In November 2025, Kawartha Land Trust announced the permanent protection of the 435-acre Kawartha Highlands South nature reserve in the Municipality of Trent Lakes thanks to generous donor and funder support.

This ecologically significant property contains an exceptional diversity of habitats that are representative of those found in the Kawarthas.

Kawartha Highlands South is home to a mosaic of granite rock barrens, mixed swamps, meadows, and open marshes that are peppered throughout the wider fabric of White Pine, Red Oak, and White Oak mixed forest.

The topographical variation of the property creates a diversity of site conditions and amazing views — from 40-metre cliffs to densely vegetated lowland thickets.

The marsh is surrounded by mixed deciduous forest. Fallen trees provide excellent basking sites for turtles and perches for wading birds. There are stretches of bare granite, where mosses and lichen flourish next to fruit-bearing shrubs growing along the forest edges.

The forests are composed of young to mature stands of White Pine, Red Oak, and White Oak, providing essential breeding grounds for warblers, owls, and hawks. Denning areas and food sources are also plentiful for Black Bears, Moose, Snowshoe Hares, and North American Porcupines who feed on the abundance of acorns and native vegetation found in the understory and along the forest floor.

Kawartha Highlands South is home to 1.2 kilometres of natural shoreline along the Mississagua River. Natural shorelines like these help minimize erosion, support biodiversity, and mitigate the effects of flooding.

A number of wildlife species have been observed on the property, including American Mink, Moose, North American River Otter, North American Beaver, Porcupine and Black Bear. A number of at-risk species like Little Brown Myotis, a few turtle species, Common Nightjar, Eastern Whip-poor-will, and others.

Kawartha Highlands South is bordered by Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park on three sides. The protection of the forests, river, wetlands, and rock barrens on this property preserve existing connected habitats, supporting wildlife.

Thanks to visionary funders, generous donors, and dedicated volunteers, vital wildlife habitat has been protected, and you can look forward to the creation of 3-5 kilometres of community hiking trails to enjoy. The planned opening for the new trails is Fall 2027. You can read our updates in the Future Community Trails Updates below.

KLT’s Kawartha Highlands South property was protected with the generous support of private donors and funders:

The purchase of this ecologically significant land was secured with financial support received from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF), Natural Heritage Conservation Program — Land Trusts Conservation Fund (NHCP-LTCF), and the Province of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership (GCP) program.

The ECCC-administered Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) is a $1.4 billion, ten-year fund to reduce annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5-7 megatonnes (Mt) by 2030. The NSCSF will achieve this by supporting projects that reduce the loss, restore, or improve the management of ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, peatlands and grasslands. These projects will also benefit important habitat for migratory birds, species at risk and other species of cultural and/or socio-economic importance to local communities.

The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation and recognition of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $500 million in the Program, which has been matched with more than $1 billion in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community leading to the protection and conservation of nearly 840,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands.

The Government of Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership program is the single largest provincial fund to secure private land in Ontario. This unique program, administered by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance, leverages non-governmental dollars to acquire, restore and manage privately owned natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands and forests. For every dollar of provincial funding provided, grant recipients match it with a minimum of $2 from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations and other levels of government. Since 2020, the Ontario government has invested $58 million into the program, which has helped to protect over 437,000 acres (over 177,000 hectares) of private land across the province – more than 2.75 times the size of Toronto.

Additional support for this conservation project was received as donations from over 450 individuals and families to help protect this natural asset for future generations. An anonymous donor who offered to match all donations up to $100,000 helped launch KLT’s summer-long campaign.

Vital project support was also received from the Echo Foundation, Ontario Conservation Accelerator (OCA) and Wild Rock’s ComPassion Project.