Morgan Arboretum: a West Island jewel

The Morgan Arboretum is a 700-acre forest situated on McGill University's Macdonald campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.

The reserve is a favourite destination of West Islanders with an affinity for the outdoors. It boasts a vast collection of trees, including birches, lindens, and conifers, and multiple species of flowering shrubs and other flora. It has one of the oldest living maple stands on the island, dating back 200 years. The Arboretum is home to dozens of species of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as over 200 species of migratory and over-wintering birds. Another big draw is the annual Oktoberfest celebration, complete with German-style fare and a lumberjack show.

There are also occasional astronomy nights and in spring there's sugaring-off. Visitors are advised that in the summer, they should visit on sunny, dry and windy days to avoid the hordes of mosquitoes. Interesting nesting birds to watch for at this time of the year include the bobolink in the Bobolink Field or the scarlet tanager in the Blossom Corner. The otherwise unusual indigo bunting is a common sighting at the arboretum. It is found in field edges which are numerous on the premises.

Visitors can come by the reserve daily from 9 a.m., or they book a guided tour. For more information, call 514-398-7811 or visit www.mcgill.ca