About

Land’escapes is a private company working to protect and rehabilitate land in Ontario by providing a place for people to connect with nature through low-impact recreation. 

In June 2021, Land’escapes purchased this 65,000+ acres property from The Forest Land Group. Numerous groups and individuals have historically had access to the land as well as thousands of neighbours. The lands were previously used for industrial timber operations and camp-style hunting. We are now carrying out various restoration initiatives, and assembling a long-term conservation management plan for the property. In 2023 Land’escapes will have transferred 26,000 acres to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, creating what is now called the Hastings Wildlife Junction. 

Our team has been reaching out to the community, and have invited various stakeholders to weigh in on our goals and projects. Given the sheer size of this property we realize there is still lots of work to do on this front.

We’re excited to be launching a mosaic of low-impact recreation offerings that help connect people with nature – we’ve made a firm commitment that all of these activities must align with our overarching conservation goals and values. In many ways this is an enormous change management project with a small but dedicated team of outdoor enthusiasts working to bring the Land’escapes vision to fruition.

To learn more about us, please feel free to contact us for more information about Land’escapes!

Team

about - team - Ben Samann

Ben Samann

Owner and Founder
team - Carlyle Apps

Carlyle Apps

General Manager
team - Mac Thorne

Mac Thorne

Stewardship Program Manager
about - team - Bridget O'Brien

Bridget O'Brien

Senior Ranger, Operations
about - team - Kevin Buss

Kevin Buss

Senior Ranger
about - team - Emily Patterson

Emily Patterson

Recreation Program Lead, Ranger
about - team - Bri Naklicki

Brianna Naklicki

Conservation Biologist, Ranger

Our Partners

We are proud to be partnered with some amazing organizations and businesses. We are grateful for their support and are excited to continue making a positive impact in the region together.

Blazing Star Environmental

Blazing Star Environmental is leading our land conservation and species management plans on the property.

We are currently working with Blazing Star to implement monitoring protocols and obtain baseline flora and fauna inventories to help work towards a conservation management plan for the property. We are also assessing restoration opportunities and creating restoration plans. Our work with Blazing Star will inform a more in depth understanding of the land, and our actionable responsibilities as its stewards.
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Haliburton Forest Wildlife Reserve

As our forestry experts, HFWR assists us with the ongoing sustainable forest management activities required for promoting the healthy ecosystems we envision for the property. They have also been running various salvage operations in response to the derecho storm of May 2022 which had significant and widespread damage across the property.
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Nature Conservancy Canada

Through the recent land transfer and creation of the Hastings Wildlife Junction , the NCC has become a key partner as we work towards our broader stewardship goals for the property. Public trails for these parcels will be developed in the years ahead, as well as Indigenous-led conservation practices that will be informed through ongoing engagement with interested groups.
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North Hastings Fish Hatchery

We have created a partnership with the North Hastings Fish Hatchery to help us stock the many lakes throughout our property. This groundbreaking partnership means an expansion of their capacity, and we will be able to stock 5000 20cm trout per year.

In conjunction with many experts, we will be developing a plan to manage the bass populations in advance of their release to give them the best chance to survive.
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Borealis Adventure Camp

As our first land partner, Borealis Adventure Camp provides opportunities for kids to connect with themselves, other kids, strong role models, and the outdoors, in an environment that prioritizes positivity and health.
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Wild Rock Outfitters

Our gear library is stocked with amazing, high quality gear from Wild Rock Outfitters , a locally owned one-stop shop for all things outdoors located in Peterborough, Ontario.
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Nova Craft Canoe

We are proud to have beautiful canadian made canoes from Nova Craft Canoe available to our park visitors.
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Work with us

See below for our current opportunities. To apply for a position please email a cover letter and resume to info@landescapes.org

Current Positions

sorry, we currently have no open positions available.