Tree Nursery

Tucked away at the edge of the High Bluff campground, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is home to a unique conservation project not found in other Ontario Parks: it’s very own tree nursery. Operated for over 30 years, the nursery plays an essential part in preserving and enhancing the park’s forest ecosystem. Each fall, park staff collect seeds from native tree species across the park, ensuring a strong genetic foundation for future growth. With the help of dedicated volunteers from the Friends of Presqu’ile Park, the seeds are cared for over several years – carefully potted, repotted, and grown in recycled containers […]

This fall, park staff and Friends of Presqu’ile Park volunteers have been hard at work planting trees around the park. Over 400 trees have been planted around the park this fall. All these trees have been grown in our tree nursery from seeds that were collected in the park. It can take up to eight years before the trees are tall enough to be planted in the park. The biggest threats to these young trees are winter storms and White-tailed Deer. We use stakes to help provide support against the winter winds and try to plant the trees in areas sheltered away from the worst of the […]

A visit to Presqu’ile Provincial Park will show considerable damage from recent storms. Winds howling off Lake Ontario have toppled many large trees, their roots torn from the ground. Park staff have been busy removing those trees that pose a danger along the roadways, in campgrounds, and trails. Volunteers from The Friends of Presqu’ile have been repairing damaged boardwalks and trails. Many of the toppled trees are Ash, weakened by the Emerald Ash Borer. Visitors frequently ask, “When will the fallen and dead trees in the forest be removed?” The answer may surprise you! Standing dead trees, called snags, and […]