Rose Island Nature Reserve
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 Details
Size: 286 acres
Location: Carling
Year Acquired: 2020
Stewards:
Phil Corke, Laurie Ostrander, Brian Fuller, Rob van Reekum, Scott Scarrow, Jim Campbell, Jennifer Pasemko, Jeff Conlin, Ruby Conlin, Will Milne, Scott Ferrede, Jamey Fraser, Alison Hope, David Burnes, Linda Spremo, Ed Labanowicz, Helen Labanowicz, Jean Fuller, Pim van der Toorn, Doug Cochrane, Kate Rapson, Stephen Whittington, Anna Isakoff-Meller, Gary Mueller
GPS Coordinates
45.327510, -80.197218
Property Info
The Rose Island Nature Reserve protects the remaining 286 undeveloped acres of the 400-acre Rose Island, which has long been a priority for conservation due to its ecological significance. 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, and the island serves as an important connection for many of the region’s animals as they move north or south. A trail system allows much of the island's interior to be explored on foot.