Walk in the Woods Series - Hearts Desire

The Hearts Desire Forest is a city-owned urban woodlot of 13 hectares situated along the Jock River next to Prince of Wales Drive. It is considered one of the top 10 Urban Natural Features in the City of Ottawa.

The Hearts Desire Forest contains a variety of habitats: a meadow at the entrance, an old orchard and abandon field in the lower lands, a small coniferous plantation and an older forest interior.

Tree species found in the forest are predominantly maples, white oak, red oak, ash, ironwood, beech, walnut, and basswood. On the east side along the Jock River are many fruit trees from a former orchard and a wet meadow in early spring, making terrific bird habitat. On higher ground, we find a high dense canopy of older trees with little succession and, in the springtime, the understory becomes a magnificiant carpet of trilliums. Among the many wildflowers in the forest, Bloodroot and False Solomon's-seal were in full bloom.

On the west side of the forest is a small red pine plantation and mixed deciduous cover with lots of succession growth. Several trails lead down to the Jock River, where one can easily see the limestone bed under the water. Protecting the riverbanks from erosion, planting along the riparian borders, and maintaining the integrity of this waterway is looked after by the Friends of the Jock River and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

There is evidence of human activity - people have dumped garden waste and, thus, introduced non-native species to the forest's understory, inlcuding periwinkle and lily-of-the-valley which tend to spread quickly and choke out native wildflowers. Also, along the border of the main gravel path and within the meadows, we could see that the invasive species, Garlic Mustard, is growing profusely in these sunny areas. There are many invasive plant species such as Manitoba Maple, Norway Maple, Common Buckthorn, Dog-strangling Vine, and Garlic Mustard among our urban forests.

We enjoyed our walk in the woods and learned that there used to be a tea house years ago, which is where the name Heart's Desire came from. If you decide to visit the Hearts Desire Forest, we urge you to stay on the established paths to avoid the poison-ivy which is rampant throughout the woodlot and river's edge.