Stronghold Reserve

We also thank Mary Hudson and Dave Gifford for their wonderful gift of a conservation easement which as noted above is their way of ensuring that the land will never be developed and the character of our marvelous lake preserved. 

The Stronghold Reserve protects significant forest and meadow habitat alongside Blackstone Lake. Home to at least three at-risk species (Eastern Wood-pewee, Monarch Butterfly, and Whip-poor-will), it is likely to support many more, including the Hog-nosed Snake. As an inland property, its soils are better-developed than those of the Georgian Bay coast, meaning it can support a more diverse array of flora. Parts of this property were even once cleared for farming, and now serve as ideal meadow habitat for Monarchs and other species. As the Blackstone Lake community faces increasing development pressures, protection of this land will help species thrive here well into the future.