Our Protected Natural Areas
A shared vision for the protection of a natural corridor along the Niagara Escarpment.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy’s protected natural areas preserve the Escarpment’s unique biodiversity and provide nature-based solutions to addressing climate change. In our communities, these protected areas provide valuable ecosystem services, including mitigating flooding, storing carbon, filtering water, and supporting our physical and mental health.
As one of Ontario’s largest and most active land trusts, we’re responsible for the preservation of land. We add new protected natural areas to the Bruce Trail’s conservation corridor each year, and care for these special places through our land stewardship program. These natural areas protect a diverse array of habitats including wetlands, karst topography, open meadows, caves, towering scarp edges and lush forests – all within the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere.
Thank you to everyone who has donated so generously to help preserve these irreplaceable treasures, forever.
A shared vision for the protection of a natural corridor along the Niagara Escarpment.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy’s protected natural areas preserve the Escarpment’s unique biodiversity and provide nature-based solutions to addressing climate change. In our communities, these protected areas provide valuable ecosystem services, including mitigating flooding, storing carbon, filtering water, and supporting our physical and mental health.
As one of Ontario’s largest and most active land trusts, we’re responsible for the preservation of land. We add new protected natural areas to the Bruce Trail’s conservation corridor each year, and care for these special places through our land stewardship program. These natural areas protect a diverse array of habitats including wetlands, karst topography, open meadows, caves, towering scarp edges and lush forests – all within the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere.
Thank you to everyone who has donated so generously to help preserve these irreplaceable treasures, forever.
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Our Newly Protected Natural Areas
2021-2023
402 acres | 1,743 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
Large forest habitats like those found on this expansive property are important to area-sensitive breeding birds and large mammals like Fishers and the Peninsula’s unique Black Bears.
Features:
- Offers impressive Escarpment features and scenic vistas over Colpoy’s Bay
- Consists of a large Sugar Maple forest with some pockets of conifer plantation
Rockside Woods Nature Reserve
25 acres | 443 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
The habitats on this nature reserve support species at risk, including American Hart’s-tongue Fern, Jefferson Salamander, and Canada Warbler in all stages of their life cycles.
This property, and the nearby property purchased by the Bruce Trail Conservancy in partnership with Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), will combine to create a corridor for many species. The property purchased in partnership with the CVC is 40 acres with 496 m of Trail and is now owned and managed by the CVC.
Features:
- Forest habitats cover 75% of this nature reserve
- Meadow marsh at north end is part of provincially significant wetland complex
Whitetail Refuge Nature Reserve
98 acres | 956 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
The extensive karst features on this property act as carbon sinks which help mitigate climate change. The mature Sugar Maple forest is an important habitat for the species who live in the area such as Red Squirrel, Coyote and Eastern Wood-Pewee, a species of Special Concern in Ontario.
Features:
- Dense White Cedar forest for many White-tailed Deer to thrive in, hence the name of the property.
- Two naturalized ponds surrounded by meadow marsh.
Avalon Meadow Nature Reserve
4 acres | 183 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
Located next to Devil’s Glen Provincial Park, this securement ensures that the area is protected in perpetuity and offers safe crossing of County Road 124.
The meadow offers a habitat for a variety of birds who nest and forage in the open space such as Song and Field Sparrows.
Features:
- Meadow of tall grass and native wildflowers, including Canada Goldenrod and several species of asters such as New England Aster and Panicled Aster.
- Small patch of Sugar Maple forest that includes a Butternut, an endangered species in Ontario and Canada.
Fern Crevice Nature Reserve
4 acres | 690 m of trail
Why this place is important:
The securement of this property creates the opportunity to remove over 1 km of trail from unopened road. It also provides an ecological link between Pretty River Provincial Park and Petun Conservation Area.
Features:
- Species at Risk on property include Butternut and American Hart’s–tongue Fern.
Stoney Birch Nature Reserve
3 acres | 353 m of trail
Why this place is important:
This nature reserve completes an approximately 8.5 km corridor of protected land from the village of Hope Bay to just south of Cape Dundas.
Features:
- Views of Hope Bay from top of the Escarpment.
- Rocky forest floor with pockets of soil supporting Bracken Fern, Bearberry and Large Leaved Aster.
Dolostone Arch Nature Reserve
25 acres | 200 m of trail
Why this place is important:
This stunning property has iconic Georgian Bay shoreline with microhabitats for uncommon species like Ontario Goldenrod.
Features:
- A series of small caves and crevices and a dramatic dolostone arch.
- Significant interior forest habitat that is critical for area-sensitive species like Woodthrush, Black Bear and Fisher.
MapleCross Ridge Nature Reserve (expansion)
25 acres | 1,115 m of trail
Why this place is important:
Since 2017 the Bruce Trail Conservancy has protected 439 acres in the Kemble area. This acquisition makes the final connection between these Bruce Trail Conservancy protected natural areas and the adjacent Kemble Mountain Management Area (owned by Grey Sauble Conservation Authority).
With this piece in place, a continuous corridor of protected land roughly 11.5 kilometres long has been established -creating a permanent home for the Bruce Trail and keeping Escarpment forests intact
Features:
- Escarpment features such as large boulders and small crevices.
- Large intact forest that provides habitat for many woodland creatures.
Sydenham Escarpment Nature Reserve
80 acres | 503 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
The Sydenham Escarpment Nature Reserve lies adjacent to BTC’s Ferndell property and Sydenham Forest East creating a large, contiguous corridor of habitat that serves as an extremely important local wildlife refuge for forest-dependant species.
A full 70% of the forested area in this nature reserve is considered interior forest. This valuable habitat plays a significant role in climate change mitigation and is vitally important for the long-term survival of area-sensitive species such as Fishers and Lynx.
Many species of conservation concern are also supported by this nature reserve’s habitats including Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Woodthrush, Eastern Pewee, Canada Warbler, Butternut, and American Hart’s Tongue Fern.
Features:
- Interior forest
- Wetlands
- Mixed meadow
216 acres | 1,180 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
Located within the Hockley Valley region, adjacent to the Rushing River Nature Reserve, the Riverside Woods Nature Reserve is an exceptional 216-acre natural sanctuary.
This nature reserve features a variety of habitats including mature forests, abundant meadows and the Nottawasaga River. These habitats provide refuge for a variety species such as Monarch butterflies, Spring Peepers, Bobolinks, and Eastern Meadowlarks.
Features:
- Mature forests
- Meadows
- Nottawasage River
10.8 acres | 505 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
Located in the heart of Niagara’s wine region, Vineyard’s Edge Nature Reserve features a mixed forest and rocky Escarpment features, tucked beside picturesque grapevines.
Vineyard’s Edge lies within the Beamsville Escarpment Provincially Significant Life Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), an area of remarkable ecological value and home to a diverse array of plant and animal species, including rare Carolinian forest species.
Features:
- Located in the beautiful Niagara wine region
- Carolinian forest
5.8 acres | 1,200 m of Trail
Why this place is important:
This is the fourth property added to the BTC’s Honeywood Ridge. When combined with the other properties, this protected natural area not only preserves important habitat but is essential to Trail connectivity in the Differin Hi-Lands section.
This small wooded corridor meanders through agricultural land and features 1.2 km of Main Trail, keeping 600 m of Bruce Trail off the road.
Features:
- Wooded corridor
- Sweeping views of picturesque countryside
Our Protected Natural Areas
Land Acknowledgement
The Bruce Trail Conservancy wishes to acknowledge and honour the lands of the Niagara Escarpment as the traditional territory of Indigenous peoples. In both spirit and partnership, we recognize and thank the Anishinaabek, Huron-Wendat, Tionontati, Neutral Nation, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and all who provided stewardship of these lands over millennia.
Recognition of the contributions of Indigenous peoples is consistent with our commitment to making the promise of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and play here and thank all those who have served and continue to serve as caretakers of this special place.
We are also mindful of broken covenants and the need to reconcile with all our allies and relations. Together, may we care for this land and each other, drawing upon the strength of our mutual history through peace and friendship, to create a lasting legacy of conservation for generations to come.