Huge piece of Bruce Peninsula wilderness to be preserved

Breathtaking Locale: The Bruce Peninsula, Ont.

Many couples choose the Bruce Peninsula for their romantic, yet rustic wedding locale. The secluded lush forest comes alive with a kaleidoscope of colour at the end of September to early October. (Flickr / Jen Gutmann)

The Nature Conservancy of Canada says an 819-hectare tract of wilderness is being set aside on the northern Bruce Peninsula.

Officials say the large block of undeveloped land is in the heart of one of Ontario's most significant natural areas.

The area is home to at-risk species including the Massasauga rattlesnake, Blanding's turtle, Eastern ribbonsnake, Lakeside daisy and the Eastern prairie fringed orchid.

The conservancy says the tract is a key section of a wildlife corridor for wide-ranging mammals such as the genetically distinct American black bear and for birds that require large blocks of forest habitat.