Ojibway Nature Centre

Ojibway Nature Centre is a LEED certified facility and its purpose is to provide visitors with an introduction to some of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems, tallgrass prairie and oak savannah. The unrivalled biodiversity of this cherished environment is a source of constant discovery.

There is no charge for admission to the Nature Centre and the building is fully accessible. Informative and interesting displays on the ecology of the Ojibway Prairie Complex including a live exhibit area with Eastern Foxsnake and Massasauga Rattlesnake are crowd favourites. A wall of windows provides a breathtaking view of the forest. Trail guides, maps and other informative handouts are available (see below).

Knowledgeable and friendly naturalists are available to provide interpretive tours and organize programs for schools and other groups. Seasonal events offer the public a special opportunity to take part in nature-oriented activities and enjoy the outdoors, whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter. Groups needing a place to meet may utilize the beautiful and well-equipped meeting rooms. For more information on programming registration and fees, please visit Active Windsor.

Ojibway Park and Nature Centre’s parking area provides free walking access to eco-trails within Ojibway Park, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park, and Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve. Ojibway Park has two trails and a pond boardwalk that are hard surfaced to allow for strollers and wheelchairs. Ojibway Park is accessible via Transit Windsor, and there is a bike rack for those who wish to bike to the park in order to walk on the trails. Natural areas are open dawn to dusk, City of Windsor by-laws identify restricted activities.

National Urban Park | Let's Talk Windsor – For information on the National Urban Park project including reports and studies.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

Maps

Ojibway Park trail map

Brochures

Community Science at the Ojibway Prairie Complex

eBird – Ojibway Prairie Complex

iNaturalist – Biodiversity of Ojibway Prairie Complex

Resources

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island – For information on birding in Windsor, Essex County, and Pelee Island.

North American Butterfly Association (NABA) – For information on annual butterfly counts.

Birds Canada – For information on bird surveys, including Christmas Bird Counts.

Museum Windsor | City of Windsor

Windsor Archaeological Management Plan (WAMP) | City of Windsor

Excerpt from Page 9:

Windsor lies within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe nations that comprise the Three Fires Confederacy: Ojibwa (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa), and Potawatomi. It is also within the scope of treaties signed by the British Crown, including Treaty #2 (also known as the 1790 McKee Purchase), signed with representatives of these Anishinaabe nations together with representatives of the Huron (Wendat/Wyandot) Nation, and the 1701 Nanfan treaty, signed with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Five Nations) at Albany, NY. These nations were also signatories of the 1701 Great Peace of Montreal treaty, negotiated between the government of New France and thirty-nine Indigenous nations, that ratified the Dish With One Spoon principle for sharing resources while respecting sovereign territories (Jacobs & Lytwyn, 2020). Jacobs, D. M., & Lytwyn, V. P. (2020). Naagan ge bezhig emkwaan A Dish with One Spoon Reconsidered. Ontario History, 112(2), 191–210.

Shared Responsibility

These ancient natural areas sustain us by providing clean air, clean water, food, medicine, and an opportunity to experience a deep connection to other relations while being mindful of our responsibilities to them. Please remember to be respectful of all the inhabitants in these areas and understand that everything and everyone has an important role in the continued survival of these valuable natural spaces. Leaving everything as you find it, staying on authorized trails, and taking with you any trash are just a few of the ways that you can show your appreciation.

image of Black Oak Heritage Park trailhead sign

Authorized trails are marked on trailhead signage and are suited for walking, connecting to nature, birding, and nature photography. E-bikes and motorized vehicles are prohibited. Natural areas are open dawn to dusk, City of Windsor by-laws identify restricted activities including not feeding wildlife. Please stay on authorized trails and be aware that there are inherent risks when visiting natural areas, such as exposure to ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, hazardous plants, falling tree limbs, and tripping and slipping hazards.

Land Acknowledgement:

Recognized as one of Canada’s most diverse and multicultural communities, our city was developed on land that is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa). Before Europeans arrived, the land along the Detroit River was referred to as Wawiiatanong by the Indigenous populations. Due to Windsor’s unique location along the Detroit River many different groups have called this area home, including Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron (Neutral), and Huron (Wyandot) peoples. This area is part of McKee Purchase Treaty 2 1790. Today, many indigenous people and Métis across Turtle Island call this area home. We are thankful to be able to share our history in this area.

Contact us!

Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchett Road, Windsor, Ontario, N9C 4E8, 519-966-5852, ojibway@citywindsor.ca

Stay connected! Instagram: @ojibwaynaturecentre