Benallen has a big reason to visit for a hike or walk.
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited Canada celebrated last weekend the addition of 365 acres of protected sensitive wetland and forest to the Benallen Nature Preserve. The Benallen Nature Preserve now sits at 600 acres, with the original 235 acres protected back in 2024.
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy Chief Executive Officer Beth Gilhespy says natural spaces like this are vital to communities.
“To preserve 600 acres of land in southern Ontario is quite a feat,” says Gilhespy. “There aren’t that many large tracts of land left anymore to preserve.”
The preserve connects to other protected lands, such as Grey Sauble Conservation Authority’s Keppel Forest and the Glen Management Area, creating an extensive network of protected habitats that sustain wildlife movement across the landscape.
This extensive range of land provides refuge for species at risk, including the wood thrush, Eastern meadowlark, golden-winged warbler, Canada warbler and Eastern wood-pewee.
“You need good, solid, robust tracts of land for many of these species,” says Gilhespy. “It’s really important for them to have intact forest that doesn’t have a lot of disturbance.”
The wetlands also support herons, sandhill cranes, waterfowl, amphibians, reptiles, deer and black bears, contributing to the area’s exceptional ecological value.
Gilhespy says the wetlands are very important to the amphibians in particular because most of them are also species at risk.
Protecting Benallen safeguards these species while supporting clean water, flood mitigation and climate resilience for future generations.