Early settlers in the Kawarthas region tried to farm the land, but the hilly landscapes proved uncooperative. After cutting down old-growth trees and plants, they soon discovered that the thin soil would blow down the hills, and the remaining gravel surface wasn’t farmable. The 100-acre plot on Pigeon Lake lay dormant and abandoned for well over a century until 1984, when it was purchased by local environmentalist and educator Mieke Schipper and her family. Schipper sensed that this land required healing, not traditional farming. Undertaking intensive research into reforesting the land, Schipper sent soil samples to Guelph University, whose reforestation experts recommended planting spruce and pine, which would grow well in the gravelly terrain. Between 1986 and 1988, thousands of saplings were planted. Then came the waiting. A quarter of a century later, a forest had bloomed, and it wasn’t just spruce and pine trees. “Birds were coming, picking up the seeds from other trees and seeds from the previous forest in the soil,” says Schipper. The replanted forest also flourished with maple, ash and oak. While working at Fleming College, Schipper and several of her colleagues developed the idea to turn this land into an environmental education centre. In 2000, the Gamiing Nature Centre was officially incorporated. The term gamiing (pronounced gaa’-min-j) was suggested by Terry Rogers, who was the Native counsellor at Fleming College at the time. Derived from the Anishinaabemowin word that translates as “at the shore,” the name would honour the original Native residents of the land and the Gamiing Nature Centre would provide visitors the opportunity to connect to the forest that had been brought back to life. Today, Schipper and her team steward the land, ensuring sustainable, environmental practices. There are seven kilometres of trails on the property, offering visitor access to various areas. Lakeview Trail, originally an access road to a proposed housing development, now leads to Pigeon Lake. Along the Glacier Trail is where visitors can view glacial deposits of limestone and granite. The Grassy Trail features numerous learning points with trail cards along the path. On the Beaver Trail, Fleming College students actively work to control an invasive species — the common buckthorn — from taking over, as only native species are planted on the property. The land and trails are now part of the Kawartha Land Trust. Schipper put a conservation easement in place to ensure that the forest continues to thrive naturally and will not end up being developed in the future. Visitors of all ages — from school groups to lifelong nature learners — are invited to discover how everyday actions influence environmental sustainability. The centre’s stewardship, nature-based education and cultural programming is rooted in the traditional ecological and Indigenous knowledge of the Anishinaabeg Nations. Now 42 years later, Schipper still delights in seeing how people continue to be amazed at the beauty of the land. “They often ask me, ‘Why did you do this?’ Well, when I bought this place, I didn’t particularly need a 100-acre backyard.” But what Schipper did see was land that needed restoration, land that could grow, heal and be given the chance to come full circle — and teach visitors about the nature of the local ecosystem. So, what was she going to do with it? “Just share it with the community,” says Schipper. “That’s just all there is to it.” CAA