The Creemore Nature Preserve will be closed for two to four weeks this month and into December while the work is under way to remove invasive, non-native trees and thin some of the forest areas.
According to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the stewards of the Creemore preserve, work over the next few weeks involves removing some invasive, non-native Scots pine trees, non-native Norway spruce trees and "unnaturally dense" red pine trees, all of which were established prior to the Conservancy's ownership of the preserve.
"Plantation thinning is being undertaken to improve the overall health and biodiversity of the forest," states a news release from the Nature Conservancy.
"These activities are part of NCC’s ongoing stewardship and restoration efforts to transition the site’s unnatural, monoculture conifer plantations to a more biologically diverse and healthy deciduous forest, like those otherwise found on the majority of the Creemore Nature Preserve property," states the news release. "The thinning of a minority of non-native species and monoculture plantations will allow for more native tree seedlings to grow, such as maple and beech trees, thereby ensuring more habitat will be available for rare and at-risk species like the eastern wood peewee and wood thrush."
The other factor being considered in the forest management underway is the age of the trees and safety of those visiting the preserves.
"Monoculture tree plantations, especially those that contain invasive Scots pine, are less biologically diverse than natural, mixed forests and are more susceptible to disturbance from wind, fire and pests which can result in safety hazards for visitors and communities," states the news release.
Tree removal will begin this month and the preserve will be closed to the public while the work is underway.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has been caring for the Creemore Nature Preserve since the mid-1990s, following its donation to the conservancy. There has been thinning and tree removal on the site since the mid-2000s.
NCC works to protect critical landscapes and the species they sustain in perpetuity. All of NCC’s properties are important conservation areas. Once the Creemore Nature Preserve re-opens, NCC asks that visitors respect nature by staying on designated trails, keeping pets on leash, packing out what they pack in, and leaving nature undisturbed by never picking flowers, leaves, mushrooms or decaying trees that continue to provide vital habitat even in their fallen state.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner NCC works with people, communities and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares.
