Elliott Woods Nature Reserve

Background:

One of the Oro Moraine properties surveyed by Conservancy ecologists belonged to Don Elliott and his brother. Several years later, Don and his wife, Heather, decided to donate this 19 acre section of forest to the Conservancy for safekeeping in perpetuity. This is a fine example of well- managed upland hardwoods, set within a landscape dominated by forest, including a Simcoe County forest tract immediately to the north. Unfortunately, only a few days after the property dedication ceremony in October 2006, Don Elliott passed away.

Landscape and Species:

• mature hardwood forest dominated by Hard Maple and a mix of associated upland species
• considerable amount of Red Oak in the forest stand, which is unusual on the Oro Moraine
• sandy soils on this site are very well drained, recharging water into the acquifers underlying the Moraine
• diverse mix of ferns and wildflowers in the understory, especially evident during the spring months
• this property shelters interior forest breeding birds, including Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler