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The Benallen Wetland Nature Preserve is now a conservation landmark for all to enjoy.
Published May 30, 2026 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 3 minute read
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy CEO Beth Gilhespy unveils the new sign at the official opening of the Benallen Nature Preserve on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Greg Cowan/The Sun TimesArticle content
A dream is now a reality.
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Glen Catto Jr. said his father, Glen Catto Sr., wanted to pray and sleep on a decision about what to do with nearly 600 acres of land north of Owen Sound.
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“He said, ‘I had a talk with the Lord last night,’” Catto Jr. retold the story Saturday. “I said, ‘Yeah?’ and he said ‘Ducks Unlimited.’”
What happened next is that the Catto family got in touch with Ducks Unlimited and Alexis Hand, a land security and stewardship specialist.
Fast forward four years, and the 598-acre Benallen Nature Preserve south of the rail trail and west of the community of Benallen in Georgian Bluffs is officially a permanent conservation landmark.
“He wanted to protect the land to ensure it wouldn’t be sold and developed on,” Hand said. “To have a 600-acre property in kind of an urbanish landscape was really special. I think that’s why Glen knew it needed to be protected, because without that protection, you never know what can happen in the future.”
Wetlands that are part of the Benallen Nature Preserve in Georgian Bluffs, just northwest of Owen Sound.(Rob Wray photo) jpg, OW, apsmc
In 2022, after the call from the Catto family, Ducks Unlimited reached out to the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy to help acquire the land. Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the country’s largest land conservancy and a leader in wetland conservation. Hand said the national organization wanted some local help and stewardship experts.
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“Because of the location here, it was a great opportunity to allow public access, but that requires more stewardship management,” Hand said. “It’s just been teamwork since 2022 to the end of last year when we purchased the final property.”
In 2024, the organizations worked together to finalize the acquisition of the westernmost 233-acre parcel, comprising about 136 acres of wetland and 97 acres of hardwood forest. In 2025, they raised the necessary funds to acquire the remaining two properties to the east of the original purchase. The cost to complete the acquisition was $1.7 million.
The Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC) is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to preserving Ontario’s most sensitive and vulnerable landscape since 1997. To date, EBC has safeguarded over 10,117 hectares (25,000 acres) of natural habitats, providing critical refuge for numerous at-risk species.
EBC CEO Beth Gilhespy said they jumped in with both feet when Ducks Unlimited reached out.
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“We wanted to make this a community project. We have people living nearby, and people use this rail trail a lot . . . so, we wanted it to be part of the community,” Gilhespy said.
The Benallen Wetland Nature Preserve was protected through EBC’s Wild Futures Campaign, with help from government grants and, mostly, from donors.
“In southern Ontario, to have 600 acres of land in one single unit is pretty impressive, and then add to that all the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority land on the north side and to the west, it’s a huge amount of land,” Gilhespy said. “We hope people enjoy Benallen, it’s a beautiful place.”
People enjoy a guided hike during the official opening of the Benallen Nature Preserve on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Greg Cowan/The Sun Times
The preserve serves as a Natural Heritage System Core Area within the Shouldice Provincially Significant Wetland and boasts a Provincially Significant Woodland. The preserve is strategically located adjacent to the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority’s Keppel Forest Conservation Area and is surrounded by a network of protected areas.
The lands contain swamps teeming with birds and animals and rich mixed forests of hardwood and coniferous trees, including massive old-growth Eastern White Pine.
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The wetland area provides crucial habitat for diverse wildlife, including herons, egrets, Snapping Turtles, Pileated Woodpeckers, and white-tailed deer. It also serves as a haven for at-risk species such as the Blue-winged Teal, Wood Thrush, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Canada Warbler, and Golden-winged Warbler.
“We’ve had it for so long, we could walk on the trails or go horseback riding,” said Heather Catto, who compared her family’s land to Harrison Park in its expansive beauty, right in their own backyard.
The Catto family, who operates Glendale Farms, will still maintain the land upon which the home and barns are situated.
The EBC has added to a small walking path off the rail trail, marking routes through the flooded forest and creating a loop trail.
Anyone interested in contributing to the conservancy’s Wild Future Campaign can do so by visiting escarpment.ca and clicking on the “Donate” button.
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