Operated as a division of Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association (NSWOOA), the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest (OPDF) is a place for all Nova Scotians to learn about forest ecology and the sustainable management of our native Acadian Forest. OPDF is a living laboratory that shows how timber production can be compatible with the protection of the full range of other forest values and services. It provides opportunities for woodlot owners, elementary and high school groups, university students and researchers, non-profit organizations, and individuals to visit an outstanding example of working forestland.
Otter Ponds demonstrates the philosophy, science, and practice of uneven-aged management in the Acadian Forest. It produces timber for market using the best forest practices presently known, while protecting wildlife habitat and the Tangier River watershed, respecting the ecosystem services provided by the parcel, and enhancing the social and cultural value of the forest.
Management practices are certified to the Forest Stewardship Council’s Maritime Standard. OPDF is managed by a unique partnership that includes four non-governmental organizations (NSWOOA, the Ecology Action Centre, Eastern Shore Forest Watch, and Mooseland and Area Community Association), a forestry company (Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp.) and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources & Renewables. The partners jointly manage a 500-hectare (1,200-acre) Crown parcel near Mooseland, within the Halifax Regional Municipality.
School groups, woodlot owners, and individuals or organizations that are interested in sustainable forest management are invited to visit Otter Ponds. For more information, contact project coordinator Christie Verstraten at [email protected].
If you want to support the continued development of the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest as a nationally significant example of sustainable forest management, you are invited to join NSWOOA as an associate member. You’ll be supporting some of the best forestry practiced in Canada. An application can be found here.