The Brant Tree Coalition began the New Forest in the City project in 2012. A five-year project was proposed to create a New Forest natural area on a formerly farmed plot of undevelopable property. To date, this is the largest project undertaken by the Brant Tree Coalition.
New Forest in the City Brochure
Brant Waterways is proud to have been a founding supporter of the New Forest in the City—a landmark project that transformed 78 acres of former industrial land into a thriving urban forest. With over 57,000 trees planted between 2012 and 2016, this initiative has created vital green space in Brantford, improving air and water quality, expanding wildlife habitat, and providing the community with trails and natural spaces to explore.
This incredible achievement was made possible through the collaboration of local businesses, schools, community groups, volunteers, and funding partners. The New Forest stands today as a living symbol of what collective effort and environmental stewardship can accomplish—and as a promise for a healthier, more sustainable future for our city.
Click here to download a copy of the New Forest in the City Brochure.
Map of New Forest
This map shows the trail system and features of Brantford’s New Forest in the City, a community-driven project that transformed undevelopable land into a growing urban forest. With more than 57,000 trees planted by volunteers, businesses, schools, and local organizations, the site now provides over 4 km of walking trails, habitat for wildlife, and much-needed green space within the city.
Visitor parking is available off Garden Avenue on Abbott Court, providing convenient access to the main forest entry point.
Download the map here.
Bird Boxes
In 2014, the Pauline Johnson e3 class built and erected a number of bird boxes at the New Forest site under the direction of a GRCA naturalist. Today, thirty (30) bird boxes have been placed at the New Forest site. Every year, about the 3rd week in April, Tree Swallows return from their winter homes in the Caribbean and Southern United States to the bird boxes at the New Forest to breed and raise a new generation of young birds.
Each fall, after the birds have again returned to their winter homes, a volunteer group of citizens clean out the boxes and asses the success of the nest.
Click here to download bird box data from New Forest in the City.
