August 23, 2021
Join us on September 18th, 2021 at 10am and help celebrate another 160 acres of land conserved by EBC. Come for all or part of the celebration as we:
- Explore and learn about the natural and historical wonders of Trout Hollow through guided hikes
- Announce the winners of the photography/art/short story contest
- Socialize over delicious food and drink prepared for by local Meaford cafe - McGinty's
To register click here!
Trout Hollow Reserve was generously donated by the Knight family to EBC earlier this year and is a truly unique property. The former site of the Georgian Bay Milling and Power Company, visitors can still see remnants of the mill that powered the Georgian Bay region 100 years ago, now lush with native flora and fauna. Also on the property are the remains of the Trout family Sawmill, which dates back to 1860, now all given back to nature.
As you walk along trails flanked by cedar groves that seem to have been there forever, you are actually at times walking along the upper lip of 100-year-old hydro and milling channels. You can also see the remains of the mill house, S pipe and sluice gates along the Trout Hollow trail which winds along Bighead River and fields of ferns and native plants, including trilliums and columbine. When the season is right, salmon and trout fill the river and deer and wild turkeys roam the woods. There is a reason John Muir, famous naturalist, visited this area!
Schedule of the day:
As you walk along trails flanked by cedar groves that seem to have been there forever, you are actually at times walking along the upper lip of 100-year-old hydro and milling channels. You can also see the remains of the mill house, S pipe and sluice gates along the Trout Hollow trail which winds along Bighead River and fields of ferns and native plants, including trilliums and columbine. When the season is right, salmon and trout fill the river and deer and wild turkeys roam the woods. There is a reason John Muir, famous naturalist, visited this area!
Schedule of the day:
- 10am - 11am - Bird hike with Beth Anne Currie. Beth Anne is Chair of the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory and has been an avid birder for many years and will lead an hour-long hike learning about and identifying the resident Trout Hollow birds.
- 11am - 12pm - Plant hike with Barbara Palmer. Barbara Palmer is a member of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and the Bruce Trail Conservancy and has had a life-long interest in botany. Brush up on your identification skills by joining Barbara on a botany hike!
- 12pm - 12.30pm - Opening Ceremony & announcement of Trout Hollow Contest Winners. A few words from EBC's Executive Director, Robert Barnett, the Knight family and EBC's Chair, Saba Ahmad.
- 12.30pm - 2pm - History hike with Robert Burcher. Robert is a local historian and author of 'My Summer of Glorious Freedom: John Muir Saunters Around Southern Ontario in the Summer of 1864'
- 2pm - 4pm -Snacks & refreshments at Riverside Community Center.
Snacks and refreshments will be available throughout the day from 10am-4pm, so if you choose to skip a hike, you can go and relax/socialize at the community hall.
Where to park:
Parking, along with washrooms and refreshments will be at the Riverside Community Center in Meaford. Click here for the exact location.
Where do the hikes start?
The hikes begin from a starting point just 10-15 minutes walk from the Riverside Community Center. You will walk north along 7th Line and East on Side Road 13 for 1.5km. When you reach the top of the hill, you will be at the starting point for all hikes. Please click here for a map showing the Community Hall (indicated by a green circle) and the meeting point for the hikes (indicated by a blue star). For those of you needing assistance getting to the starting point of the hikes, there will be an EBC vehicle available to shuttle people. Hikes will start and finish here. If you are participating in more than one hike, you will end the previous hike where you need to be to start the next. If you are only joining one of the hikes, you can choose to explore on your own or head back down to the Riverside Community Centre for refreshments.
Parking, along with washrooms and refreshments will be at the Riverside Community Center in Meaford. Click here for the exact location.
Where do the hikes start?
The hikes begin from a starting point just 10-15 minutes walk from the Riverside Community Center. You will walk north along 7th Line and East on Side Road 13 for 1.5km. When you reach the top of the hill, you will be at the starting point for all hikes. Please click here for a map showing the Community Hall (indicated by a green circle) and the meeting point for the hikes (indicated by a blue star). For those of you needing assistance getting to the starting point of the hikes, there will be an EBC vehicle available to shuttle people. Hikes will start and finish here. If you are participating in more than one hike, you will end the previous hike where you need to be to start the next. If you are only joining one of the hikes, you can choose to explore on your own or head back down to the Riverside Community Centre for refreshments.
To register click here!
*** Please note - people participating in any of the hikes should arrive 30 minutes before the hike starts allowing yourself enough time to walk 10-15 minutes to the starting location of the hikes. Click here for a map.
