Heartland Forest

Round up the kids, pack a lunch, and grab your binocs. We're headed to... "Heartland Forest" to meet the toads and frogs!

Open Daily - 9:30 am to 5 pm - Free Admission - Wheel Chair Accessible

What is Heartland Forest?

We learned about Heartland Forest from reading a newspaper article in the Niagara Falls Review. Until then, we didn't know it existed!

Enjoy 2 forest trails (1/2 km and 2 km)

We had no idea it was 296 acres with 93 of them protected Carolinian forest and wetlands. Neither did we realize it was a free Niagara Falls site to visit.

Families can picnic and walk the trails with their children looking for birds, turtles, snakes, and frogs!

It's a FREE "activity" filled place to spend the entire day with your family, friends, club, or church group. (donations are greatly appreciated.)

Be sure to yield to turtle "critters" crossing the trails!

Apparently, the land was previously zoned industrial... doomed to fall under a developer's axe.

But Dan Bouwman, founder of Heartland Forest, fought to save the property and secured the finances and support to preserve its' natural environment.

We met Dan the first day we visited Heartland Forest. He is a local Niagara Falls business man who owns Dan's Produce on McLeod Road. Dan has won many awards from several community organizations for his achievements related to environmental protection, education, and accessibility for all Heartland Forest visitors.

Here's a picture we took of Dan holding a leaf as he talked about a few of the 18 species of native trees in the forest.

We felt the passion in his heart as he told the story of how he acquired the property, what he's been able to accomplish in the last few years, and what his dreams are for its' future.

Heartland Pond Stations

Dan (and his helper) was building a look out station the day we met him on the trail. The station overlooked one of the many frog ponds located throughout the forest.

The stations, paths, and the tree house, are "wheel chair accessible." The station "huts" have peep holes where children and adults can observe the pond life without disturbing its natural habitat.

Dan says he gets up in the wee hours of the morning, works in his produce shop until about 10 am each day, and then heads over to Heartland where he puts in a full day's work in the forest. (We got the feeling it's more like play to him as he absolutely loves what he does.)

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Here's a picture of a Tree Fort that Dan and his Heartland Forest "Friends" built. It's fully wheel chair accessible and furnished with tables and chairs created from fallen tree trunks found throughout the forest.

Fun Things to Do at Heartland Forest

Pricing: There is no set fee for individuals and families to use the facilities.  A $2 donation per person is appreciated for all group and tours, special events, and summer activities. 

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Kalar Road in Niagara Falls (near Niagara Square shopping mall) between Chippawa Creek Road and Brown Road.

DIRECTIONS

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Upcoming Heartland Forest Events

Charity Auction for Heartland Forest
NHL All-Star Event
VIP Package

This is your opportunity to bid on 2 VIP tickets to the NHL All Star Event in Ottawa.

Friday, January 27th through Monday, January 30th, 2012.

The NHL All-Star Game is already sold out.

There is something special about having the game in Canada, especially in a hockey crazy city like Ottawa, Ontario. Officials from the city and the National Hockey League are sure to pull out all the stops to make this the best All-Star event ever!

Here's what you get in your VIP Package!

• Three nights accommodation at the Residence Inn (Laurier West) in downtown Ottawa(Friday, Saturday and Sunday - January 27, 28 and 29)
• Two tickets to the Scotiabank NHL Fan Fair at the Ottawa Convention Centre - Friday (10:00 am - 10:00 pm) as well as Saturday (10:00 am - 6:00 pm)
• Two tickets to the Molson All-Star Skills Competition (7:00 - 9:00 pm) on Saturday January 28th atScotiabank Place
• Two tickets to the Molson Canadian All-Star Saturday Night Party (9:30 pm - 12:30 am) at the CE Centre
• Two tickets to the Molson Canadian All-Star Pre Game Celebration (11:30 am - 2:30 pm) on Sunday January 29 at the Ottawa Convention Centre
• Two tickets to the 2012 Tim Horton's NHL All-Star Game Sunday at 4:00 pm

Go To: www.heartlandforest.org for eBay bidding instructionsBIDDING NOW OPEN!Bidding closes Sunday evening, Jan. 22Questions? Email... elisabethg@heartlandforest.org

There is a long list of other events, like the NHL SuperSkills Competition, which features events like the fastest skater, hardest shot and shooting accuracy. Other events that are scheduled include an NHL Fan Fest at the Ottawa Convention Center, and the city has also changed the date of its famous Winterlude festival to coincide with the NHL All-Star Game. This figures to be one of the biggest events in the history of the city.

Click here for more Heartland Forest events.

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We'd love to hear about your fun day at Heartland.
Be sure to bookmark this page and come back to tell us all about it.

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