Contact(s)
Location
A short drive southwest of Cambridge, Dryden Tract is located at 1785 Alps Rd., in the Township of North Dumfries (Map).
Background
Part of the Alps Woods Forest that is situated on the Galt Paris Moraine, the Dryden Tract is a variable landscape of deciduous forest covered hills and valleys.
The property is 34 hectares with approximately 3.5 kilometres of trails. There is a parking lot at the main entrance.
Dryden Tract is designated by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo as an Environmentally Significant Policy Area (ESPA). ESPA 53 - Alps Woods is described as a kame moraine, 2 concessions north of Wrigley's Corners, and is heavily forested with Carolinian species, as it is at the northern limit of the Carolinian forest zone. Being associated with the Carolinian forest zone influences the type of bird species that are found here, as many are rare to southern Ontario. Carolinian forest bird species have been known to breed at this location (refer to notable species below).
Number of bird species
More than 130 species have been observed at Dryden Tract.
Notable species
A variety of forest bird species can be found throughout the property. From late May to early July, many male forest birds can be found singing across the morning hours.
Notable species observations include Acadian flycatcher, cerulean warbler, hooded warbler, scarlet tanager, olive-sided flycatcher, yellow-billed and black-billed cuckoos, yellow-throated vireo and barred owl.
