08/26/2026
Leave It Where It Grows 🍄🌼
We love that our nature reserves inspire curiosity. Spotting a beautiful mushroom, discovering a wildflower, or finding an interesting plant can be one of the best parts of exploring nature. But there’s one important rule at all Rideau Waterway Land Trust nature reserves: please don’t pick, collect, forage, or remove anything.
The rules and considerations around collecting wild plants, mushrooms and other natural materials vary depending on the place and the species. But on RWLT nature reserves, the rule is simple: if you find it here, leave it here.
There are a few reasons why. That mushroom isn’t just there for us to admire; it may be playing an important role in the forest ecosystem. That flower may be producing seeds or providing food for a pollinator. And that berry, fern, or fallen branch is part of a much bigger ecological story.
Our nature reserves can receive a lot of visitors. If everyone took “just one,” the impact would add up quickly. Leaving things where they are means the next person gets to discover them, too. 🌿
Our nature reserves are private property, and RWLT sets the rules for these properties, regardless of what may be permitted on other lands.
So when you visit, remember:
🔥 No fires
🍄 No foraging or collecting
🌸 Don’t pick flowers or plants
🗑️ Don’t litter
📸 Take only photos
👣 Leave only footprints — on the marked trail! 😉
In short: look closely, take pictures, enjoy the discovery, but leave it where nature put it. 💚
