People in the Kensington area have a new place where they can go to walk, hike, ski or simply enjoy nature. The John A. Hogg ~ Kensington Public Forest features 2.4 kilometres of trails that run through Acadian forest and grassland habitat.
“Our public forest lands belong to Islanders and we want people to use these properties,” said George Webster, Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry. “This new trail system will make it much easier for people to visit and enjoy the John A. Hogg ~ Kensington Public Forest.”
The trail system is a joint project of the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Town of Kensington. A management committee for the public forest property includes representatives from the town, the Public Forest Council, Kensington Intermediate Senior High School and the Provincial Forests Section of the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry. Ivan Gallant is outgoing mayor for the Town of Kensington.
“Our community is very pleased that this special place has been conserved as public forest and that we are going to be actively involved in how it is managed and conserved,” he said. “The walking trails will foster a sense of stewardship in community members for these lands.”
Residents first called for the creation of a public forest in the Kensington area at a public meeting in 2002. The name “John A. Hogg” has been incorporated into the Kensington Public Forest to recognize the family of Robert and Jackie Paynter. Their desire to see their forest conserved and accessible to the public made it possible for the Province to create the public forest. The Paynters said it was the stewardship choices of five generations of the family – starting with John A. Hogg, dating back before 1880 – that allowed their family to conserve this forest.
The John A. Hogg ~ Kensington Public Forest includes two properties totalling 14.9 hectares. They are located adjacent to the Confederation Trail, one kilometre south of Route #2 in Kensington. Much of the property includes Acadian forest species such as maple, birch, American beech, scattered red oak, white pine and eastern hemlock. To date, 94 plants have been identified on the site, including the Christmas fern which is uncommon to Prince Edward Island. The property is also home to a wide variety of animals that use forests, fields, and hedgerows. The lands form part of the upper reaches of the Barbara Weit River.