By Rick Whitteker – Nature writer & outdoor guide

It’s a win/win situation. Simon Payne, local owner of the ecologically based landscaping company Grounded, bid on a guided hike experience, a fundraiser for the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust. Happy to volunteer my time, Simon’s brother Stephen from England joined us at the Barnum Creek Nature Reserve, a great place to hike, share and learn about all things natural.

Barnum Creek Nature Reserve is one of two properties owned by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust that allow public access. Donated in 2018 to the Land Trust by the Dobrzenski family through the federal Ecological Gifts program, the Land Trust has a mandate to preserve this property, including the trails, in their natural state in perpetuity.

A Peaceful Sanctuary

The nature reserve has seven kilometers of trails to explore. Representing a snapshot of the diversity of ecosystems in Haliburton Highlands, one of my favourite sections is along Barnum Creek on the Waterfall Trail. It was here that we spotted the magnificent ebony jewelwing damselfly flitting among the vegetation beside the creek. The males have vibrant metallic blue bodies and black wings; the females are a similar size but have smoky wings with a white dot. Don’t let their fairy-like fluttering fool you, these flying carnivores are bad news for black flies and mosquitos.

The creek gurgles and pools on route to Barnum Lake about six kilometers away. A small log bench provides a peaceful rest stop beside the creek. The trail parallels the creek’s path plunging more abruptly under a beautiful wooden bridge. Designed and built by a crew of dedicated volunteers, towering hemlocks and yellow birch grow along the trailside here. With close inspection, rows of small holes can be seen in the bark of the nearby hemlocks, evidence of the work of the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

This mid-sized woodpecker has a brush-like tongue that allows it to lap up the pooling liquid in these shallow sap wells. Known also to dine on the insects attracted to the sweetness of the sap, studies have shown that the ruby throated hummingbird will follow sapsuckers in the spring to take advantage of these sap wells during the period before spring wildflowers can provide the nourishing nectar hummingbirds love.

The unique flora of the Ridge Trail

Continuing along the Heritage Trail, we come across a significant rock face to our right. I point out that we will soon be hiking up along this ridge. With easy-to-follow maps at every intersection, we meander up a switchback trail to the flat section of the Ridge Trail. This area is dominated by rich upland forests with mature maples and white pines and unique understory flora. A series of deep valleys makes for dramatic scenery on this trail.

The ground vegetation on the Ridge Trail includes plants like blue cohosh, wild leeks, maidenhair ferns and leatherwood shrubs. All these plants are indicators of soils high in calcium carbonate. These calcareous soils result from seams of marble, dolostone and limestone creating soil that is more alkaline, uncommon among the granite dominated geology of Haliburton County.

Touching the leatherwood shrub gives you the full appreciation of its uniqueness. The bark is tan coloured and smooth. By bending a branch, you will notice how pliable they are. In fact, the smaller branches can bend so much that they can be tied in a knot without breaking! Known in bushcraft circles as the ultimate emergency cordage making plant, the wood inside is weak but the bark is hardy and pliable and once twisted into cordage, it is as tough as leather and almost impossible to break!

We also found a ribbon of maidenhair ferns growing along a shady, damp section of trail. With delicate horizonal fronds, the stems of these beautiful plants are thin and wiry, ranging from dark brown to black. Their shape and colour make them unique in the family of wild ferns.

Stops nearby

There is a bakery nearby with a dedicated following of locals and visitors with insider information. Opened Friday to Sunday, Bill and Theresa at The Little Tart bake their hearts out all week to prepare for these three busy days. Often sold out within hours of opening, The Little Tart in Donald specializes in home baked tarts and happy people!

Right across the road from the Donald turnoff on County Road 1, you will find the home of Blackbird Pottery. Located on the grounds of the historical Donald Schoolhouse (circa1906), proprietor April Gates has built a unique business build around sharing space, skills and knowledge. Workshops, classes, Schoolhouse Pop Up markets and sales, studio visits are by appointment only.

Back on the Trail

Heading back to the trailhead along the Heritage Trail, Simon and Stephen enjoyed the peacefulness of the surrounding naturalness. Well maintained, offering a variety of distance and difficulty hiking options and pristine in nature, it is clear why this trail is one of the most popular in Haliburton County.

Be sure to check out the many other hiking destinations located in the Haliburton Highlands.