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Posts Tagged ‘Fleetwood Creek’

June is Recreation and Parks Month

Posted in Day to Day Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 8, 2018| Leave a Comment »

It never fails to amaze me – living in the Bethany area provides unlimited opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding us. And the month of June is a perfect time to get out and enjoy the local conservation areas.

“CPRA celebrates the month of June as Parks and Recreation Month.  We take this opportunity to recognize the benefits of parks and recreation, encouraging Canadians to get out and be active in their communities.  This initiative raises awareness about the importance of parks and recreation and the role it plays in the quality of life for all Canadians.”   (Canadian Parks and Recreation Association)

There are 2 conservation areas within 10 km of Bethany: Fleetwood Creek Natural Area and Squirrel Creek Conservation Area.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/component/geocode_factory/?view=mapcb&idMap=1&Itemid=538 

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is a river valley system located within the Oak Ridges Moraine. Visitors can discover and experience a distinctive part of Ontario’s natural heritage including lowland forests, hardwood bush, meadows and steep valleys. You will also find over 250 kinds of plants and 44 types of birds, including wild turkey that were reintroduced into the region during the 1980s.

And if geology is a hobby of yours, you will find a variety of geological formations caused by the past glacial period including kames, kettles, eskers and ice-contact ridges.

Squirrel Creek Conservation Area sits along the Otonabee River. In addition to the natural vegation it includes a beach, picnic shelters, baseball diamonds, boat launch and small dock. If you have an event, you can rent the picnic shelters and ball diamonds.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/ 

Travel a little further. Within a 25 km radius there are 9 more conservation areas.

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Source: https://ontarioconservationareas.ca/component/geocode_factory/?view=mapcb&idMap=1&Itemid=538

CPRA is encouraging followers on Twitter and Facebook to help spread the word about what ‘June is Parks and Recreation Month’ means to you.

Post pictures to @CPRA_ACPL or to Canadian Parks and Recreation Association on Facebook, using #JPRM2018 over the month of June.

All participants will be entered into a draw for the chance to win 1 of 3 – $50 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift cards to start your summer off right with new recreation gear.

You can post your pictures all month long!

 

 

 

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A Closer Look at Fleetwood Creek Natural Area Near Bethany

Posted in Day to Day Life, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2016| Leave a Comment »

I briefly mentioned the Fleetwood Creek Natural Area last month as part of the overview on Kawartha Conservation but it deserves a more in-depth overview.

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Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is located within the Oak Ridges Moraine, an area characterized by steep valleys, sandy soil and many cold water streams. These streams form the headwaters of Fleetwood Creek, a major watercourse within the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Kawartha Region watershed.

The area is comprised of a 900-acre (380-hectare) tract of land managed by Kawartha Conservation for the Ontario Heritage Trust.

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You will find lowland forests, hardwood bush, meadows and steep valleys. There are over 250 kinds of plants and 44 types of birds. Wild turkeys were reintroduced into the region during the 1980s.

If you are a geological buff, this area has a variety of geological formations caused by the past glacial period including:

  • Kames – steep-sided mounds of sand and gravel deposited by a melting ice sheet.
  • Kettles – depressions in a glacial outwash drift made by the melting of a detached mass of glacial ice that became wholly or partly buried.
  • Eskers – a long ridge of gravel and other sediment, typically having a winding course, deposited by meltwater from a retreating glacier or ice sheet.
  • Ice-contact ridges – a ridge produced on floating ice by buckling or crushing under pressure of wind or ice.

A large part of the Fleetwood Creek property is designated as a Provincially Significant Earth and Life Science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI). Such a long name for a significant piece of our environment! An ANSI is an official designation by the provincial Government of Ontario applied to neighbouring geographical regions within the province that have geological or ecological features which are significantly representative – and this is all within an easy drive if you live in Bethany.

As a result of the delicate nature of the area, visitors are asked to stay on the trails so that the most environmentally sensitive sections of the property are protected.

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Dogtooth  Violets

The Trails

 

  • The Valley Trail is a 2.2 km loop which includes an observation platform offering a spectacular view of the surrounding land, as well as the opportunity to travel down into the valley (if you are more adventuresome.)
  • The Forest Trail is divided into two branches.
  • The West branch, a 3 km loop, consists of a twisting path on a gradual slope leading through open meadows and forests of giant beech, maple, and hemlock trees.
  • The East trail, a 3 km loop, leads through a dense cedar forest, then climbs up the valley slope. The trail continues through an open meadow, then winds back through the forest to the parking area.

Address and Directions

902 Ballyduff Road, Kawartha Lakes, ON

From Highway 35, turn east onto Ballyduff Road for 2.9 km

Destination is on the right at 902 Ballyduff Road, Kawartha Lakes, ON

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is open May to October from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

For more information visit the website at http://kawarthaconservation.com/conservation-areas/fleetwood-creek-natural-area

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