Thank you to everyone who donated in 2020 to support the creation of these two new Nature Reserves.
Learn more about: Skinner's Woods | Lime Kiln Bluffs
Skinner's Woods
Sydenham section
100 acres, 455 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
High on the Escarpment cliffs, near the lookout at Skinner’s Bluff, Skinner’s Woods offers expansive views of Georgian Bay and large tracts of undisturbed mature forest. Surrounded by protected land to the west and east, this important acquisition will complete a missing link and create an uninterrupted conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment.
The Bruce Trail runs along the northern edge of Skinner’s Woods, and with the protection of this property, the Trail will continue to provide access to a fabulous lookout to hikers for years to come.
The rest of the property will remain undisturbed and stewarded to protect its ecological health. The rich forest will continue to provide important habitat for sensitive species requiring large tracts of woodland for their long-term survival, such as the Black Bear, Least Flycatcher and Ovenbird.
Lime Kiln Bluffs
Blue Mountains section
36 acres, 710 m of Bruce Trail Optimum Route
Nestled in the Clearview Township of Simcoe County, Lime Kiln Bluffs is a microcosm of iconic geologic, ecological and cultural features of the Niagara Escarpment.
Tucked at the southern end of the property is the Franks Lime Kiln. Recently restored with help from our Blue Mountains Bruce Trail Club this historic artifact from the mid-1800s is one of the few remaining of its kind in Ontario and will remain safely accessible for hikers to visit.
Further north a ridge of dolostone rises above the lime kiln area, with classic examples of Escarpment crevices and out-crops. This ridge, and the mixed forest it supports, creates a significant wildlife corridor inhabited by rare and threatened species like the Ocellated Darner dragonfly and Northern Long-Eared Bat. Together with the surrounding protected lands, the property forms a large local swath of conservation land for native species like Hart’s Tongue Fern, Butternut and Stiff Yellow Flax.