Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC)

10/15/2026

Help build boardwalks at Simmons Nature Preserve!

Join us this Saturday for a hands-on day outdoors. No construction experience is needed - just bring work gloves, snacks and water!

With support from the Town of Caledon’s Climate Fund, we’re improving our trails to make public access safer while protecting sensitive habitats in the Caledon East area.

When? Saturday, October 17
Starting at 10 a.m., with work continuing throughout the day
Where? Simmons Nature Preserve - meet on Putney Road: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nxFvtnVcT3t5TLDG6

Interested in joining us? Email our Stewardship Manager, Liv Callo, at [email protected] for further instructions.

Please share with anyone who might like to help!

10/14/2026

Forests often get much of the attention in conservation, but open grasslands are important habitat too.

Grassland birds depend on these open spaces for nesting, feeding and shelter, and many species need large, connected areas of suitable habitat to thrive.

This is what makes our proposed Barrie Island (near Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island) expansion so important. The wider landscape includes grassland alongside forest and shoreline habitat, creating a varied mosaic that supports different species and ecological needs.

The 385 acres we are working to preserve will add to lands we already care for on Barrie Island and help create an 845-acre conserved landscape.

Protecting larger, better-connected areas like this is at the heart of our Living Landscapes Campaign.

Explore the Barrie Island project and the wider campaign:
https://escarpment.ca/about/campaigns/living-landscapes-campaign

10/14/2026

Another Living Landscapes project is taking shape on Barrie Island

The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy is working to preserve a 385-acre addition on Barrie Island (near Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island | Mnidoo Mnising) as part of our Living Landscapes Campaign.

When preserved, these lands will connect directly with property we already care for on Barrie Island, helping create an 845-acre conserved landscape. The upcoming addition includes a mix of grassland, forest and shoreline habitat, including approximately four kilometres of shoreline.

Together, these habitats create a larger connected landscape with space for wildlife to feed, nest, shelter and move. That connection is at the heart of Living Landscapes: preserving larger, more resilient natural areas.

Learn more about our projects that we are preserving under our Living Landscapes Campaign:
https://escarpment.ca/about/campaigns/living-landscapes-campaign

10/12/2026

Behind the scenes: Ontario’s land trust community is getting ready to gather.

From October 26–28, land trusts and conservation professionals from across Ontario will come together at the Ontario Land Trust Alliance Annual Gathering at Horseshoe Valley Resort in Barrie.
It’s a chance to step away from day-to-day work, compare notes, share ideas and learn from others working to protect and care for land across the province.

Representing the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy this year will be CEO Beth Gilhespy, Conservation Partnerships Manager Amy Darrell and Stewardship Manager Liv Callo.

The gathering is always a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections across the sector and bring new ideas back into our own conservation work.

Registration closes October 14.

If you work or volunteer in land conservation, you can find full details and registration information through OLTA:

https://olta.ca/annual-gathering/

Photograph below was taken by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance at its 2023 Annual Gathering.

10/12/2026

We’re grateful to be part of such a dedicated network of land trusts working together to protect Ontario’s sensitive and vulnerable landscapes for generations to come.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

10/09/2026

Field Notes Friday!

Rob Wray captured this painted turtle basking at our Benallen Nature Preserve, making the most of a sunny spot above the water.

Painted turtles are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature is strongly influenced by their surroundings. Basking helps them warm up enough to stay active, move, feed and digest their food efficiently.

As fall temperatures continue to drop, painted turtles become less active and eventually settle in underwater for the winter. They are exceptionally well adapted to these conditions: when oxygen beneath the ice becomes scarce, or even absent, they can dramatically slow their metabolism and survive for months without breathing air. The Benallen Nature Preserve provides ideal habitat for painted turtles and other amphibians to thrive year-round.

And this turtle appears to have picked up a tiny passenger along the way. Look closely at the end of its tail and you’ll spot what appears to be a fingernail clam hanging on. These small freshwater bivalves have previously been documented attached to painted turtles, potentially gaining a free ride through their aquatic habitat.

Turtle taxi, anyone?

10/07/2026

A significant find at Turtle Lake: Black Ash.

At the southern edge of a large wetland, our team confirmed a stand of Black Ash, which is a species at risk in Ontario.

Black Ash is closely associated with wet habitats such as swamps, floodplains and other low-lying areas. Its presence adds to what we are learning about the ecological importance of the land at Turtle Lake.

The 684 acres we are working to preserve here include an approximately 60-acre wetland complex, along with streams, riparian areas, forest, grassland and shoreline. This large acreage also has the potential to connect with our existing Pine Lake Nature Preserve, helping to protect a larger, more connected and resilient landscape.

That is exactly what our Living Landscapes Campaign is about: preserving important natural areas while creating stronger connections between the lands already protected.

Turtle Lake is one of the conservation opportunities helping bring that vision to life.

To learn more about our Living Landscapes Campaign visit escarpment.ca/about/campaigns/living-landscapes-campaign

10/06/2026

Want to spend a day outdoors while helping care for a nature preserve?

We have several opportunities to get involved this October — from invasive species control and trail marking to boardwalk building.

October 15 — Buckthorn Control at McLean’s Nature Preserve (east of Owen Sound near Walter's Falls)

October 16 at 11 a.m. — Trail Marking at Benallen Nature Preserve (a short distance north of Owen Sound)

October 17 from 10 a.m. — Boardwalk Building at Simmons Nature Preserve (near Caledon East)

No matter how you choose to help, volunteering is a hands-on way to support the long-term health of the lands in our care.

Interested in joining us? Get in touch with our stewardship team at [email protected]

10/05/2026

What do we look for when a new conservation opportunity comes our way?

One of the first questions is how a property fits into the surrounding landscape.

At Turtle Lake on Mnidoo Mnising, we are pursuing two neighbouring properties totalling 684 acres. At their southern edge, they connect directly with our existing 539-acre Pine Lake Nature Preserve.

If preserved, these lands will create a 1,223-acres of connected conservation land spanning wetlands, forests, grasslands, shoreline and rare habitat.

That connection matters. Larger natural areas can support a greater diversity of habitat, give wildlife more room to move and allow us to care for an entire landscape rather than isolated pieces of it.

This opportunity at Turtle Lake is part of our Living Landscapes Campaign, our seven-year effort to preserve 8,000 acres of ecologically significant land.

Learn more about Turtle Lake and the other places we are working to preserve through Living Landscapes:
https://escarpment.ca/about/campaigns/living-landscapes-campaign

10/01/2026

Temporary Closure: Bidwell Bog Nature Preserve

Bidwell Bog Nature Preserve will be closed to public access from today, October 1, through November 11, 2026.

Please respect posted signage and avoid entering the property during this time.

Nature preserve