the needs of other species. It’s not just about individual actions, but about a collective effort to respect the world beyond ourselves. If we can learn to perceive the experienced world of another species, we can begin to make the changes necessary for a sustainable future for all.
This work has been made possible by support from:
Terminology
Conservation/Ecological Corridor: Terrestrial and aquatic spaces designated as important for maintaining, or restoring, ecological connectivity.
Ecological Connectivity: The unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth.
Zone of Influence: The distance of impacts from human activities on ecological systems, including the time it takes for that impact to dissipate. (example: a person hiking quietly may cause a red fox 100m away to stop it’s normal activity 5 minutes before you walk bast that location and up to 10 minutes after you have left. The zone of impact becomes wider and lasts for longer if the activity is more disturbing to wildlife like a bigger group of people, someone hiking with a dog, an ATV or dirt bike.)
Riparian: The transitional area between aquatic and terrestrial habitats such as streambanks, and lake shorelines. The distances from water that encompass a riparian area can vary depending on habitat, but are often used by wildlife to move through the landscape.
Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth, encompassing the different species, their genetic variations, and the ecosystems they inhabit, all of which are interconnected and crucial for maintaining a healthy planet.
Terrestrial: Living organisms that live and grow on land.
Aquatic: Living organisms that live and grow in water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did you carry?
- Food
- Water
- Hammock
- Camping equipment (stove, pot, knife, bowl, etc)
- Solar panel
- Powerbank
- Drone (+batteries, controller, etc)
- Camera
- Phone
- Binoculars
- Head torch
- Spare clothes
- Bear spray
- Drybags
- Two ‘don’t shoot me, don’t run over me’ hats
What was your total distance?
- Paddling 15km
- Walking 26km
What were the total number of barriers/crossings?
- Unassumed sideroad – 3
- Suburban Road – 4
- Sideroad – 5
- Main Road – 2
- Highway – 4
- Highway (400) – 2
- Railway – 5
- Total – 25
What were the different ‘anchors’ in the landscape?
- Provincial Park – 1
- Simcoe County Forest – 8
- Municipal Park – 9
- Crown Land – 3
- Copeland Forest – 1
- Total – 22
How many developments were along the route?
- Housing Development – 4
- Total 4
What species did you see or hear?
Mammals:
- North American Beaver (signs/dams/lodges)
- Eastern Grey Squirrel (some dead on road)
- White-tailed Deer (tracks)
- Eastern Coyote (tracks)
- Red Fox (tracks)
- Red Squirrel (some dead on road)
Amphibians:
- American Toad (dead on road)
- Salamander sp. (dead on road)
- Frog sp. (dead on road)
- Wood Frog
- Grey Treefrog (dead on road)
Reptiles:
- Midland Painted Turtle
- DeKay’s Brownsnake (dead on road)
- Eastern Garter Snake (dead on road)
- Red-bellied Snake (dead on road)
Insects:
- Isabella Tiger Moth (alive on road)
Birds:
- Common Yellowthroat (dead on road)
- eBird trip report
Is there good fencing?
Yes, some fencing is designed to keep animals away from dangers like roads and funnels them towards crossings and points of connection. There are also some fences that can be used with livestock, to keep out trespassers, and to delineate boundaries that can be made wildlife friendly. Many types of split rail fencing allows wildlife to move over and under it safely, other types of wire fencing can have strands at specific heights that allow for wildlife movement. Some fencing has flagging to prevent bird collisions. Reducing or eliminating the use of barbed wire make fencing safer as well. Many existing fences can be retrofitted (usually in key locations) to allow for wildlife to move freely.
How did you track where you were?
- Using Landscape (an app and software we use to track monitoring visits to nature reserves)
Notes:
Toby had permission to camp overnight. Toby is a licensed drone operator and follows our Drone policy.