Size: 67.74 acres

Established: 2009

Status: Not Open to the Public

Protection: Purchased

Photo by Payton Landsborough

Background:

Located in the Municipality of West Elgin, just west of Wardsville, Blain Farm was purchased from Wilbert and Eleanor Blain, who had farmed the land for over 70 years. Blain Farm lies one kilometre south of Skunk's Misery Forest, one of the region's most important natural areas.

Description:

Blain Farm features 20 ha of productive cropland as well as 1.3 km of river frontage. Between the cropland and the river are 6 ha of riverine forest and terraced floodplain. Blain Farm's riverine forest serves as a natural corridor connecting the Thames River to the core of the Skunk's Misery Natural Area.

The nature reserve features a variety of Carolinian species such as Hackberry, Sycamore, Bladdernut, and Spicebush. The reserve's sandbars and other riverfront features are likely breeding sites for rare turtle and freshwater mussel species. Efforts to enhance the site's effectiveness as both a river corridor and as a connection to neighbouring upland woodlands will be pursued, as well as measures to reduce erosion and improve aquatic habitats. TTLT has successfully installed three separate wetlands on the nature reserve.