University of Waterloo Campus Tour

Welcome to our virtual campus tour, throughout this tour we will be visiting four stops around campus from the Woodlot to the Urban Forest, Laurel Creek and finally the Health Services Pond Reservoir. Upon the completion of this tour, visit our  Campus Garden tour  to explore and learn more about the naturalized gardens around campus. 

Welcome to stop 1, the Campus Woodlot, which is a wooded, lush strip of forest at the corner of University Ave and Westmount Rd., which is a rare, and accessible living-laboratory for UW community. This small natural oasis in an urban setting is an important habitat for wildlife.

In addition, it consists of tree species that are the typical representatives of Great Lakes-St Lawrence forest with some influence of Carolinian forest species, such as sugar maple, black maple, trembling aspen, large-tooth aspen, basswood, American beech, blue beech, hop hornbeam, black cherry, bur oak, red oak, and white ash.

The location of this woodlot is heavily impacted by edge effect on three sides: a path cutting through the middle, University Ave on the south end and a parking lot on the north end. These ‘edges’ can impact the forest by allowing for disease entry, invasive plant dispersal, trampling, altered microclimate conditions, wind exposure and impacts on forest floor moisture and light

At 5-hectares, the UW Urban Forest - located between the Village, Health Services and Westmount Road North - is the largest remaining wooded green space on campus. It is characterized by habitats ranging from the creek bed of Laurel Creek to marshy floodplains, and a moist forest composed of various Great-Lakes-St. Lawrence forest tree species (e.g. sugar maple and black cherry). Since the creation of the University of Waterloo Urban Woodlot project, many studies have taken place. The woodlot contains over 150 monitoring plots to conduct research.

Students have embraced this urban forest and over 30 volunteers have helped to tag trees, identify plants, take weather and snow measurements, and remove invasive plants. Students have also contributed to research through course field activities such as soil pit analysis, European buckthorn shrub inventory, removing invasive plants and bird and salamander monitoring.

After crossing under Columbia street on the west side of south campus, Laurel Creek meanders through the UW Urban Forest, the village green, and passes under three bridges between UWaterloo and the affiliated colleges. It’s home to herons, geese, ducks, and more, and offers a relaxing space for contemplation.

The Laurel Creek watershed collects rain runoff and snow melt and covers an area of 74 square kilometers. It is part of the larger Grand River watershed, and empties into the Grand River. Due to its location and student attraction, this watershed is heavily impacted by campus life.

Located beside the health services building, the reservoir provides students with a peaceful area to relax. In addition, the reservoir is used for flood control, with weirs placed in the spring and removed each fall. Geese and ducks are observed here all year round, contributing to the nitrogen and phosphorus levels of Laurel Creek.  

That concludes our campus tour along the four stops, we hope you enjoyed virtually walking through the Campus Woodlot, the UW Urban Forest, Laurel Creek, and the Health Services Pond Reservoir. Check out our Garden tour by clicking  here .