WELLINGTON NORTH – The Copernicus Mapleton Trail is now open.
Located south of Arthur on the 18th Line, the trail features 2km of easy to moderate forest trail and stretches through 50 acres of protected nature reserve land.
“The hope for the trail is that it gets used by the community; it has unique terrain and geography for the area,” stated Melissa Kooiman, community liaison and program coordinator for Copernicus Educational Products, in an email to the Advertiser.
The land was donated by Copernicus to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC), the largest Ontario-focused charitable land trust that protects the Niagara Escarpment, in 2018.
The EBC protects over 23,000 acres (9,300 hectares) of land on 237 nature preserves across Ontario, as well as 20km of Lake Huron shoreline, from the threat of development.
The Copernicus trail isn’t just a space for humans to enjoy, the land also acts as a safe habitat for animals such as white-tailed deer, monarch butterflies, and an array of local bird species.
The trail was prepared by Copernicus CEO Jim Phillips, Arbor Vitae Landscape and Design, as well as a few children of other Copernicus employees.
Trail officials would like to remind the public the trail is not intended for use by motor vehicles, but bicycles, pets, cross country skis and snowshoes are all welcome.
Anyone interested in being a trail captain can contact melissa.kooiman@copernicused.com for information.
