Fairmount-Webwood Passage Nature Reserve

Fairmount-Webwood Passage Nature Reserve

Donor Tour

8 June 2014

    All of the clubs, associations and individuals who donated part of the money needed to acquire this tract of land by The Bruce Trail Conservancy were invited to take part in a tour of the property. The Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists participated in this event and were well represented by several of its members, including Miriam and me.

    This acquisition was deemed to be especially significant as it provides a connecting corridor of rich habitat between the existing reserves known as the Fairmount Wetland and Webwood Falls. Now that there is a direct route between the two, several kilometres of road travel have been eliminated.

    Our two staff ecologists for the day were Brian Popelier and Adam Brylowski and they did a fine job of interpreting the natural riches of the area.

Brian, Adam

    Before embarking on our walk we took a small detour to look at one of the falls from which Webwood Falls takes its name. It was quite beautiful, although the mosquitoes in that area were fierce. We were well prepared with repellent, however, so it didn't bother us too much.

    There were many attractive features of the property which contains a variety of habitat, not the least of which was this swamp, so typical of the area.

    Several species of damselflies and dragonflies were observed, not easy to photograph, however, since we were engaged in an exploratory walk and not able to tarry at length. Nevertheless we were able to get a fairly decent shot of this male Ebony Jewelwing Caloptyeryx maculata.

    Miriam reacts badly to insect bites and she was well buttoned up for protection. This, combined with a liberal application of bug spray on every square centimetre of exposed flesh, served her well for she was not bitten even once.

    There were many beautiful plants and trees including extensive patches of  Tall Buttercup Ranunculus acris.

    Wood Anemone Anemone quinqefolia was prolific and gorgeous.

     The curiously named Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris is a native species and was quite prolific in some areas. It was quite wonderful to see it swaying in the gentle breeze, seeming at times to resemble a wave.

    Common Milkweed Asclepias incarnata is critical to the survival of the Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus and it was encouraging for all of us to see a few plants in the meadows. Brian recounted that "blowing parties" have been organized when the seed pods are about to burst. Volunteers literally blow the seeds from the pods to disperse them as widely as possible to stimulate farther and more widespread densities of the plant. It bears repeating that this is the only plant on which a Monarch lays its eggs and it depends on the toxins provided by milkweed to bolster its defences.

    The whole area was filled with a wide variety of birds, but it would require more time and some dedicated effort to photograph them. This is not a very good picture of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum but it certainly was great to see them flycatching from the snags in the swamp.

    Part of this land is restored pasture and one of the meadows formerly contained a good deal of invasive Common Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica. Once it takes hold this is a difficult shrub to remove and it was through the concerted efforts of about thirty volunteers over a two-day period that it was eliminated. It is very pleasing to see the amount of regeneration of native trees taking place, based on entirely natural seed dispersal. In twenty or thirty years this meadow will revert to the kind of forest that existed before European settlement in the area.

    At the end of the walk it was time for Miriam to share the friendship of other members of KWFN who had made the journey north to take part in the celebration of this new reserve. Here she is with the ever irrepressible Marg Macdonald.

    And with Mary Ann Vanden Elzen, one of the true stalwarts of the club.

    Delicious baked goodies were provided and a glass of sparkling apple juice to toast the new reserve and all the donors who made it possible.

    I confess to feeling a great sense of pride and satisfaction that our club, now in its 81st year, was able to contribute to making this day happen.

Duntroon Crevice Heights Nature Reserve

Duntroon Crevice Heights Nature Reserve

Bruce Trail Conservancy

31 May 2014

    The Bruce Trail is a wonderful stretch of Ontario landform that reaches from the Niagara Peninsula all the way past Tobermory and ends at the shoreline of Georgian Bay, an offshoot of Lake Huron. It is in fact situated along the ancient spine of the Niagara Escarpment.

    The Bruce Trail Conservancy owns and operates many sections of this trail and is constantly trying to acquire more as private landowners put up their properties for sale. One of their recent acquisitions is a small parcel of land now known as the Duntroon Crevice Heights Nature Reserve, near Singhampton, ON. The Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists contributed $10,000 towards the fund-raising campaign and it was with great pleasure that several members of our club, along with other donor organizations, accepted an invitation to explore the newly created reserve.

    Just outside the property we discovered this fine example of a dry stone wall, i.e. a wall created without the use of mortar or any other bonding agent. This type of wall is widespread in Europe but in my experience is relatively uncommon in  Ontario.

    In a pasture adjacent to Duntroon Heights Bobolinks Dolichonyx oryzivorus were in full courtship song, with males hovering and burbling their delightful chorus is a frenzied attempt to attract a mate. 

    A male Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia was no less ardent.

    Our tour was scheduled to begin at 10:00 and by 09:30 many cars had started to arrive and the group was assembling with many old acquaintances being renewed.

    About sixty eager naturalists were signed up for the tour and so the group was split into two. A tour devoted to geology was led by Beth Gilhespy and an ecology walk was conducted by Brian Popelier, both staff members of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. After about an hour the participants switched groups so that everyone had a chance to enjoy both of the informative meanders through the property.

Brian Popelier

Single file through the forest

      The crevices for which the reserve is named are formed by specific geological actions and this is a typical example. The whitish area at the bottom is snow!

    The forest contains many wonders and these magnificent bracket fungi attracted my attention.

    There were several patches of Yellow Lady's Slipper but I am not proficient enough to identify it as to species. If anyone can help feel free to leave a comment below.

    
    The Niagara Escarpment is renowned for its ancient cedars, trees which are gnarled and stunted, clinging tenuously to a rocky substrate, but which are several thousand years old. Much research has been carried out on these trees. I believe they are represented in the image below.

       Nothing is perhaps so welcome a sight to an Ontarian as a carpet of Trillium Trillium grandiflorum on the forest floor. It is the provincial emblem and during its brief period of inflorescence brings great joy to many observers.

    There were many species of violet in the reserve. I believe this one is Downy Yellow Violet Viola pubescens. 

    To the watchful eye, Jack in the Pulpit Arisaema triphyllum was there to be seen and enjoyed.

    At the end of the walk light refreshments were provided and we all drank a toast to one of the newest reserves in the Bruce Trail Conservancy's inventory. It's a fine addition and I look forward to many future visits.