After being closed for several weeks, the east side of Wawanosh Valley Conservation Area (Nature Centre side) is now open to day-use visitors.

The site was closed to facilitate the thinning of plantation areas and the removal of ash trees that were in decline from Emerald Ash Borer infestations.

The trails have been cleared of debris but there are still some potential hazards including:

• uneven trail surfaces
• slippery trail areas
• branches or sticks across the trails that may appear after the snow melts

Please note that in some areas the trail may look quite different; please follow the trail markers.

Conservation Areas staff will be doing further cleanup once the snow melts including trail surface repairs and cutting stumps and tree tops to promote quicker decomposition.

Sections of the property may seem scarred after the logging but please be assured the tree removal was done carefully and strategically to protect other standing trees and to keep damage to the forest floor at a minimum. Over the long term this forest management work will promote the gradual shift from plantations to mixed deciduous woodlots. The removal of the ash trees will help to ensure the trails are safe for users.

Wawanosh is located at 38854 Nature Centre Rd. in the Township of North Huron.

Questions? Please contact:
Stewart Lockie, Conservation Areas Coordinator
slockie@mvca.on.ca