The Couchiching Conservancy files on the Church Woods are thick.
This charming little 25-acre woodlot in Shanty Bay stands waiting today for anyone who has the inclination to wander through it, thanks to the enormous effort of a small group of neighbours who made it their business to protect it almost a decade ago.
Several hundred years ago, lush, green forests covered almost all of southern Ontario. The forests were made up of trees of various species, sizes, and ages with shrubs and woodland flowers underneath. Wildlife abounded in these wooded areas. There were few openings in the forest canopy except where weather systems had downed trees or where native grasslands thrived.
Notes From the Field is a special spring and summer feature which will give you a glimpse into the work Conservancy staff and volunteers undertake on our properties, easements, and with private landowners in the Couchiching Region.
With the snow disappearing, it’s a great time to get out and explore our region’s forests as they get ready for another growing season.
Bill Grant left Grant’s Woods, a 52 acre forest in Orillia, Ontario, to The Couchiching Conservancy in memory of his brother Jack. When Bill passed away some months ago, he left another legacy to the Conservancy.
The story of the Grant family dates back about 100 years. For years, the Grant family acted as stewards for the forest. Through their ownership of the property, there was little impact on the forest and as a result some of the trees are over 200 years old.
Set back from the Severn River, this 12 hectare (30acre) property was donated to the Couchiching Conservancy was donated in 2001 by the family of Ross Butler in his memory. The protection of this land was a long held dream for Ross. Together with surrounding Crown land, it will help to ensure that cottage country always has the wildlife that makes it so special.
The waterways associated with the village of Washago have seen development pressure over the past several decades. However, a relatively large block of natural habitat is still intact in the area bounded by Riverdale Drive, between the Green River and Cooper’s Falls Road. This area includes a diversity of ecological communities typical of the southern Shield, as well as habitat for several species at risk.
At its south end, the Sanctuary takes in a small piece of the Carden Alvar, and the steep limestone slope created by the rough caress of the glaciers. At the foot of this slope, the Head River meanders across the reserve, its spring floods nourishing a rich floodplain forest. Beyond that is a band of mixed forest of oak, pine and birch on pockets of drier soils. But the northern half of the Sanctuary, north of Monck Road, is classic granite barrens with scattered trees and a mosaic of beaver ponds and wetlands. All on this one property, the ecological transition known as The Land Between is fully on display.
Every piece of land has a story. Sometimes it’s a tale of fortunes made and lost or historic efforts great and small.
For green spaces, sometimes it’s a story of overuse and recovery but often it is a celebration of dedicated individuals who cherish the natural values of the land. This is one of those stories.
The red-shouldered hawk was once common in southern Ontario, but suffered a decline several decades ago. Through conservation efforts this magnificent raptor has made a strong comeback.
Its recovery owes much thanks to famed author Margaret Atwood, who donated 87 acres of wetland and woodland near Bass Lake in Oro-Medonte Township to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
