Natural Heritage
Situated on the northwestern fringe of the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill is nestled in a gently rolling landscape not only of great natural beauty, but also of unique geological and ecological wealth and significance. A variety of forest types covers two thirds of the property. Wetlands teeming with diverse species make up a small fraction. Lands once cleared for agriculture have re-vegetated naturally and now support maturing stands of maple and beech, while hemlock dominates the wetter sections. Several extensively eroded areas have been re-planted with red pine. The ecological jewel of the Reserve is a three-hectare stand of old-growth hardwood forest. Today, these forest and wetland communities serve as an ecological observatory where natural processes can be monitored, measured and analyzed.
The remaining third of the property encompasses hayfields and pastures from the days when the Reserve was an estate and staging ground for equestrian events. Today these lands serve as an ecological laboratory where researchers carry out intensively manipulative experiments that subject theories about the environment to scientifically rigorous testing.
In recognition of the property’s natural riches, the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources designated the Koffler Scientific Reserve as both an Earth Sciences Area of Natural Scientific interest (ANSI) for its unusual patterns of glacial deposit, and a Life Sciences ANSI. The University of Toronto's first priority is preservation of the unique ecological treasure trove which is Jokers Hill.
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