Thanks for making new forest nature trail a reality

November 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

Thanks very much for your coverage of the grand opening of the new nature trail at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Goldie Feldman Nature Reserve in the Happy Valley Forest. Thom Unrau, our conservation technician, has done a great job creating an interesting and beautiful trail that can sustain pedestrian use for years to come. I’d like to thank the volunteers who helped make the trail a reality, including Thom’s father Les, Vicki and Paul Hotte, staff of Greenrock Property Management and members of the Oak Ridges Trail Association. Thanks also go out to Goldie Feldman, the Toronto Field Naturalists, York Region and a number of private donors, whose funds contributed to the trail as well as to the acquisition of the property for conservation.
I have a few updates and corrections to add. The Happy Valley Forest straddles the watershed divide and includes lands that drain both in the Humber River watershed and the West Holland River, eventually reaching Lake Simcoe. In fact the cold, clean waters of the Goldie Feldman Nature Reserve flow north into Pottageville Creek and then to the wild habitats of Pottageville Swamp. NCC, with lots of support, has now helped protect 630 acres of the Happy Valley Forest, with more on the horizon – and has helped conserve more than 3,700 acres of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Finally, it is worth noting that the Happy Valley Forest is such a beautiful place because of the conservation ethics and actions of all of its landowners. We look forward to continuing to work with all of our “neighbours” to keep the forest peaceful, pristine and protected.

Mark Stabb
Central Ontario Program Director
The Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ontario Region