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Touring /
Wildlife /
Content Index |
Wildlife Refuge
The Luther Marsh Conservation Area located at the head of the Grand River, near Dundalk, Ontario, is operated year-round by the Grand River Conservation Authority. The Marsh is massive; in total, it covers over 5,200 hectares. About 1/4 of the Marsh is open, surrounded by lowland swamps, shrubby bogs, plantations, natural forest and crop land.
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| Birds appreciate the boggy, swampy Luther Marsh protection provided by the Grand River Conservation Authority. |
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Hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skiing, nature observation, birding, hunting, canoeing, picnicking, and photography are some of the activities available. Canoe routes, trails, interpretive displays, observation towers, parking areas, picnic areas, and boat launches are all in place.
Hikers in the Marsh will find themselves in an Alleghenian Forest Zone, with sub-boreal plant species such as black spruce, pitcher plant and sphagnum moss along the trails. Keen naturalists can search the Wylde Lake area for rare boreal species such as tawny-cotton, royal fern, small cranberry and round-leafed sundew. Winters are cold in the Luther Marsh, which may explain the presence of cotton grass, more common to the Arctic tundra than a southern Ontario upland.
Besides being one of the most significant wetlands in Ontario, it has been designated as an Important Bird Area. Visiting birders can see species such as least bitterns, Wilson's Phalaropes and yellow-rumped warblers. As a waterfowl staging area, it reigns supreme: as many as 50,000 ducks and geese pass through the Marsh on their migratory path.
Pick up your paddle and push off into the ecological marvel of the Luther Marsh. Picture prehistory's primeval swamp as entire colonies of great blue herons gather overhead. Search the sky for osprey, egrets, red-necked grebes. Try to be among the lucky few to spot a mink frog, a ribbon snake, or a spotted turtle.
Like a boggy river bookend, the Luther Marsh on the Dundalk Plateau is an ecological metropolis, the pinnacle in a watershed of such diversity that it counts a genuine Carolinian forest and a rare hillside Prairie fen in its nature inventory. The Marsh is the result of the man-made Luther Dam, constructed in 1954 as part of the Grand River Conservation Authority's flood control system. |
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| From the pastoral riverbanks just east of Kingston, Ontario, to the rocky shores of the Gaspé Peninsula, where 150 kilometres separate the north and south shores of the river, the St. Lawrence passes through over 1,000 kilometres of changing landscapes and contrasting environments. |
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| Bird watchers touring the St. Lawrence River area can keep a look out at these sites. |
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| The bays and islands of Eastern Lake Ontario provide food and shelter for thousands of birds. |
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| The people of the Six Nations continue to follow a traditional law of governance known as the Great Law of Peace. |
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• Beach Birds
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| The park is one starting point for outdoor fun and adventure along Lake Ontario's shores. |
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| With the Great Lakes, many rivers and other lakes across Ontario, anglers never need worry about feeling like a fish out of water. |
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| Ontario has many lakes and rivers, including the Great Lakes, where canoeists, kayakers, sailors and rafters can enjoy their crafts. |
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| Ontario has many trails to entice hikers, bikers, horseback riders, skiers and snowmobilers. From the heavily-populated south to the remote north, trails abound in the province. |
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Cormorant Conflict
Are double-crested cormorants a welcome sign of water quality, or are they a major threat to vegetation, other birds, and sport fish populations? |
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©2007 Digital Wizards (Ontario) Inc.
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