Lake Huron Basin Update - Ontario Side
Protecting Significant Fen Habitat
By April Mathes, Ontario Nature’s Stewardship Coordinator
Ontario Nature is fortunate to own one
of the finest shoreline fens in all of
Ontario – Petrel Point Nature Reserve on
the Bruce Peninsula at the shores of
Lake Huron. The nature reserve consists
of a bed of wet sand overlying
limestone bedrock. Slight changes in
elevation in the fen separate distinct
communities of plants, many of them
rare. “A garden of wildflowers” is a turn
of phrase that recurs often in descriptions
of Petrel Point. The wonderful
sprinklings of pink, mauve, red, blue and
yellow that fill the fen through the
seasons can only inspire a passion for
nature.
Fens are a type of wetland (also known
as meadow marshes) characterized by a
high water table with slow internal
drainage by seepage down low
gradients. Fens are not as low in
nutrients as bogs and as a result, are
more productive. The Petrel Point fen is
a hospitable home to many unusual
wildflowers because what would typically be acidic
groundwater that keeps it constantly wet is actually basic.
This is due to the calcium in the limestone bedrock that the
percolating groundwater passes through. Clear evidence of
this is the accumulation of marl precipitate, a ghostly white
muck lying at the bottom of the fen’s shallow pools of
standing water.
Petrel Point is part of a Life Science Area of Natural and
Scientific Interest (ANSI) and a Provincially Significant
Wetland. A portion of the property is a scientific reserve and
is off-limits to visitors. Due to the delicacy of the plant life in
the open fen, visitors can explore the remainder of the
reserve only from the walkways provided.
A constant concern at Petrel Point Nature Reserve has been
the impact of drainage created for nearby cottage developments
and roads. Areas of the fen may be drier than normal
during the summer months because of increased drainage,
and this in turn may be affecting the very character of these
portions of the fen. Additional research is necessary to
determine the effect that the development is having on this
unique wetland.
Other stewardship concerns include
people picking wildflowers, trampling
vegetation for photography (particularly
orchids) and leaving the boardwalk. With
Ontario Nature’s help, several nature
reserve neighbours have joined to form a
local stewardship group in the hopes of
establishing a presence on the property
so as to encourage visitors to respect the
permitted uses while educating them
about the importance of the fen ecosystem.
The volunteer stewards will also
help undertake an ecological monitoring
program on the property.
Ontario Nature has taken several
proactive measures to address these
concerns including developing interpretive
signs to educate visitors about the
significance and fragility of the fen.
Also, additional sections of boardwalk
have been constructed with the help of
volunteers from our Volunteer for Nature
working vacations program. This allows
people to visit more of the nature reserve,
while protecting its significant features.
Back in 1961, Ontario Nature started what is now one of
Ontario’s largest member-owned nature reserve systems.
With 21 properties totalling over 1,900 hectares (4,800 acres),
the system preserves some of the province’s best remaining
examples of imperilled and vulnerable habitats. You can
check out Petrel Point and our other nature reserves on our
website:www.ontarionature.org.
Volunteer for Nature is a provincial conservation program
designed in partnership between Ontario Nature and
the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Conservation volunteers
work outdoors and learn new skills while working alongside
experts in the field.Wetlands are restored, habitat is created,
hiking trails are maintained, surveys are conducted and
species-at-risk are monitored – all through the efforts of
volunteers.
For more information, contact April Mathes, Ontario Nature’s
Stewardship Coordinator, at 416.444.8419 x 264
or aprilm@ontarionature.org.
Lake Huron Basin - Ontario Side Advisor
Linda Pim
Ontario Nature - Federation of Ontario Naturalists
355 Lesmill Road
Don Mills, ONT M3B 2W8
(416)-444-8419, ext. 243
(416)-444-9866 (fax)
E-mail: lindap@ontarionature.org
Website: www.ontarionature.org
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Disclaimer:
The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.
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