Greenwood Lake Conservation Reserve

 The Greenwood Lake Old-Growth White Pine Conservation Reserve is on crown land and the OMNR is advised by the Greenwood Lake Advisory Committee, of which the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists is a member. Other committee members include Lakehead University, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), and AbitibiBowater's Thunder Bay Operation. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund supports Greenwood Lake as an ecotourism initiative. "Conservation Reserve" is a status granted by the OMNR, which was applied officially to the area in 1995. The potential of the area for research and education was first recognized by OMNR and AbitibiBowater foresters in the mid 1970s.

The guiding principle in management of this reserve is that the forest remain undisturbed and not be altered by any of the research, educational and recreational activities that the Advisory Committee wishes to encourage.

 

Getting There

Tehe Greenwood Lake Conservation Reserve is accessible from the Burchell Lake Road, about two hours west of Thunder Bay. Turn south from Highway 11 onto Highway 802 just west of Kashabowie and the route is well-marked by road signs. Trails make the area easily accessible for research, educational, and ecotourism purposes. The establishment of trails is thanks to the efforts of many volunteers. Trails are designed for foot traffic only.

The trademark feature of theGreenwood Lake Conservation Reserve is dominant old-growth white pine, with trees over 300 years old indicating the stand was established by pre-settledment wildfire. The area of the reserve is 811 ha encompassing a diversity of topography, including upland moraines, peat bogs and the shoreline of Greenwood Lake.

Ecological Features

Vertical diversity of the forest includes a dominant white pine canopy, a lower canopy of white and black spruce, balsam fir, and occasional yellow birch and red maple, a shrub layer of mountain maple and beaked hazel, and a herb-rich forest floor. Minimal regeneration of white pine occurs beneath dense overstorey, and the seedlings that do occur are rarely more than 1 m in height. A small area on the southern edge of the reserve burned in August 1991 following a lightning strike. The resulting fire was very hot because of many budworm-killed fir and spruce crown scorch killed most of the white pine in this area. White pine regeneration occurred that was overtopped by white birch and strempling aspen sprouts. Throughout the reserve, it is possible to see a variety of forest and water birds, as well as moose, bears, wolves, lynx, fishers and marten.

Research

The Canadian Wildlife Service and OMNR have jointly conducted bird and small mammal surveys on the reserve. One unusual finding is the Pine Warbler, abundant only in old-growth pine and at the northern edge of its range at Greenwood Lake.

A dendrochronological study (based on tree rings) confirmed the age of the dominant white pine, and that dry and wet periods evident in the tree rings are correlated to records from the fur trading posts in the area. This study was conducted by Scott St. George of the Geological Survey of Canada while a student at the University of Arizona.

For information on field trips, management plans, brochures or other information about Greenwood Lake, please phone or write to:

Willard Carmean
c/o Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
Box 10037
Thunder Bay, On
P7B 6T6
767-6300
Fax: 343-8116
email: sdunning(at)tbaytel(dot)netSandy Dunning