Benallen Nature Preserve Expands to 600 Acres North of Owen Sound
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited Canada have added 365 acres to the Benallen Nature Preserve, bringing the protected area to 600 acres.
A 365-acre addition has completed the Benallen Nature Preserve north of Owen Sound, bringing the total protected area to 600 acres, the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) announced May 20.
The two organizations are hosting a public celebration of the addition on Friday, May 30.
Benallen Nature Preserve Celebration
What: Community celebration of the Benallen Nature Preserve, hosted by Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy. Guided nature walks, wagon rides, and light refreshments.
When: Friday, May 30, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: North of Owen Sound, along the Georgian Bluffs. Parking location here.
Registration: Sign up through Zeffy. Press and members of the public are both invited.
The new parcels join a 233-acre western section the two organizations secured in 2024. Together, the three contiguous properties form what EBC describes as a continuous corridor of wetland and forest within the Shouldice Provincially Significant Wetland, in an area the province identifies as a Natural Heritage System Core Area.
The preserve borders a multi-use rail trail and connects to other protected lands, including Grey Sauble Conservation Authority’s Keppel Forest and The Glen Management Area.
According to EBC, the terrain includes swamp wetlands, beaver ponds, streams, rocky outcrops, and stands of Eastern White Pine — one tree, the organization says, measures nearly two metres in diameter.
EBC identifies the preserve as habitat for several federally listed Species at Risk, including the Wood Thrush, Eastern Meadowlark, Golden-winged Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Eastern Wood-Pewee. The release also lists herons, Sandhill Cranes, waterfowl, amphibians, reptiles, deer, and Black Bears among species using the area.
“Completing the Benallen Nature Preserve is a remarkable achievement for conservation in southern Ontario,” EBC chief executive officer Beth Gilhespy said in the release. “This landscape captures everything we stand for: wetlands, forests, and wildlife thriving together.”
Marie-Paule Godin, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s manager of provincial operations for Ontario, said the project would support wildlife, improve water quality, and contribute to climate goals.
Ontario Environment Minister Todd McCarthy was quoted in the release thanking EBC and its partners and pointing to provincial backing through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program.
Funding and partners
The acquisition was supported by a mix of federal, provincial, charitable, and corporate funders, according to the release:
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund; the Government of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance; the federal Natural Heritage Conservation Program, administered through Wildlife Habitat Canada; the Ontario Conservation Accelerator Program; the Greenbelt Foundation; Bruce Power; and Microsoft.
The release does not disclose the purchase price of the new 365-acre parcels, the previous landowner or landowners, or the individual contribution amounts from each funder.
Public access and next steps
The release describes the preserve as offering “opportunities for hikers, naturalists, and families” along the adjacent rail trail, but does not specify whether the preserve itself will have marked trails, parking, or staffed access, or what management activities EBC plans on the newly acquired parcels.
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, founded in 1997, says it has protected more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) across Ontario.
The Benallen project falls under its Living Landscapes Campaign, a multi-property initiative focused on the Niagara Escarpment and Great Lakes region.
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