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.Â
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.Â
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

Ben Samann
Owner and Founder

Carlyle Apps
General Manager

Mac Thorne
Stewardship Program Manager

Bridget O'Brien
Senior Ranger, Operations

Kevin Buss
Senior Ranger

Emily Patterson
Recreation Program Lead, Ranger

Brianna Naklicki
Conservation Biologist, Ranger
Our Partners
Blazing Star Environmental
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.
Haliburton Forest Wildlife Reserve
Nature Conservancy Canada
North Hastings Fish Hatchery
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.
Borealis Adventure Camp
Wild Rock Outfitters
Nova Craft Canoe
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.