Thanks to your support of the conservation of The Jones Woodlot is now protected, forever!
The Jones Woodlot is a 50-acre property located directly adjacent to the Kawartha Land Trust protected Fell Wetland. With your support to acquire this property, you have doubled the amount of conserved land in this Provincially Significant Wetland. This land provides critical habitat for numerous species.
To ensure this land is protected and cared for in perpetuity land donor Ross Jones and his sister Marilyn Falls have donated the property on behalf of their parents; Clifford & Ruth Jones to KLT. Now, no future government can change the zoning on the land for another purpose.
This property has been in the Jones family for generations. Ross Jones’s grandfather, John Jones, bought this land, which they called the ‘Woodlot’ in 1946. It has since been passed down from his parents to Ross.
Significant natural features and habitats present on the property include mixed swamp, Cattail, and Willow marsh. The upland forest is dominated by White Ash, Sugar Maple and Basswood. The Jones did some cutting on the property early on in 1950 but the property had not been touched since. This left it to grow freely over the years.
“It’s amazing how the trees have been able to take over the land and have been free to grow,” Ross said.
In recent years, Ross and his sister, Marilyn Falls knew they wanted to pass the property on. They did not want someone to purchase it and destroy or take away the natural elements of the land. They chose to donate the property to KLT to protect it from the risk of loss or development.
This area is threatened. Currently, the extractive industry threatens the ecological integrity of the Martin Creek swamp. Due to this donation and your support, this land is now protected. This will allow the nature and wildlife in this area to continue to take their course and be free to thrive.
Ross recalled that after some of the initial cutting by his grandfather raspberries were growing every year. During the summer months their family “lived off of the raspberries.”
This area will now continue to provide habitats and critical land to many species at risk.
KLT allows public access when it is compatible with the long-term protection goals of the site and features and corresponds with the wishes of the land donor. This property will not be open for public access. Please visit our properties pages to discover which KLT protected properties have trails and are open for you to explore.
This property was secured with the additional support of the Government of Ontario and Ontario Land Trust Alliance, through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, which helps conserve ecologically important natural areas and protect wetlands, grasslands and forests that help mitigate the effects of climate change. Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership, a total of $50 million will be invested over four years, including $20 million from the Ontario government and another $30 million from other sources, such as individual donations and foundation support through the NCC and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, and other levels of government.
We’d like to thank Ross Jones and his family for this very generous gift. We’d also like to thank you for your support in acquiring the Jones Wetland property. Your donation to KLT today will help protect more important places in the Kawarthas!
Posted June 28, 2021.
