Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners & Operators Association
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Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest

​Operated as a division of 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, a forestry company and the province. 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 christie.nswooa@gmail.com.

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. For a $10 annual membership fee, you’ll become a voting member of the division. More importantly, you’ll be supporting some of the best forestry practiced in Canada. 

For more information about the Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest, visit our website or
 Facebook page.
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  • Home
    • Who We Are
    • Contact Us
  • Family Forest Network
  • Sustainable Forestry
    • What Are Your Goals?
    • Forest Management Resources
    • Otter Ponds Demonstration Forest
    • Woodland Owner Mentorship Program
    • The Forestry Lab
  • Programs & Events
    • Healthy Soils - Healthy Woodlands Field Workshop >
      • Western Region Forest Soils Field Day
      • Eastern Region Forest Soils Field Day
    • Ecological Forestry for Beginners >
      • Intro to Eco Forestry Registration
      • Mi'kmaw Perspectives on Stewardship Registration
      • Explore Forest Species at Risk and Woodland Biodiversity Registration
      • Boundary Lines Registration
      • Intro to Eco Forestry- Cape Breton Registration
    • 2022 AGM Presentations
  • Join Us!