Riverside Woods Nature Reserve
Conservation success! This new nature reserve has been added to our conservation corridor.
This 216-acre nature reserve has been forever protected thanks to the support of our donors.
Riverside Woods Nature Reserve
Caledon Hills section
216 acres
1,200 m of Bruce Trail
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 offering tremendous conservation value and restoration potential.
A property of this size, in a rapidly developing community, is a rare conservation opportunity.
Rising from the waters of the Nottawasaga River, a striking and diverse mix of trees cascade upwards through the valley creating a serene, natural forest oasis. With soaring Sugar Maple and Eastern White Cedar intermingling with Hemlock and trembling Ash, this impressive interior forest is an important refuge for local wildlife and forest-dependent species.
Beyond the forest canopy, the property’s extensive meadows provide vital habitat to species at risk such as Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink, and contain a large population of Common Milkweed, the host species for the Monarch butterfly.
At the southern end of the property, stands a large conifer plantation composed of mature Eastern White Pine, Red Pine, and White Spruce. These mature trees help sequester large amounts of carbon, which is important for climate change mitigation.
Your generous donations have protected important near-urban habitats including:
- the Nottawasaga River, coldwater source for wildlife such as Brook Trout
- mixed interior forest, a refuge for local wildlife and forest-dependent species
- extensive meadows, vital for pollinators such as Monarch butterflies
- a freshwater pond, home to countless spring peepers and other amphibians
The Riverside Woods Nature Reserve offers excellent opportunities for the Bruce Trail Conservancy to engage in ecological restoration projects to enhance biodiversity, including wetland, meadow, and forest rehabilitation.
It will also create new hiking experiences as 1.2 km of new Side Trails have already been added to the property. In the future, this will be converted to 1.2 km of Main Trail, taking it off the nearby road.
