King - Seneca King Campus/Mary Lake (Keele St.)
Meet at roadside parking on Keele, 3 km north of King Road on both sides at ORTA trail sign.
King City is characterized by rolling hills and clustered temperate forests in the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests ecoregion. Numerous kettle lakes and ponds dot the area. Creeks and streams from King City, the surrounding area, and as far west as Bolton and as far east as Stouffville are the origin for the East Humber River. Numerous stables and other farms have been established on the 147.938 km² of land area occupied by the township.
The provincially-significant King-Vaughan Wetland Complex consists of 23 individual wetlands (83% swamp, 17% marsh). It is composed of clay, loam and silt soils on a site that is palustrine (69%) or isolated (31%). Vegetation found on this wetland includes tall shrubs (34%), deciduous trees (28%), dead trees and shrubs (19%), and narrow-leaved emergents (12%); additionally, robust emergents and free-floating plants are found in small agglomorations.
King Forest is a 60-hectare forest with steep valleys containing the narrow flood plain of the East Humber River. The valley walls are of dry-mesic nature, supporting Eastern White Cedar, Eastern Hemlock and Sugar Maple. It is a regenerating forest containing 85 ground-cover species. The flood plain consists primarily of Eastern White Cedar, Sugar Maple and some White Ash, though 26 species do thrive in the area.
The King City Wetland Complex contains eight wetlands (77% swamp, 23% marsh) over 49 hectares. It is a palustrine formation composed 70% of clay, loam or silt soils, and 30% organic soils. It has varied vegetation, including tall shrubs (40%), deciduous trees (37%), robust emergents (14%), narrow-leaved emergents (4%) and submergent vegetation (4%).
Also, the King-Vaughan Forest straddles King City and portions of Vaughan. It is similar to the King Forest, composed of forest areas on steep valley walls containing the flood plain of the Humber River. The dominant species on the valley walls are Sugar Maple and Eastern Hemlock, which are strongly regenerative in the forest. On the flood plain, a greater variety of species may be observed. Immature stands of Manitoba Maple and Eastern White Cedar, poplars and American Elm can be found here, as can an extensive Hawthorn scrubland.
Information source: King Township Website