Protecting Copeland
“I don’t know how I would get through my work week without visits to Copeland Forest in the evening.” – Local resident
At 4,400 acres (1,760 hectares), the Copeland Forest is an ideal example of deep woods habitat. Nestled on the edge of the Oro Moraine, it contains the highest quality of mature upland deciduous forest in the region, as it undulates and eventually drops 55 metres to a complex of wetlands containing the headwaters of three major watersheds that all drain into Georgian Bay.
Ecological Importance
Numerous birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and plants rely on forest interior habitat in order to survive, and the negligible amount of forest interior habitat left in the south of our province accounts for many endangered, threatened, and rare species listings. Read more…
Since the MNRF acquired Copeland Forest in 1978, there have been two major Biological Inventories of the forest: One in 1979 and another in 2011. There have also been other more specific research on topics ranging from Lichens to Archaeology. Download and Read Reports Here…
Stewardship
Every year, thousands of visits are made to the Copeland by people from all over southern Ontario and beyond. The appeal is that it is the largest naturalized upland forest within commuting distance of the GTA, and is free from the usual provincial park rules Read more…
Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard has increased in the forest over the last 15 years in the mature deciduous upland part of the Copeland Forest.
Read more…