The construction of the spiral staircase is complete and Spirit Rock Conservation Area is open again.
Enjoy the long weekend with a hike!
Mark your calendar – Thursday June 28th at 1:00 pm there will be a Grand Opening for the Hibou Wetlands Interpretive Trail with brief opening ceremony followed by meet and greet with light refreshments! At 1:45 pm following the opening ceremony program, there will be a guided hike led by Bob Knapp. He will highlight the stops along the trail featured in the Hibou Interpretive Hike Guide.
For daily visitors, the guides are available from holders on the two new signs at main entrances to the trail or download at www.friendsofhibou.com. A map inside the guide will help guide you along the path and 15 featured stops. The photos in the guide highlight the landscape features, wildlife habitats, plants, and trees that make Hibou and this trail a special place to visit. Using the guide and looking at the numbers as you travel around the trail you will learn more about this great area.
Hibou consists of about 20-30 hectares of wetland and is an area of great diversity. The interpretive trail is a 1.7 kilometres loop with 15 information stations (it is estimated that it may take up to 1 1/2 hours to complete). Please consider returning the guide to the box on the sign, when you complete your hike.
Friends of Hibou are thankful for all the support they received in constructing this interpretive trail and developing the guide. The Friends of Hibou group was established in 2013 to help maintain and upgrade Hibou Conservation Area. Please stay on the trail and keep your dog on a leash.
Hibou also offers half a kilometre of sandy beach for the best sandcastle building around! It’s a great place for the young and old to cool off on a hot day and is only 6 minutes from Owen Sound. Hibou is open from June to the Labour Day Weekend and provides you with – clean washrooms and changerooms, pavilions, picnic tables along the beach and hiking opportunities. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon!
Hibou is located at 359186 Grey County Road 15 in Meaford, just outside Owen Sound on Georgian Bay.
The Friends of Hibou would like to thank our community groups that made the Hibou Interpretive Hike Project a reality.
- Community Foundation Grey Bruce
- Bob & Marie Knapp Endowment Fund
- Owen Sound Field Naturalists
- Grey Sauble Conservation Foundation
- Owen Sound Kiwanis Club
- Grey Sauble Conservation
For more Information:
Vicki Rowsell, Programs and Communications Planner v.rowsell@greysauble.on.ca 519 376-3076 ext. 278
Karen Gillan, Programs and Communications Planner/Risk Management Inspector k.gillan@greysauble.on.ca 519-376-3076 ext. 224
Background:
Our vision is a healthy watershed environment in balance with the needs of society.
Our mission, in partnership with the stakeholders of the watershed, is to promote and undertake sustainable management of renewable natural resources and to provide responsible leadership to enhance biodiversity and environmental awareness.
The five-year update of Conservation Authority Watershed Report Cards rollout today, and the grades indicate that many of Ontario’s watersheds, particularly those in southern, more urban areas are stressed. In contrast, the local Grey Sauble watersheds scored very well, with most achieving a grade of Good to Excellent!
With Wiarton Willie’s prediction of 6 more weeks of winter, there is plenty of time to get outside and play in the snow at Bognor Marsh.