1. rare’s size and diversity of habitats.  Our 900 acres encompass a broad range of habitats including an 8 kilometre-long riparian zone along the Speed River, Grand River (a Canadian Heritage River) and its associated islands.  There are also three coldwater steams that flow through rare and several swamp habitats in our forest tracts.  Other forested habitat includes upland and lowland deciduous forest, old-growth Carolinian forest as well as hawthorn and bur oak savanna. One of the region’s few exposed cliff faces stretches along the Grand River above a neighbouring floodplain meadows.  Our agricultural heritage includes old fields, organic fields, and fields currently farmed conventionally, as well as an extensive system of hedgerows.
2. rare’s flora and fauna.  rare has a high diversity or organisms that either live on the property or pass through it during migration. Our devoted volunteers and environmental advisors have spent years cataloguing rare’s flora and fauna and compiling species lists for the property. As well, rare has implemented Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) protocols for monitoring salamanders, butterflies, lichens and benthic invertebrates that have also shed light on biodiversity at rare. To date, this biodiversity includes over 200 bird species, 525 plant species, 63 moss species, 8 liverwort species, 63 species of fungi, 10 amphibian species, 7 reptile species, over 40 species of butterflies, 3 species of fish in the coldwater streams and 23 mammal species; including humans who have occupied the land here almost continuously for 9,500 years
3. rare’s proximity to three of Canada’s leading universities and research institutions: Waterloo University, Wilfred Laurier University and the University of Guelph.  One of the principal challenges researchers face is the logistics and cost involved with conducting research in isolated locations.  Equipment and personnel need to be transported to these sites and personnel need to be accommodated with food and shelter. Without ready access to university lab facilities, researchers must establish portable laboratories at an added cost.  rare is situated within an easy half hour drive from all three universities allowing researchers continuous access to their research facilities and the comfort of their homes.
4. rare’s climate of cooperation. Research is one of the fundamental goals of rare and one our core programs; the Chain of Learning, seeks to connect the scientific research being completed on our property with our educational programs.  While other landowners may perceive researchers as necessary evils, at rare we are excited about the future research possibilities.  Our Research Director is available to assist you in learning more about rare and determining if rare would be a suitable field site for your research.
5. rare’s restoration plans.  One of rare’s long-term goals is to restore some of the land currently under agricultural production to a more natural state.  These goals specifically include the restoration of riparian habitat, reconnecting forested habitat and allowing hedgerow habitat to expand to create a rich forested landscape with a series of open spaces nestled within it.  The opportunities are many and varied for researchers to use rare as a template for restoration ecology initiatives; from collecting baseline data to monitoring the effects of regeneration or active restoration. These opportunities exist in a broad spectrum of disciplines including soil science, ecology, mycology, and plant biology.
6. rare’s long-term vision.  The feasibility of conducting long-term research projects and monitoring initiatives can be problematic on some lands if the political climate shifts and/or the property changes hands. The rare Charitable Research Reserve was established as a charity in 2001 with the goal of keeping 913-acres along the Grand River intact in perpetuity and to use the property for education and research programs.  For this reason, rare is ideally suited for long-term research projects that require stability.
7. rare’s proximity to urban areas. rare is one of Canada’s largest urban green spaces.  It is unusual to find such a large natural space in one of Canada’s most densely populated regions.  Studying the structure and function of these ecosystems can contribute to our understanding of Southern Ontario before the arrival of Europeans.  rare’s natural areas are templates for ecological restoration efforts in the surrounding region.

If you are interested in researching at rare please contact: Peter Kelly, Research Director, rare Charitable Research Reserve, 1679 Blair Road, Cambridge, ON  N3H 4R8 or at 519-650-9336 x126 or at pekelly@raresites.org.