BARRIE, ONT. -- A local family donated 77 acres of wilderness along the Black River east of Washago to the Couchiching Conservancy so that the land may be permanently protected from development.
"It is a great place to watch turtles hatching and laying eggs, follow the life cycles of butterflies, observe the behaviour of foxes, beavers and moose and watch the night sky," said Reet and Jaanus Marley.
The Marley family bought the 100-acre property in Dalton Township in 1962 for $900. They built a cottage and over the years used the property as a getaway from their Toronto home.
The donated land is linked to several other nature reserves and directly connects to the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park at the southern boundary.
The Black River Wildlands is a priority area for the Conservancy.
"This particular parcel helps fulfill the Conservancy's long-term plan of assembling large tracts of habitat. These corridors are especially important in letting species move freely throughout their ecosystem," said Couchiching Conservancy president Neil Gray.
The Marley's will retain their property north of the river where the family cottage is located.
