Cade Tract provides outdoor recreation (UTRCA weekly, June 3, 2021)

Barnby Cade and his family donated a 32 ha (78 acre) Perth South property to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) in 2016. The UTRCA opened the Cade Tract to the public in 2019 for hiking and a controlled deer hunt in December.

The property includes floodplain meadows, a mature maple woodlot, and a hawthorn thicket on the valley slope. Since acquiring the property, the UTRCA has completed several projects including tree, prairie, and wildflower planting as it works to naturalize the property. Perth County has the lowest amount of vegetation cover in the Upper Thames watershed, owing to its strong agricultural land use. This property offers a wonderful opportunity to bring a little more nature back to the region.

We spoke with Stratford resident, Nikkole Welsh, about her visits to the Cade Tract along with her husband and three sons.

1) How long has your family been birding?

We’ve been birding for three years or so. We started by driving by and stopping to watch the Bald Eagle nests that are just around the corner from the McCully’s Hill Farm.

2) How did you find out about the Cade Tract?

Some friends told us about the Cade Tract and then my husband read about it while searching for places to hike. We’re always looking for new places to hike and we like that it is a natural area that isn’t too far from Stratford.

3) What species have you spotted there?

We often see Red-winged Blackbirds and Red-tailed Hawks when we’re there. And we have heard some woodpeckers but didn’t see them. My boys thought they sounded like Downy Woodpeckers.

The Cade Tract is located west of the Town of St. Marys, at 4695 Perth Road Line 5. The property is open to the public for walking and is a great opportunity to explore nature close to home. Please enter the property at the small parking lot by the address sign. There are no formal trails and the vegetation can be dense, so dress appropriately. Please take garbage and pet waste back home with you. ATVs and other motorized vehicles are prohibited.

Providing natural spaces and passive recreational opportunities at properties such as the Cade Tract supports the UTRCA’s Environmental Target of instilling conservation values by supporting outreach to 1 million people annually through visits to UTRCA owned and managed lands, as well as hands-on environmental experiences.

• Video about the Cade Tract
• Cade Tract Naturalization (2019)
• Tallgrass Prairie planted at the Cade Tract (2020)