Bordering the communities of Wardsville, Newbury and Bothwell, and covering almost 9,000 acres, Skunk’s Misery has a long and colourful history. In the late 1920s, hundreds of law enforcement officials chased small-time crook Orval Shaw through the bush and swamps of the local badlands, filling a year’s worth of newspapers with headlines, bringing a touch of Bonnie and Clyde to the area. During the “Dirty 30s”, many farmers living near the forests made money trapping skunks instead of raising hogs. The pelts were traded as “Alaskan” or “American Sable” to meet the demand for fur garments at a time when trapping other furbearing animals was limited. While agriculture remains an important part of the Mosa- Bothwell Forest area, as Skunk’s Misery is officially known, woodlands still play a major role by protecting the air, soil and water - precious natural resources. As one of the largest examples of Carolinian forest remaining in southwestern Ontario, Skunks Misery is noted for its diversity of upland and wetland plant communities, some of which are globally rare. ‘The Misery’ has more wild species than any other place in Canada! Taking a walk in the county forests, you can find an abundant mix of Chestnut, Sassafras, Tulip Tree and Flowering Dogwood, typical of more southern climates. And along the roadsides or in the woodlands you’ll find one of the country’s most varied butterfly populations.