Beachburg 4th thinning 2025: The overstory red pine in this picture was planted in 1953 and was thinned for the 4th time in 2025. Natural white pine has seeded in as the next generation of this forest and was well-protected during harvesting. (Photo supplied by Renfrew County Forest)
Renfrew County Forest is asking for the community to be responsible recreationalists when they make their way into the community forests they care for.
County Forester Lacey Rose says that, whether it’s the popular trails in the Beachburg tract or a less used section, they regularly see a lot of garbage left behind for them to clean up, wasting time and taxpayer resources and potentially leading to even more destructive issues.
Invasive species are enemy number one when it comes to a healthy forest ecosystem, and most require stewards to spend an enormous amount of time pulling them out of the ground by hand.
However, there are some species that need even more attention.
Rose says keeping invasive species in check is also a matter of being a good neighbour to those living and working next to their forest tracts, a common problem for similar groups across Southern Ontario.
People heading into the woods can do their part by keeping garbage out of the forest and being careful to not transport invasive plant seeds in their shoes, tires, or firewood.
(written by Kasey Egan)
