Macfarlane Woods

MacFarlane Woods Nature Reserve protects an excellent example of a
rich, old-growth Sugar Maple-Yellow Birch-Beech forest. It also hosts
rare plants. It is located in the Mabou Ridge above the Mull River
Valley.  Hills and Valleys natural landscape. The hardwood forest of
MacFarlane Woods is part of a virgin stand. The old-growth forest is
surrounded by a variety of early succession stands which are utilized to
promote natural history education for visitors.  The original 52.5-ha
MacFarlane Woods Nature Reserve was designated in 1988 at the generous
invitation of the landowner, Mr. James St. Clair, of Mull River. In
2001, Mr St. Clair offered to add more of his land to the nature
reserve. Between 2001 and 2004, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the
Province of Nova Scotia purchased four adjacent properties, and in
2004, these plus Mr. St. Clair’s additional lands were added to the
reserve, bringing it to its present size of 132 hectares.