Natural Heritage
Natural Heritage at Kawartha Nordic
Overview
The KNSC property is a natural gem made up of forests, wetlands, open rock barrens and meadows. Natural heritage surveys found that the property supports 356 species of flora and 595 species of wildlife!
The forests of the KNSC are comprised of mixed and deciduous tree species, and though there has been logging on the property, there are magnificent older specimens of White Oak, White Ash, Silver Maple, Sugar Maple & Eastern Hemlock.
Ecologically speaking, the KNSC property is diverse! In addition to the forested areas there are large and varied wetlands which store carbon and filter local water. Upland meadows create gaps in the canopy and open rock barrens provide yet another type of habitat.
The size and natural condition of the wetlands at KNSC suggests they would be designated as Provincially Significant, were they formally evaluated via the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES).
KNSC Lands are Provincially Important! Field work at the KNSC found both rare species and Provincially significant habitats. Some highlights: at-risk Snapping Turtles and Chorus Frogs, rare White Oak forests, endangered Black Ash trees, at-risk birds including Evening Grosbeak and Canada Warbler, endangered Monarch butterfly, and Broad-winged Hawk and Barred Owl nesting sites.
Thank you to the Natural Heritage Sub-Committee for this work. Please contact contact@kawarthanordic.ca for more information or to get involved!
Reports
iNaturalist
Want to check out more detailed observations or contribute your own? Check out the Kawartha Nordic iNaturalist page.
