Thames Talbot Land Trust keeps in touch with landowners in the Skunk’s Misery area through occasional newsletters and public meetings. Click here for the first newsletter.

Creating a Natural Legacy

    Skunk’s Misery is one of the largest and most significant forested blocks remaining in the Carolinian Region of southern Ontario. It is a large tract of deciduous forest and farmland situated along the Thames River, sixty km southwest of London, ON. It has been identified as a Carolinian Canada site, Provincially Significant Wetland, an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, an Important Bird Area, and has been identified as a key biodiversity area within the Great Lakes. Skunk’s Misery is surrounded by the communities of Newbury, Wardsville and Bothwell. The residents of these communities and the surrounding rural area have demonstrated considerable civic pride and interest in the natural features of “The Misery”.
    The Thames Talbot Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy of Canada recently partnered to produce a detailed 5-year strategic plan for the conservation of Skunk’s Misery. The Skunk’s Misery Natural Area Conservation Plan sets out a vision for protecting and enlarging the core forested area and enhancing wildlife linkages to the Thames River. Approximately 3600-ha (3.6km2) of land is included in the conservation plan. From the forested core in Southwest Middlesex, it includes areas of woodland, wetland and prairie in nearby Lambton County and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to the west, and Newport Forest in West Elgin and other stretches of riverine forest along the Thames River (see map). Approximately 22% of the forested land in the natural area is owned either by the Middlesex County or the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. The rest of the land is in private hands.
 

 


Flowering Dogwood


Red Trilium 		The Goals of the Skunk’s Misery Natural Area Conservation Plan are:


• Protect and restore old growth forest.
• Enhance habitat for area-sensitive birds.
• Protect and restore tallgrass prairie and habitat for grassland species.
• Create functional linkages to the Thames River and Newport Forest.
• Maintain and recover viable populations for Species at Risk.
• Improve water quality and habitat of ravine systems.
• Support and influence local polices that support. conservation.
• Promote compatible land use and stewardship on public lands.
• Direct incompatible development and land uses away from the Natural Area.
• Enhance community support and understanding of Skunk’s Misery.
• Promote community participation in conservation.
• Increase information and monitoring of biodiversity values, natural processes and threats.
  Skunks Misery is noted for its diversity of upland and wetland plant communities, some of which are globally rare. It is home to a great diversity of animal and plant inhabitants, including many that are rare or at risk. The heart of Skunk’s Misery is a 1200-ha complex of old-growth hardwood forest and swamp in Middlesex County, connected by wooded ravines to the Thames Canadian Heritage River to the south.
The Thames Talbot Land Trust is a registered charity active in the Thames River watersheds that creates natural legacies through the permanent protection of lands of natural significance. The Trust will raise funds to secure and protect priority conservation lands and wildlife linkages through either outright purchase or conservation agreements with landowners. Over time some marginal farmland and other disturbed areas will be restored to a more natural state.
The Thames Talbot Land Trust will work directly with landowners and other stakeholders in a voluntary and collaborative manner to achieve the Conservation Plan Goals. In addition to local residents, we expect to work closely with the municipalities, counties, government agencies and a wide range of community and non-government organizations.
Whether its rare habitats survive and the endangered animals and plants species thrive in Skunk’s Misery depends on decisions we make today.
On behalf of all our descendents we thank you for your support in this important conservation venture.

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Tawny Emporer


Hognose Snake
Click on the conservation figures above to view