This property is open for the public to enjoy and appreciate. Before visiting, please review the GBLT Visitor Guidelines for maintaining the environmental integrity of the property.

Property Info

The Rose Island Nature Reserve protects the remaining 286 undeveloped acres of the 400-acre Rose Island. The island contains some of the last remaining old-growth forest in Southern Ontario, and is one of the few places with highly diverse deciduous forest on the eastern Georgian Bay coast. Its sandy, glaciolacustrine soils are a rare remnant of glacial deposits in the region. The property also boasts 70 acres of very productive wetlands, including two large interior swamps and two coastal marshes. At least ten species at risk call Rose Island home, including the Monarch, Eastern Foxsnake, and Blanding’s Turtle. The island also serves as an important connection for many of the region’s animals.

Protection of the Rose Island Nature Reserve was made possible by the generosity of many supporters. The Government of Canada contributed funding through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund. Significant contributions were also made by the beneficiaries of the Estate of Rodney and Marian Watt (Valerie Zawilski, Rosalie Graham, Stephen Zawilski, and Catherine Svendsen), the MapleCross Fund, the McLean Foundation, and the Echo Foundation. We would also like to thank the local community for stepping up tremendously to provide the final resources necessary to make the Rose Island Nature Reserve a reality.