Size: 49.66 acres

Established: 2013

Status: Open to the Public

Protection: Purchased

Background:

Located in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex, Wardsville Woods and other surrounding land was owned by Singleton Gardiner during the early 1800’s. Historically, this nature reserve was used as cattle pasture and agricultural activities. More recently, Wardsville Woods was a golf course until it was purchased by TTLT.

Description:

Wardsville Woods is a tract of upland and ravine forest located in the Skunk's Misery Natural Area. It contains mixed-deciduous woods with mature specimens of two iconic Carolinian species, Tulip Tree and Sassafras, as well as American Beech, White a Red Oak and Sugar Maple trees. A creek flows through the nature reserve to the Thames River. Wardsville Woods is locally rare terrain in that it forms part of the only sizable ravine forest north of the Thames River floodplain. Other ravines extending northwards from the Thames River contain little mature forest cover. While Wardsville Woods, as does all of Skunk's Misery, lies on the Bothwell Sandplain, the creek at the bottom of the ravine has eroded through the upper sand deposits to expose the underlying clay. This provides the nature reserve with a variety of soil types and drainage conditions.

As a result, there is a wide representation of Carolinian trees, such as Tulip Tree, Sassafras, White Oak, Black Walnut, various Ash and Elm species, and understory species, including Spicebush, Witch Hazel, Prickly Ash, characteristic of these different habitats. Beech and hard Maples are common and many other deciduous tree species thrive on site. There is an excellent understory of spring ephemerals on the upland forest's hummock and swale microtopography.

There is also a meadow restoration and open garden for the public to enjoy. Click here to learn more about our first community wildflower garden.

Wardsville Woods has a scenic trail that is open to the public. To know more about the trail, click here.