Joany's Woods

Happy Sunday!

Everything is blooming! It's been such a wonderful week of weather. I love the heat so it's put a big ol' smile on my face. 

Exploring takes so many shapes and forms from walking the dog around a new (to me) city block or getting farther into the woods. It's when I'm outside with nothing but shoes on my feet and motivation to put one foot in front of the other that I feel most at home. This trek in particular really felt like home to me. I hadn't been to Joany's Woods before last weekend but had heard tales of her splendor. Right they were! With 10-ish kms of trails to explore and loads of white pine (my favourite tree) and some birch it was a joy to walk through...even during the rain.

There is so much to see here - from hardwood swamps, to marshy areas, to plains and upper and lower woodland. We heard lots of various bird calls throughout and I'm sure in warmer weather it'll be a great place to spot many different native wildlife.

This space is conserved by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, was purchased by the Thames Talbot Land Trust and sits on 365 acres. It contains interweaving trails, the Ivey (4.4 kms) and Inch (3.2 kms). Be mindful that coming into the trails there were a few spots wiped out by rising waters so ability to cross over rocks and logs is required.

Happy hiking!

Always remember to:

• Pack out what you pack in
• Walk single file when passing
• Yield to hikers coming uphill
• Respect wildlife
• Stay on the trail