Langtry Reserve ~ thanks Roberta

Walk north on the 7th Concession of King Township, beyond the 16 Sideroad, which is also the route of the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail, and eventually you will come upon this monument to Roberta Langtry, on the west side of the trail.   You will also be in the Happy Valley Forest.   Here's what the plaque on the monument says:

Nature

Conservancy

Canada

Happy Valley Heritage Forest

Langtry Nature Reserve

Stewarded for the benefit of nature

and all Canadians

through a significant bequest by the late

M. Roberta Langtry of Toronto

Philantropist~Teacher~Writer~Naturalist

1 April 1916 - 13 August 2005

I wandered through the Happy Valley Forest today and couldn't help but silently thank Nature Conservancy Canada and its supporters, like Roberta, for what is happening here.   Overall the Happy Valley Forest (oldtimers call it the King Ridge or King Forest) comprises almost 1,600 acres, much of it in private hands.   But in a few short years, 300+ acres has been protected; good news for the 110 bird species here.   The birds most often mentioned as significant in Happy Valley are the Red-shouldered Hawk (vulnerable), Hooded Warbler (threatened), Acadian Flycatcher (endangered) and the Cerulean Warbler - all pictured here.

 

   The Nature Conservancy Canada declares that the Happy Valley Forest "...is one of the largest remaining intact upland deciduous forests on Canada's Oak Ridges Moraine".   It contains Sugar Maple, American Beech, Paper Birch, White Ash, Eastern Hemlock, Black Cherry, Red Oak, Red Maple, Largetooth Aspen and Trembling Aspen, among other less frequent species.   The Nature Conservancy Canada is aiming to protect 500 acres of the forest and is well on its way with over 300 acres currently protected via land purchases, land donations and  conservations easements.   Roberta Langtry's gift to NCC, by the way, was $4.3 million!   I believe I read it was the largest private donation ever received by the NCC and   it has gone a long way to supporting nature conservancy right across Canada.
Please comment if you wish.
BtheB
Photos ~ Wikipedia