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Forest lands

We maintain five private parcels of forest land for use by students and professors as a valuable resource in education, conservation and scientific research. The majority of our forest lands are working forests, therefore forest harvesting and thinning operations continue at appropriate intervals designed to provide examples of different forest ages and forest stand structures for teaching labs. We currently maintain 5 parcels of land for use in hands on learning by our students, they include:

University forest (UNB Woodlot)

The forest on the south side of the city of Fredericton is locally known as “the UNB Woodlot”.  It is the closest and largest forested property owned by the UNB, totalling 1500 hectares (3,815 acres).

Our woodlot is a valuable resource to faculty and students of UNB, the Maritime College of Forest Technology, and members of the Fredericton community.  Our students learn the basics of natural resources management here, focusing on field techniques like flora and fauna species identification, monitoring and measurements.  Community members use the forest for walking, jogging, bird watching, cross country skiing, nature appreciation and education.

Currie Mountain

Located in Douglas, Currie Mountain contains a total of 13 hectares of land and consists of 2 separate parcels of land, with the largest being located on the north side of Route 105 and the remaining two parcels situated on the south side of the road adjacent to the Saint John River. 

Currie Mountain is not a mountain at all, however it peaks at an elevation of 85 metres in the Saint John River Valley and is visible from a significant distance.  The area is of geological interest because of its volcanic origin, and has brown forest soils which rarely occur.  Currie Mountain is home to a number of unique and rare plants to the area.

Field trips for geology, forestry, and environmental management students are common.  The area is also used for hiking and mountain biking by the public.

Noonan block

The Noonan Block is a 1531 hectare forested portion of land which was once part of the Acadia Research Forest operated by Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service.  It is located off Route 10, approximately 20 km east of Fredericton, NB.

In 1982 the Noonan Block was deeded to UNB as part of consideration for the property in which to build the Hugh John Flemming Forestry Center site in the city of Fredericton.

Noonan Block is a teaching and research forest used by our faculty as well as the Canadian Forest Service, the Maritime College of Forest Technology, and the Department of Natural Resources and Energy.

Pinder block

The Pinder Block property is located approximately 30 km south of Fredericton, off Route 101 and near the village of Tracy.  The property, which encompasses 53 hectares (130 acres) of land. The property is an extremely valuable resource for certain courses in forestry and environmental management as it contains soil that is completely different from that of the UNB Woodlot. 

Additionally, the Pinder Block has new growth forest habitats following a fire.  Red Pine, Pinus resinosa predominates the forest landscape in the area which does not occur naturally on other University properties.

Springford Reserve

The Springford Reserve is a 49 hectare (121 acre) parcel situated in Welsford, NB off highway 10.  
Donated to UNB in 1988 by Norma Linton and William Springford with the intention that the property be used to promote and conserve wildlife populations in the area.

Contact

If you would like more information about University Forest Lands or seek permission to conduct a special function on UNB Forest Land, contact the Director of Forest Lands.  Contact must be made six weeks prior to your planned activity.

Please note: 

  • Motorized vehicle access is not permitted on any Forest Land without prior written approval.
  • All dogs must remain on a leash (maximum 2 metres in length). Stoop and Scoop is mandatory for dog walkers.
  • Cyclists must stay on access road, and must not go off road establishing trails throughout forest lands.