As in urban landscapes, rural areas contain zones of green that attract wildlife and may act as pathways between neighbouring natural areas. These are called 'habitat islands' and 'habitat corridors' because they are like islands in a sea of agriculture. In rural areas, these are frequently creeks that run through cropped fields. Other areas may be unused by farmers because they are wet or steep and difficult to cultivate and these too act as habitat corridors.

Many farmers carry on the practice of planting hedgerows between their different crop fields. These are usually planted with trees or shrubs that slow winds and reduce the loss of topsoil. Areas beneath the trees fill in with shorter herbaceous plants and wildlife begin to take advantage of these corridors of green.

White-tailed Deer. Photo by Barry Cherriere.

Rural habitat corridors allow White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), frogs, snakes and birds to follow these relatively safe routes to larger natural areas. If these corridors are wide enough, animals may spend most of their time in these habitats. Many small mammals use these areas to make their burrows and tunnels, making farm field edges prime hawk hunting grounds (e.g. Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis).

There are also many conservation areas that act as islands in the rural landscape. Valens Conservation Area is a good example. There are many privately owned natural areas in the rural landscape too, in part because the hilly local topography makes these areas unsuitable for agriculture. As a result, our rural landscape is a picturesque mix of woods and fields.

Pear tree found growing in Bronte Provincial Park. It is not uncommon to find natural areas that were once used for agriculture. Photo by Alan Ernst.