Cold Creek Conservation Area
Encyclopedia
Cold Creek Conservation Area, usually Cold Creek, is an ecologically diverse protected Area of Natural and Scientific Interest
in south-central Ontario
, Canada
. The 190 hectares (469.5 acre) conservation area
was opened on June 20, 1962 by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
. It is located on the western end of King Township
, overlapping the Oak Ridges Moraine
. The Government of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
classifies the area as a provincially-significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (Life Science) for its "provincially or regionally significant representative ecological features". The area was also a site classified for the International Biological Program
. The Life Science area, known as Cold Creek Swamp, is composed of a swamp
and forest
.
Cold Creek has hiking trails that cover the Oak Ridges Moraine and a boreal peat bog, among others. At least 110 species of birds have been observed at Cold Creek. Nest box
es are distributed throughout the conservation area to house birds and bats.
Area of Natural and Scientific Interest
An Area of Natural and Scientific Interest is an official designation by the provincial Government of Ontario in Canada applied to contiguous geographical regions within the province that have geological or ecological features which are significantly representative provincially or regionally...
in south-central Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The 190 hectares (469.5 acre) conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
was opened on June 20, 1962 by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority or Office de protection de la nature de Toronto et de la région is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario, Canada...
. It is located on the western end of King Township
King, Ontario
King is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township...
, overlapping the Oak Ridges Moraine
Oak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
. The Government of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that responsible for Ontario’s provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province...
classifies the area as a provincially-significant Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (Life Science) for its "provincially or regionally significant representative ecological features". The area was also a site classified for the International Biological Program
International Biological Program
The International Biological Program was an effort between 1964 and 1974 to coordinate large-scale ecological and environmental studies...
. The Life Science area, known as Cold Creek Swamp, is composed of a swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
.
Cold Creek has hiking trails that cover the Oak Ridges Moraine and a boreal peat bog, among others. At least 110 species of birds have been observed at Cold Creek. Nest box
Nest box
A nest box, also spelled nestbox is a man-made box provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for wild and domesticated birds, in which case they are also called birdhouses, but some mammalian species may also use them. Birdhouses are the most common types of nest...
es are distributed throughout the conservation area to house birds and bats.