By Kristen Calis Eco Durham Contents
An introduction to Durham Region’s natural environment 2 Durham Region’s conservation areas 8 Durham forests abound in wildlife, vegetation 34 Durham’s wetlands play significant roles 46 Nature reserves, parks and other natural areas worth visiting 65 Wildlife among us in Durham 82 Dangers to Durham’s ecological system 114
Acknowledgements 123 About the author 124 Copyright 125 More ebooks from our journalists 126 Eco Durham Introduction 1 Welcome
A cyclist makes his way along the waterfront trail on a Sunday afternoon. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
An introduction to Durham Region’s natural environment
People are often surprised by the sheer size of Durham Region. It spans nearly 2,500 square kilometres, and its beauty doesn’t stop at the waterfront that five of its municipalities enjoy.
22 Eco Durham Introduction
Durham is abundant with natural features: creeks that flow from the Oak Ridges Moraine, the shores and sandy beaches of Lake Ontario, the forested areas of Durham Regional Forest that sits just south of Uxbridge, Altona Forest in Pickering, and the wetlands of Second Marsh in Oshawa, to name a few. A short walk or drive in the region offers plenty for nature enthusiasts to see. “There’s one provincial park and several conservation areas and there’s just lots and lots of areas,” said Lois Gillette, president of the Durham Region Field Naturalists. The Region of Durham explains on its website that woods, headwaters, ridges, hollows and rolling farmlands make up a diverse landscape, and in the north, Durham spreads into the lakelands of Simcoe, Scugog and the Kawarthas.
Canada geese are corralled onto a trailer at Frenchman’s Bay. In this yearly event the birds are relocated to a conservation area near Lansdowne, Ontario. The project was part of a massive relocation of hundreds of Canada geese by members of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority along the shores of Lake Ontario from Ajax to Brampton. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
33 Eco Durham Introduction
Durham is home to a wide array of wildlife, from hawks stopping by Lynde Shores Conservation Area during their fall migration to red fox and white-tailed deer living on the Orono Crown Lands. Durham, which sits in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region, boasts a wide variety of trees such as maple, red oak and white pine. To Bob Hester, a former Ontario Power Generation employee and a current volunteer with Durham Sustain Ability, a non-profit organization that develops environmental programs and education, Durham Region has much beauty to of- fer. He finds people sometimes forget, or don’t even realize, the plethora of natural beauty throughout the region. “They’ll spend a whole lot of money sitting in a car going north on a Friday to get to a cottage to get a natural environment when they may have natural environ- ments extremely close to where they live,” says Mr. Hester, the person largely be- hind a research project on Durham’s natural areas.
A shady retreat along the Waterfront Trail in Ajax. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
44 Eco Durham Introduction
He remembers Canadian naturalist and painter Robert Bateman telling him his feel for nature started just walking down a ravine in Toronto, and says the same can be said for Durham and its natural areas. “You’re not going to get pristine forest of course,” says Mr. Hester. “You’re go- ing to get little patches where you can kind of get away from the traffic and what not. We’ve got a lot of those little patches. But as we urbanize and suburbanize and clear stuff away, people tend to forget what they have that close to home.” Durham Region has many distinctive natural heritage resources including the Oak Ridges Moraine, Lake Simcoe, Lake Scugog, Lake Ontario, numerous wet- lands, both cold- and warm-water streams, farmland and forests.
Peter Widmer relaxes along the Waterfront Trail near Pickering Beach Road in Ajax. Photo by Armando Villanova
Its natural areas span from extremely large areas such as the 4,600-hectare Ganaraska Forest in Scugog to smaller areas but also significant places, such as Thickson’s Woods in Whitby.
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According to Durham Region Field Naturalists (DREN), the region was formed by glaciers that scraped their way across the land for 70,000 years until 12,000 years ago. Waters that melted from the glaciers altered the landscape by forming rivers and lakes. A significant glacial feature is the Oak Ridges Moraine, which was formed when two ice lobes converged. The Oak Ridges Moraine is a significant feature in Durham Region, which will be discussed in greater detail later in the book. But human activities have also altered the landscape. The damming of Lake Scugog, the draining of marshes and creations of quarries and gravel pits have also altered it, says DRFN.
Human activity continues to work in contrast with the natural beauty of the area, and is something that came up with every person interviewed for this book, and on just about every website referenced for information. Urban sprawl is often frowned upon, as more and more development ensues and natural areas, home to many natural species and wildlife, are destroyed to make way for people moving in.
This book, however, will show that the voices standing up for nature, and with a will to keep Durham beautiful, are just as strong. There are people, committees and organizations committed to ensuring that Durham’s natural heritage system stays beautiful, healthy and strong. -- Kristen Calis
66 Eco Durham Introduction
48
Natural Areas23 of Durham Region
1. Purple Woods C.A. 19. Ganaraska Forest N 2. Stephen’s Gulch C.A. 20. Samual Wilmot Nature 12 Area and Wilmot Creek 48 3. Enniskillen C.A. Hwy. 48 Marsh 4. Herber Down C.A. 21. Orono Crown Lands 5. Bowmanville Westside Marsh C.A. 22. Kendal Crown Lands Hwy. 12 6. Long Sault C.A. 23. Beaver River Wetlands C.A. 7. Lynde Shores C.A. 23 24. Durham East Cross For- 12 8. Crow’s Pass C.A. est C.A. Hwy. 7 9. Rouge Park 25. Oshawa Creek Ravenshoe Rd. 10. Petticoat Creek C.A. 26. Port Newcastle Marsh 11. Altona Forest 27. Du ns Creek Marsh BROCK 12. Du ns Creek Marsh 28. Glen Major Forest
Lajeridge Rd. 13. Carruthers Creek Marsh 29. McLaughlin Bay Wild- 14. Frenchman’s Bay life Preserve 15. Thickson’s Woods 30. Lake Scugog 16. Durham Regional 31. Scugog Island UXBRIDGE Forest 32. Thurne Parks C.A. SCUGOG 17. Nonquon Provincial 33. Second Marsh Wildlife 7 Wildlife Area Area 12 18. Oak Ridges Moraine Hwy. 47 Conservation Hwy. 47 Areas Simcoe St. 31 Reach St. Wetlands 17 Hwy. 7A Hwy. 7A 7A 18 16 30 Forests
8 Nature Reserves, 28 1 24 Parks and Other Regional RoadRegional 57 Natural Areas
7 12 6 PICKERING 3 18 Hwy. 7 19 WHITBY OSHAWA 4 CLARINGTON 35 22 Taunton Rd. Rd. Townline Taunton Rd. 32 21 115 AJAX Brock St. Brock
9 Lajeridge Rd. 12 2 Thickson Rd. Thickson
11 Hwy. 2 Dundas St. St. Simcoe King St. Courtice Rd. Liberty St.
401 RoadRegional 57 7 401 Bloor St. Bayly St. 32 14 Victoria St. 25 12 13 10 15 Hwy. 2 33 29 27 20 401 5 26
7 Eco Durham Conservation Areas 2 Conservation Areas
Lynde Shores Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Durham Region’s conservation areas
Five conservation authorities play key roles in helping municipal, provincial and federal governments manage the land and water resources in Durham Region. The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority has eight conservation areas within Durham. "In Durham there are actually five conservation authorities that have bits of Durham. We happen to be the one that’s solely contained in Durham,” says Perry Sisson, CLOCA’s director of engineering and operations.
8 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
The other four are Toronto and Region Conservation; Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority; Kawartha Conservation; and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. "We acquire land because it's environmentally sensitive,” says Mr. Sisson. “They're lands that have to be protected. Water is one of the common threads to the lands that we buy. A lot of the time it's lands that are either sensitive wetland or an area where water gets recharged into the groundwater system, like the Oak Ridges Moraine. And sometimes we get parts of the big valley system that are sensitive not only for water but also for wildlife and vegetation." Each conservation authority has jurisdiction over one or more watersheds, an area of land upon which melting snow and rainwater drain into a common body of water, such as a river, creek, or lake. Mr. Sisson says first and foremost CLOCA acquires land because it’s sensitive and the conservation authority is trying to protect the core environmental values and properties in Durham Region. "Secondly, where it's possible we like to get the public out to see and appreciate nature,” Mr. Sisson says. “So as much as we buy land and we protect it, and the very sensitive elements will just be off limits to people, we do a master plan and we try to figure out where we can bring people in and get an appreciation for the land and get a nice balance of passive recreation as well as environmental protection."
In order to achieve these goals, conservation authorities employ a wide array of people to provide services such as watershed management planning, environmental monitoring, environmental education and stewardship, and to mark out trails and create recreational opportunities.
9 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Lynde Shores Conservation Area / Whitby
Feeding the birds as you walk the trails in Lynde Marsh is a popular pastime for visitors. Susan Messmer gets up close with a chickadee. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
The 272-hectare Lynde Shores Conservation Area is a great place to go for a hike or to view wildlife, and it’s child-friendly. Together with the 40-hectare adjacent Cranberry West Tract, it’s well known for its wildlife viewing opportunities, says the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA). Including Lynde Creek Marsh and Cranberry Marsh, the Lynde Shores Conservation Area provides habitat for nesting birds. It’s also an important stopover point for waterfowl and shorebirds migrating along the north shore of Lake Ontario.
10 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Lynde Creek Marsh and Cranberry Marsh provide many other important functions typical of the few remaining coastal wetlands found along this northern section of the Lake Ontario shoreline, according to CLOCA. Therefore, these two marshes are designated as provincially significant wetlands and are part of a long- term study, the Durham Region Coastal Wetland Monitoring Project. "Based on attendance, Lynde Shores is our most popular,” says CLOCA’s Perry Sisson. “Primarily because of bird-watching and little nature trails and the ability for your kids to feed the birds and have them land on their hands, It's a popular experience."
Hanna, Timothy and Carolyn Simpson stop along the trail at Lynde Marsh in the hope a chipmunk will take their nuts. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
11 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
According to Durham Sustain Ability, which has done extensive research on Durham’s natural areas, viewing platforms provide numerous opportunities to see species such as marsh wren, blue-winged teal, common moorhen and the Virginia rail, a secretive bird of freshwater marshes that often remains hidden in dense vegetation. Also, the Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, a group of dedicated monitoring volunteers, records the fall migration of thousands of raptors along this part of the Lake Ontario shoreline.
Wild turkeys can be seen at Lynde Shores Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
“When you do go there you will learn a lot. They’re there all the time,” says Chris McConnell, naturalist and wildlife photographer and volunteer with Toronto Wildlife Centre.
12 Eco Durham Conservation Areas “Lynde Shores is a place where I’ve spent a lot of time,” she adds. Pickering Naturalist Club member and Whitby resident Janice Melendez has seen golden eagles flying over the area. “They will see them at Cranberry,” she says. “They’ve just started to see them in the last couple of weeks. But they’re usually fairly high up.”
Lynde Shores has a number of looping trails ranging from one kilometre to five kilometres. They’re generally stroller- and wheelchair-friendly. A boardwalk takes nature enthusiasts into the middle of the Lynde Creek Marsh. Main entrance: 1285 Victoria St. W., Whitby.
Arnold Messmer walks with his grandson, Luke, along the trail at Lynde Marsh. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
13 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Heber Down Conservation Area / Whitby
Heber Down Conservation Area is a favourite haunt for visitors in search of great fall colours. Leeanna McLean / Metroland
The Heber Down Conservation Area is a big, beautiful area consisting of dry uplands, wet woodlands and valley lands. This 284-hectare oasis is close enough to the urban area of Whitby that residents can take in nature with a short drive, but it’s home to many different species of wildlife. It’s a complex mosaic of plant and animal communities, and helps to preserve a part of the natural beauty of the CLOCA Watershed. The area offers many activities for the outdoor enthusiast, such as nature walks, picnicking, and fishing.
14 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Mackenzie Cooper didn’t catch anything on this cast during Jerry Ouellette’s 13th annual Kids Fishing Day at Heber Down Conservation Area. The pond was stocked with rainbow trout and rods and reels were on loan for the event. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
"We like to make the link between healthy places and healthy people,” says CLOCA’s Perry Sisson. “They're definitely tied together. The more healthy places we have, the more healthy people we have or the healthier people that live around them are going to be. Not only because those places are protecting our water supply and giving us good air and things like that, but it also gives us good places to be with nature and get some exercise and kind of cure our minds.”
15 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Daniel Melanson and Jennifer Huron take a stroll at Heber Down Conservation Area during a sunny fall afternoon. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
It’s close behind Lynde Shores in terms of attendance, he says. "It's kind of in a growing urban area, so it's a green oasis. It's very popular just for walking and recreation,” he says. According to Durham Sustainability, springs within the Heber Down Wetland Complex provide important groundwater recharge to this branch of the Lynde Creek Watershed. The wetlands also provide habitat for many wildlife species that depend on large treed wetland areas in order to carry out their breeding and feeding activities.
16 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
Spotting birds is bound to happen upon a visit, and according to nature lovers’ blogs, sightings have included veery, rose-breasted grosbeak, American goldfinch, and cedar waxwings. Heber Down is host to the annual Kids Fishing Day in early May. Main entrance: 500 Lyndebrook Rd., Whitby.
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Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland Long Sault Conservation Area /Clarington
In the latest news of this conservation area, black bears made their presence known on Oct. 31, 2013. A notice on the conservation authority’s website read: “Please note that black bear activity has been reported at Long Sault Conservation Area on October 31st. Although no bears have been seen, bear droppings were found along the Blue Bird Trail.”
18 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Long Sault Conservation Area, nestled in the provincially protected Oak Ridges Moraine, is the largest area owned and managed by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. It now includes close to 400 hectares of mature forest, plantation, wetland and meadow. The area is considered an important core wildlife area because of the diversity and size of habitats that it contains. This Conservation Area also includes headwater tributaries that are an important part of the Bowmanville/Soper Creek Watershed, says CLOCA.
Much of Long Sault Conservation Area has more than 18 kilometres of marked trails that wind throughout the property, and range in difficulty from gently sloping straight trails, to technical rolling and tight trails. Main entrance: 9293 Woodley Rd., Clarington
Bowmanville/Westside Marshes Conservation Area / Clarington
Two viewing platforms at the Bowmanville / Westside Marshes Conservation Area provide the wildlife enthusiast great opportunities to see the unique birds that stop by the conservation area, or call it home. More than 80 hectares, it includes two provincially significant coastal wetlands, Bowmanville Marsh and Westside Marsh, and their surrounding lands. The Westside Marsh, originally owned by St. Marys Cement and recently turned over to the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, has undergone extensive restoration activities over the last several years. CLOCA believes continuing restoration work within Westside Marsh and the land connecting it to the Bowmanville Marsh will provide more quality wildlife habitat zones, and enhance existing habitat areas that are already important to many wildlife species for breeding and feeding activities.
19 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
A pair of cyclists head east along the Waterfront Trail near Waverly Road in Bowmanville. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
“Again at different times of the year, you can go down to the viewing platforms and watch the osprey on the nesting platforms. Or there’s some interesting wildlife down there including otters,” says Perry Sisson of CLOCA.
This Conservation Area provides good habitat for nesting birds and acts as an important stopover point for waterfowl and shorebirds migrating along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Bowmanville Marsh and Westside Marsh provide many other important functions typical of the few remaining coastal wetlands found along this northern section of the Lake Ontario shoreline. As a result, these two marshes are designated as provincially significant wetlands and are also part of the Durham Region Coastal Wetland Monitoring Project. The area has a 1.5-kilometre looping trail between the two wetlands, and is generally stroller- and wheelchair-friendly. The Waterfront Trail is nearby. CLOCA reminds visitors to bring along a camera to this beautiful natural space. Main entrance: 180 West Beach Rd., Clarington
20 Eco Durham Conservation Areas Enniskillen Conservation Area / Clarington
Located on the south slopes of the provincially significant Oak Ridges Moraine, the Enniskillen Conservation Area features cedar swamp, open wetlands and bubbling brooks. The 65-hectare area offers a small network of trails through beautiful coniferous forest. The three-kilometre trail network includes numerous sections of boardwalk that cross an upper portion of the Bowmanville Creek five times. According to DSA, this conservation area was established by CLOCA to help protect a naturally occurring wet cedar forest along the Bowmanville Creek. Although cedar is the dominant species of the area, many other types of vegetation are associated with this forest. A variety of bird and wildlife species make their homes within this dense forest cover, including ruffed grouse, great horned owl, evening grosbeak, brown creeper, ovenbird, yellowthroat, wild turkey and bobolink. Common fish species found in the waters of Bowmanville Creek include brook trout and brown trout. It is a major migratory corridor for wildlife and hosts a thriving coldwater fishery. Durham Region students from their early years to high school can take advantage of the Environmental Education Centre and experience hands-on learning. "There are educational programs that are suitable to the age group but also fit into the school curriculum,” says Mr. Sisson. The area offers hiking, snowshoeing, wildlife viewing and environmental education with more than three kilometres of trails and boardwalks. Many free family events are planned each year at the education centre, including the annual Owl Prowl and other themed nature hikes.
Main entrance: 7274 Holt Rd., Clarington
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Stephen’s Gulch Conservation Area / Clarington
The Stephen’s Gulch Conservation Area is one of Perry Sisson’s favourite nature spots in Durham. "It's a little bit smaller property and it's right close to the urban part of Bowmanville, but it's very quiet and secluded,” says CLOCA’s director of engineering and operations. “You can see all kinds of different things within a couple of kilometres walk. So there's groundwater seeps and coldwater streams and some beautiful sections of forests and meadows. You can see a bit of everything in a short walk.”
Former Clarington Mayor Jim Abernethy and Councillor Ron Hooper at Soper Creek Trail in Bowmanville warming up for the 2010 ‘Clarington Clean and Green’ litter pick up event. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
22 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Located north of Bowmanville, the 130-hectare area borders a significant portion of Soper Creek. It protects a large area of deciduous forest and coniferous forest/swamp that help maintain water quantity -- through seeps and springs -- and water temperature. The area also includes a portion of the provincially significant Soper Valley Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. Visitors can enjoy the three-kilometre looped trail through the forest and valleyland, which is open to the public from May 1 to Thanksgiving.
Main entrance: 360 Stephens Mill Rd., Clarington
Crow’s Pass Conservation Area / Clarington Located on the top of the Oak Ridges Moraine, Crow’s Pass Conservation Area is a favourite destination for the recreational hiker, offering three kilometres of forest floor trails along with a connection to the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail. The 64-hectare area, part of a large and relatively unfragmented forested area is classified as a Natural Core Area and includes several wetlands typically found in the rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine. CLOCA purchased Crows Pass CA in 2003 with support from the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Regional Municipality of Durham. The size and diversity of this largely undisturbed space makes it an important core wildlife habitat area with strong east-west natural connectivity along this portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Crow’s Pass Conservation Area makes up part of the regionally significant Nonquon Headwaters Area, which is of natural and scientific interest, and contains several interesting wetlands that are typical of the rolling topography found within the Oak Ridges Moraine. This very natural area has no maintained facilities or trails.
Main entrance: Middle March Road, west of Woodbridge Circle, Clarington
23 Eco Durham Conservation Areas Purple Woods Conservation Area / Oshawa
The annual Maple Syrup Festival at Purple Woods Conservation Area draws hundreds of people who are interested in the processing of maple syrup -- and in a taste! Photo by Laura Stanley
Purple Woods Conservation Area is a 17-hectare sugar maple forest and open meadow located in the midst of the provincially significant Oak Ridges Moraine. A viewing platform near the parking area offers visitors an incredible view south all the way to Lake Ontario from the crest of the moraine. "We, over the last few years, have done a major renovation to the structures and facilities up there specifically for the Maple Fest,” says Perry Sisson of CLOCA. “We've got sort of a new building there that's the pancake house for the festival.” A half-kilometre trail allows for a quick stroll down into the hollow, where the sugar shack -- the heart of this operating sugar bush -- is located. Visitors to the Purple Woods Maple Syrup Festival in mid-March can discover how maple syrup production has changed from early Native methods. Syrup and maple products are for sale at this time. 24 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
Marissa Murrin, a member of the 34th Oshawa Guides, places straw around some of the white spruce trees she and her fellow Girl Guides and leaders planted at Purple Woods Conservation Area. The tree planting effort was part of a Central Lake Ontario Conservation initiative to celebrate Earth Day where folks were invited to plant trees and shrubs, install birdhouses and feeders at the conservation area. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
Those visiting in the spring and summer have the opportunity to see or hear some of the more common forest birds in the canopy of this mature deciduous forest. Main entrance: 38 Coates Rd., Oshawa.
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Petticoat Creek Conservation Area / Pickering
The Petticoat Creek Conservation area is ideal for those who wish to take in nature and participate in fun activities for young and old. It’s located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of Petticoat Creek in Pickering.
Petticoat Creek Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
According to Durham Sustain Ability, it’s designated an environmentally significant area, and the northern portion of the conservation area and the Petticoat Creek valley are densely forested. There are more sparse forested areas throughout. The waterfront woodlots are carpeted with trilliums in the spring and the remainder of the area is made up of open meadows and fields.
26 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
PICKERING -- A new action plan for Petticoat Creek, pictured, released by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority found the watershed to be in good condition. Ratings for other area watersheds, including the Rouge River and Duffins Creek, also reported fair water quality. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
The site provides important habitat for migratory birds and is a key component of a natural corridor that includes the Petticoat Creek watershed and the waterfront. DSA has found notable flora and fauna include black walnut, horse chestnut, white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox, osprey and red-tailed hawk. Visitors can enjoy incredible views of Lake Ontario from the top of the bluffs. The conservation area features a large aquatic facility that includes a swimming pool, splash pools, and an interactive splash pad. The park also has barbecue and group picnic areas, large open grass fields, and is part of the Waterfront Trail. Main entrance: 1100 Whites Rd. S., Pickering 27 Eco Durham Conservation Areas
The pool and splash pad area at Petticoat Creek Conservation Area reopened in July 2012. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland Thurne Parks Conservation Area / Clarington
The Thurne Parks Conservation Area is an 18.8-hectare property in the Wilmot Creek watershed and is owned by the Ganaraska Conservation Authority. DSA says the valley and floodplain of Wilmot Creek and its associated woodlands is the major natural feature of this conservation area. The sensitive Wilmot Creek is a migratory route for trout and salmon, and it’s common to find white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and snowshoe hare in this conservation area.
It’s a great spot for fishing, bird watching and nature photography, and the loop walking trail that’s less than one kilometre long makes it ideal for short walks. The Orono Crown Lands are a short distance to the north. Main entrance: Concession Road 4 and Lockhart Road, Clarington 28 Eco Durham Conservation Areas Clarington Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area / Scugog
The Neighbour, a Haploa contigua moth in the Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
The 540-hectare Durham East Cross Forest Conservation is Kawartha Conservation’s newest natural area, and the first within the Township of Scugog. The East Cross Forest project was initiated after many area properties suffered negative environmental impacts from off-road motorized vehicles, dumping and other illegal activities, says Kawartha Conservation. The authority is currently rehabilitating and managing lands it has acquired to protect groundwater, coldwater fish habitats and a various plant species.
29 Eco Durham Conservation Areas With the help of many volunteers and groups, Kawartha Conservation has been decommissioning trails, planting native species and restoring damaged habitat. Designated as a natural core area on the Oak Ridges Moraine, it contains the greatest concentrations of key natural heritage features that are critical to maintaining the integrity of the moraine as a whole. Therefore, these lands carry the highest level of protection under the Oak Ridges Moraine Act, and prohibit development and most recreational motorized vehicle activity. According to DSA, the area consists of 118 hectares of natural terrestrial communities, including forest types dominated by oak, poplar, sugar maple and white pine. It also includes five hectares of wetland communities and plantations of red pine, white pine, and white spruce. Areas of Scots pine plantation and natural reproduction are now in various stages of conversion to natural woodlands. DSA has found that among the 113 species of fauna found at the Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area include grasshopper sparrow, northern goshawk, whip-poor-will, wood thrush and black bear. The 335 species of flora, 254 of which are native, include butternut and prairie buttercup.
This conservation area is available to the public for low- impact recreational activities such as hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and environmental education. Main entrance: 4560 Devitts Rd., Scugog
Beaver River Wetland Conservation Area / Scugog
The Beaver River Wetland Conservation Area is a huge complex that provides habitat for wildlife such as birds migrating in the spring and fall, and mammals such as muskrats and beavers.
30 Eco Durham Conservation Areas It sits along the Beaver River in Brock Township, Scugog Township and the City of Kawartha Lakes. It consists of an abandoned rail line and a provincially significant wetland. The 2,246-hectare complex remains relatively intact except for a few concession roads which cross it, says Durham Sustain Ability. Aside from being home to wildlife, it acts as a filter to improve water quality and stores large amounts of spring runoff, which prevents flooding downstream. The portion of the wetland in Scugog Township has been designated a regionally significant area of natural and scientific interest. According to DSA, the wetland provides vital wildlife habitat. A mix of swamp and marsh in an agricultural setting, this wetland is one of the most productive areas for waterfowl breeding in the Lake Simcoe watershed. The wetland is home to ducks and geese that nest there, and a number of rare species including black ern, least bittern, butternut and wild rice. During spring and fall migration, thousands of songbirds travel this habitat corridor. Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority continuously purchases and receives donations of land within this wetland, with the help of the Region of Durham, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Ontario Heritage Trust, and a significant private donation from Katherine Symons. With the help of these partners, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority has secured 313 hectares of the wetland complex to date. The remainder of the wetland remains privately owned. “The Beaver River Trail is one of the best ways to access and savour the smells, sights and sounds of the pristine and largely undeveloped Beaver River wetland,” says the Conservation Authority. Many trails throughout allow for wildlife viewing. In the summer, one may spot a great blue heron or red-winged blackbirds in the wetland.
Main entrance: Trans-Canada Hwy. 7 and Ridge Road, Sunderland
31 Eco Durham Conservation Areas Greenwood Conservation Area
The multi-use Greenwood Conservation Area is located within Ajax and Pickering, and is owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation. According to Durham Sustain Ability, it encompasses around 287 hectares of greenspace within the Duffins Creek watershed.
Photo by Armando Villavona
The southern two-thirds of the property is managed for public use by the Town of Ajax, which boasts the area is a great place for residents and visitors. Hiking trails allow nature enthusiasts to explore the forest or the steep-sided river valley. Picnic tables are available throughout the area, says the Town of Ajax. The park offers great fishing, with the opening of the trout season in the spring. The cold, clear-running creek is home to rainbow trout and other species of fish. DSA points out it is one of the sites where riparian habitat has been restored as a component of the Atlantic salmon restoration program. 32 Eco Durham Conservation Areas The area also features camping, cross-country skiing in the winter and soccer fields for play in the spring and summer. Festivals such as Pumpkinville and Winterfest also take place in Greenwood, says DSA. The northern portion, within Pickering, is less developed and contains a small trail system through successional meadows and forests. Greenwood also features conservation opportunities, former aggregate extraction sites, and forest management programs, says DSA. Habitats within this conservation area include mixed upland forests, coniferous plantations, cedar swamps, wetlands, meadows and riparian habitat, including two environmentally significant areas, says DSA. Wildlife includes white-tailed deer, several species of warbler, great horned owls and wood ducks.
Greenwood offers 25 kilometres of hiking trails that include interpretive signs that educate hikers about the site. Main entrance: Greenwood and Westney roads, Ajax
Photo by Armando Villavona
33 Eco Durham Forests 3 Forests
Photo by Walter Passarella Durham forests abound in wildlife, vegetation
Forests are essential to any environment, and Durham Region has plenty of them. Some are larger than others, some are home to more wildlife, and others have a wider variety of trees and plants. But they are all important pieces of the puzzle to maintain Durham’s ecological system. These areas densely packed with trees benefit the environment in ways that include capturing and storing carbon and providing oxygen, giving wildlife a place to live, and helping to regulate rainfall.
34 Eco Durham Forests Much of these forested areas continue to thrive thanks to concerned citizens and conservation authorities that have worked together, and tirelessly, to ensure their protection. One of the biggest threats to forests are invasive species. Sometimes referred to as non-native alien, non-indigeneous or exotic, these introduced species are those that evolved elsewhere and have been relocated either by accident or on purpose. These include plants such as dog-strangling vine, garlic mustard, and common buckthorn, or insects such as the Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer. Refer to Chapter 7 to learn more about invasive species, and other threats to Durham’s environment, and what the public can do to protect it. Durham Sustain Ability identifies five major forests in Durham Region in its resource directory, available at sustain-ability.ca.
Photo by Walter Passarella 35 Eco Durham Forests
Photo by Walter Passarella Altona Forest
Altona Forest is a 53-hectare wooded area located in Pickering. It’s bounded by Rosebank Road, Finch Avenue, Altona Road, and Sheppard Avenue. Located within the Petticoat Creek watershed, this forest is special to many, given its placement within an urban setting. According to the forest’s owners, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, in 1948, the forest was used as a centre for environmental studies by Dr. J. Murray Speirs, a longtime resident of Pickering, a noted naturalist and environmental teacher and a recent recipient of the Order of Canada, and his wife Doris Speirs. During the 1960s, developers started planning for residential development in Pickering, including much of Altona Forest, which galvanized a number of residents and naturalists into action. They recognized the significance of the area and formed the Friends of Altona Forest. Studies verified the environmental significance of the area. 36 Eco Durham Forests
A raised boardwalk meanders through some of the Altona Forest trail. Photo by Walter Passarella
In 1982, the forest was designated an environmentally significant area due to its ecological and historical importance.
According to altonaforest.org, the Altona Forest Community Stewardship Committee was established in 1998 to assist with the planning, fundraising and implementation of the environmental management plan for the forest, designed to ensure the long-term protection of the ecological integrity of Altona Forest. It also outlines acceptable recreational uses, which include passive and non- intrusive outdoor activities, such as hiking, bird watching and wildlife photography. During the 1990s, with the help of an $11-million provincial grant, the then-Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (now TRCA) acquired the Altona Forest 50-hectare preserve. The MTRCA purchased other properties as well, which were added to Altona Forest. In 1996, Dr. Speirs donated a large chunk of his property to Altona Forest on condition that it would remain a natural preserve. This preserve, the J. Murray Speirs Ecological Reserve, is on the southwestern section of the forest and is not open to the public.
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Altona Forest contains wetlands, woodlands and Rosebank Creek, and a tributary of Petticoat Creek crosses briefly into the forest. According to DSA, the forest is home to numerous trees and wildlife. Trees include hemlock, maple, birch, beech, pine and cedar, some of which have been dated more than 160 years old. Wildlife includes more than 125 species of song birds which either live in or pass through the forest, red-tailed hawks, a herd of deer, a pack of coyotes, three species of owls and a variety of wildflowers. The forest is connected to the environmentally protected Rouge-Duffins Wildlife Corridor in the north. The forest replenishes groundwater storage areas, and reduces the potential for flooding downstream. Durham Regional Forest
Durham Regional Forest, sitting just south of Uxbridge, is 596 hectares of forested property owned by the Region of Durham and managed by Lake Simcoe Conservation. Much of this forest consists of land that was reforested in the 1920s to prevent soil erosion. Forest management remains a priority for the Durham Regional Forest, but it also provides numerous recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. The Durham Regional Forest is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, in the headwaters of the Uxbridge and Pefferlaw brooks. DSA says the northernmost portion of the forest has been identified as a provincially significant area of natural and scientific interest because it’s a great example of moraine development and topography. The forest consists of a mix of remnant plantations, hardwood and mixed wood stands, says DSA. The forest is part of a larger complex of public protected areas, including the East Duffins Headwaters and the Township of Uxbridge’s Countryside Preserve. The Durham District School Board maintains the Durham Forest Environmental Education Centre here, which provides hands-on environmental education for primary school students. 38 Eco Durham Forests
Cyclists enjoy a morning workout at Durham Regional Forest. Photo by Armando Villanova
“For many children, their visit to Durham Forest is the first time they have experienced a night away from home, an after-dark hike in the forest or even a campfire,” according to the board’s website. The forest contributes to watercourse base flows and groundwater recharge by protecting vital recharge areas, and provides flood protection for the watersheds that flow from nearby properties. The forest is home to a wide range of wildlife species, many of which require a large forest like this for breeding habitat. Species include woodpeckers, thrushes, vireos, and more than a dozen species of warbler. It features more than 16 kilometres of trails in four marked loops, plus numerous secondary trails, which provide an opportunity for hiking, biking, horseback riding or skiing on the rolling topography of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The trail network contributes to larger regional and national trail networks through its contribution to the Oak Ridges Trail and the Trans Canada Trail.
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Ganaraska Forest
The Ganaraska Forest straddles Northumberland, Peterborough, Victoria and the Region of Durham, and is located primarily in Clarington and Port Hope. According to DSA, the virgin pine forests on the Oak Ridges Moraine were virtually removed by excessive logging in the 1800s and early 1900s, causing many negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion and severe downstream flooding. To address this issue the Province commissioned a Report on the Ganaraska Watershed, which eventually led to the formation of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority in 1946 and the subsequent reforestation of the area. One of the largest reforestation projects in Ontario took place in the 1940s and created a forest which is now known as the Ganaraska Forest.
Logging in the Ganaraska Forest. Submitted photo
40 Eco Durham Forests Today, the Ganaraska Forest is the largest continuous forest in southern Ontario, covering almost 4,600 hectares in the Ganaraska River watershed portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The forest is a regionally significant natural space owned and managed by Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority. It gets assistance from many volunteer and user groups. It contains wetlands, woodlands, plantations (mainly red pine), open fields and tall grass prairie remnants. The forest includes areas of natural and scientific interest, supports a wide variety of flora and fauna, and provides a sustainable timber harvest. According to the conservation authority, the forest management plan has a number of objectives, including: conservation and protection of the headwaters of the Ganaraska River, the protection of heritage resources in the forest, and maintaining wildlife habitat. It also features outdoor education opportunities. The Ganaraska Forest is continually expanded through land donations and purchases. Amy Griffiths, marketing and communications officer with the conservation authority says, “The Ganaraska Forest, being 11,000 acres in size, is my favourite as there are multiple, year-round recreational activities to be enjoyed by all.” With hundreds of kilometres of trails, the Ganaraska Forest provides year- round opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and more. Motorized activities such as off-road motorcycle riding, ATVing and snowmobiling are permitted in the West Forest and East Forest only. The central section of the forest is maintained as a passive use area. Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods
The Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods complex is more than 1,500 hectares located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, in the headwaters of the Duffins Creek watershed. According to DSA, the complex includes the Glen Major Resource Tract, the Wilder Woods Tract, and the Aggregate Trail. It stretches from Brock Road to the east and Lakeridge Road to the west, and Goodwood Road to the north and Regional Road 5 to the south. 41 Eco Durham Forests Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods is owned by the TRCA. In another example of the community’s willingness to help, the TRCA manages the property in partnership with the Glen Major Walker Woods Stewardship Committee. Most of the property is located in Uxbridge but it expands into Pickering. Hikers, cross-country skiers, horseback riders and cyclists can take advantage of 47 kilometres of trails.
Hiking on the Glen Major Trail with the Oak Ridges Trail Association. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods is comprised of mixed coniferous- deciduous forests. A gravel pit once operated on the Glen Major site and is currently being restored. The remainder contains forests, meadows, and wetlands, among other habitats. The site is characterized by its large forest complexes and rolling topography, typical of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Containing areas of natural and scientific interest, the area provides one of the healthiest and most diverse sites in the TRCA’s jurisdiction, says DSA. There are also numerous environmentally significant areas on the property. Including hardwood forests and conifer swamps, the site contains habitat for 120 different vegetation communities, 573 vascular plant species and 107 different fauna species. DSA reports these include white-tailed deer, porcupine, coyote and red-shouldered hawk. 42 Eco Durham Forests Thickson’s Woods Nature Reserve
Lake Ontario at Thickson’s Woods. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
Thickson’s Woods is the last remnant of old-growth white pines on the north shore of Lake Ontario, according to Thickson’s Woods Nature Preserve. The towering pines provide a vital resting place for countless migrating songbirds each spring and fall. “Thickson’s Woods is an excellent place for birding in the spring,” says Lois Gillette, president of Durham Region Field Naturalists, and an avid birder. When the pines were threatened with logging in 1983, a handful of naturalists formed a non-profit corporation, Thickson’s Woods Land Trust, and purchased the woods. Donations from hundreds of caring people raised $150,000 to pay off the mortgage.
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In 2001, the Trust purchased an eight-acre meadow just north of the woods in order to protect it from encroaching development. It cost more than $500,000, and again, people gave so generously that the five-year mortgage was paid off nine months early. “Today, what two decades ago was a cow pasture is regenerating into valuable habitat that buffers this precious woodland from the fumes and noise of trucks and industry,” says thicksonswoods.com. According to DSA, the 10-hectare reserve is located alongside Corbett Creek Marsh and the west branch of Corbett Creek on the Whitby/Oshawa border, on a low bluff overlooking Lake Ontario.
Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise complete a variety of renovations along the Waterfront Trail in 2012. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
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It was part of a thick forest that once blanketed southern Ontario. The tallest pines are 30 metres high and more than 150 years old. Besides the majestic white pines, Thickson’s Woods contains many other tree species including black cherry, ironwood, yellow birch, bigtooth aspen, American and blue beech, mountain maple, red oak and butternut. “More than 375 species of vascular plants have been identified in this botanically rich area, including marsh marigold, starflower, may-apple, trillium, 17 grasses and 18 sedges,” says DSA.
According to DSA, this reserve is best known for providing a resting spot for migrating birds before or after their long flight across Lake Ontario. It’s a great place for birders who wish to see warblers, thrushes, orioles, nuthatches, wrens and great horned owls. “There’s been a resident pair at Thickson’s Woods and almost every time you go in you see at least one of them,” says Ajax-based naturalist and wildlife photographer Chris McConnell. In late summer, the woods shelter thousands of monarch butterflies on their migratory flight south. Janice Melendez, an avid birder and Pickering Naturalist, loves Thickson’s Woods for its warbler sighting opportunities. “The beauty of Thickson’s Woods is because it’s such a small area, it’s very concentrated, you get a lot of different warblers in a small area,” she says.
45 Eco Durham Wetlands 4 Wetlands
Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Durham’s wetlands play significant roles
Durham’s wetlands, from Second Marsh in Oshawa to Carruther’s Creek in Ajax, play a significant role in Durham Region’s ecological system. Their key roles include water purification and flood control, and they’re very biologically diverse, home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Perry Sisson, director of engineering and operations at the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, says most areas managed by CLOCA are sensitive, but “the wetlands tend to be most sensitive.
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“Any change to the surrounding landscape is hard on them,” he says. “Or any physical change, you know, people trampling on them, is very tough on them. So we own a lot of wetlands. They're all quite sensitive.” There are many in Durham, but this book includes some of the most popular and sensitive ones. Second Marsh Wildlife Area
The Second Marsh is home to a great variety of birds: a veritable bird watchers paradise. Photo by Michael Jurysta
It’s clear when talking to nature and wildlife enthusiasts, that Second Marsh is a favourite in Durham. “Second Marsh in Oshawa is quite a jewel,” says Bob Hester, a volunteer with Durham Sustain Ability.
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The 123-hectare area is host to marsh, swamp, wet meadows, a barrier beach and woodlot habitats. Within the marsh, visitors will find sedges and cattails, thickets and open water, says Friends of Second Marsh, a not-for-profit charitable organization. “It’s a beautiful marsh,” says president of Durham Region Field Naturalists, Lois Gillette, who also sits on the Friends’ executive. “It’s one of the biggest marshes around Lake Ontario. It’s just a lovely area. It’s a nice marsh with lovely walking paths.”
A chickadee perched on the side of a bird feeder at the Second Marsh Wildlife Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
The area has 380 plant species, 305 bird species and many mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. Species of note include little gull, least bittern, black tern and yellow lady’s slipper, according to DSA’s research. The little gull is one of Oshawa-based biologist and birder Tyler Hoar’s favourite species.
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“The first place it was ever recorded in North America breeding was the Oshawa Second Marsh,” says Mr. Hoar. “They’re just neat. They’re little small gulls. They do these unique courtship displays over the marsh,” he says. He says the dance sort of looks like a flying dog fight, with a pair chasing each other, throwing their breasts forward and their heads back, and doing calls. “It’s estimated about 400 little gulls are in North America and we’ve had up to 30 per cent of them in front of us at one time at Second Marsh,” says Mr. Hoar. “It’s one spot where they consistently come in to do their courtship flights in North America.”
Downy Woodpecker. Photo by Michael Jurysta
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Second Marsh is a provincially significant wetland and a provincially and regionally significant area of natural and scientific interest. It’s one of the few remaining Lake Ontario shoreline wetlands adjacent to a sizeable urban centre, says DSA. “The adjacent McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Preserve, they kind of blend together as one. That’s a pretty key area in the southern part of Durham,” says Mr. Hester. A series of hiking trails and viewing platforms overlooking the marsh provide much for the eye to see.
Photo by Michael Jurysta
“Another one of my absolute probably favourite places of all time to look for nature is Second Marsh, bar none. That place is heaven to me,” says wildlife photographer and animal lover Chris McConnell. “I love Second Marsh.”
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It hasn’t been without challenges though. During the 1970s and 80s, sedimentation, altered drainage patterns, reduced emergent vegetation, a decrease in the waterfowl population and a general reduction in biodiversity were some of the problems Second Marsh faced, says DSA. The City of Oshawa approved a management plan for the marsh, which was developed with a steering committee with representatives from more than 26 organizations and businesses. In 1993, the committee learned it would receive $1.3 million from Environment Canada’s Great Lakes Cleanup Fund for Phase One of the restoration.
Visitors walk the trails in all kind of weather. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
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In 2002, Ducks Unlimited Canada implemented phase two of the marsh restoration, which included re-routing the inflow of Harmony Creek around Second Marsh directly into Lake Ontario and closing the existing outlet to the lake. Also, a grilled fish passage through the berm from Harmony Creek into the marsh helps to exclude most common carp -- a non-native fish species -- but allows the passage of native fish. Currently, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Central Lake Ontario Conservation, Environment Canada, Friends of Second Marsh, and the City of Oshawa all do their part in overseeing the marsh.
The Friends of Second Marsh also develops and delivers valuable programs and activities that have an educational focus. This group is currently planning to open the Great Lakes Wetlands Centre in the future, which will include detailed exhibits, a wildlife gallery and hands-on activities.
Carruthers Creek Marsh and warbler swamps
The Carruthers Creek wetland complex, including the warbler swamps and Carruthers Creek coastal marsh, is a provincially significant wetland complex, including both environmentally significant areas and areas of natural and scientific interest. The entire wetland complex is around 140 hectares. The wetland complex sits on the southern portion of the Carruthers Creek Watershed in Ajax and is bisected by Shoal Point Road. Around 75 hectares of the wetland complex is owned by Toronto and Region Conservation, under a management agreement with the Town of Ajax.
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Duffin’s Creek Bridge. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
According to DSA, the Carruthers Creek wetland complex contains wooded swamp, coastal marsh and beach vegetation communities. More than 75 per cent of the wetland complex is dominated by swamp, which makes this area unique among Durham Region’s coastal wetlands. This area provides habitat for many woodland and wetland species, and is known to support more than 65 species of birds including the veery, American woodcock, Canada warbler and magnolia warbler. The swamp also provides habitat for amphibians such as the wood frog.
The multi-use trails are used by walkers and cyclists and provide connections to the Waterfront Trail. This area, called Lakeside Waterfront Park, provides public access to the wetland as well as parking, an open air amphitheatre, pavilion, and playground.
53 Eco Durham Wetlands Duffins Creek Marsh
Skaters glide on the frozen waters of Duffins Creek just off of Lake Driveway in Ajax as the sun begins to set. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
The 69-hectare Duffins Creek Marsh includes three lagoons, a sandy beach, mature forests, and meadows. It also includes a 41-hectare portion that is a provincially significant wetland and an area of natural and scientific interest, says DSA. The marsh separates Pickering and Ajax at the Lake Ontario shoreline, and is owned by Toronto and Region Conservation, which manages the property in partnership with the Town of Ajax and the City of Pickering. The Duffins Creek coastal marsh is one of the healthiest in Durham Region, says DSA. It’s very important to a variety of species because it serves as a transition area between the creek and lake, and provides important breeding habitat and food for migrating birds, fish and more.
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The marshes are not only beautiful to look at, but are alive with wildlife, says the Region of Durham. “Spring brings the birds back and the marshes are an excellent place to see shorebirds, waterfowl, and water birds like Bonaparte’s Gull,” says the website. “Summer hums with dragonflies, damselflies and beautiful butterflies. Fall delights with its fiery colours and spawning salmon. Winter snow gives us a glimpse of what mammals use the marsh, when their tracks are easy to see.”
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority holds a Snowshoes and Snowclues event at the Duffins Creek Headwaters. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
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DSA says Duffins Marsh is an excellent place to view waterfowl, marsh- dependent birds, and song birds, which all depend upon the marsh as a migratory and breeding habitat. Native trumpeter swans also breed there. In the late summer and fall, one can see shorebirds, herons, egrets, and ducks. Gulls and terns can be heard roosting, and sparrows and warblers are seen feeding on the shrubs in migration. It isn’t unusual to find the painted turtle, common snapping turtle, eastern garter snake, American toad, leopard frog, and green frog here. There are plenty of aquatic plants such as cattails, rushes, and reeds around the marsh, says DSA. Both young and old willows can be found throughout. The meadows contain remnants of old orchards and a variety of wildflowers and shrubs, including hawthorn and dogwood. The woodlot has mature hardwoods such as maple, birch, and beech. The forest floor is covered in trilliums in the spring.
Frenchman’s Bay and Hydro Marsh
Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
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The 71-hectare Frenchman’s Bay and 25-hectare Hydro Marsh are provincially significant wetlands on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Pickering. These coastal wetlands each consist of a shallow lagoon, separated from Lake Ontario by a natural sand and gravel beach barrier. They provide important natural linkages, breeding habitat and food for migrating birds, fish, and other wildlife.
Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
Hydro Marsh and Alex Robertson Park are owned by Ontario Power Generation, and Alex Robertson Park is managed by the City of Pickering.
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Playing on the waterfront is a favourite pastime. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
The Alex Robertson Park woodlot adjacent to Hydro Marsh contains such wildflowers as may-apple, trout lily and trillium. DSA volunteer Bob Hester helped co-ordinate natural areas under his wing when he worked for Ontario Power Generation. “There’s all sorts of these little hot spots of activity the naturalist community knows about but the general public don’t,” he says. DSA says despite the busy boating activity, these wetlands are excellent places to view waterfowl such as herons, terns, swans and ducks. Cattail stands, in which muskrats live, are found along the north shore of Frenchman’s Bay and the west side of Hydro Marsh. 58 Eco Durham Wetlands
A sharp-eyed Great Blue Heron watches for fish from a dock on the west shore of Frenchman’s Bay. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
Butterflies, such as the monarch and the black swallowtail, enjoy the marsh areas that are bordered by meadows of goldenrod, aster, milkweed, and thistle. The area contains poplars, maples and willows. The marshes provide breeding grounds for amphibians and reptiles such as American toad, green frog, leopard frog, painted turtle and common snapping turtle, says DSA.
59 Eco Durham Wetlands Port Newcastle Marsh
Port Newcastle Marsh is small, but designated a provincially significant wetland. The eight-hectare marsh is located in Newcastle at the Lake Ontario shoreline, and is surrounded by residential development. A marina has replaced its southern portion.
Fishing at the Newcastle waterfront. Photo by Walter Passarella
According to DSA, Graham Creek feeds into the wetland, supplying water that carries some excess nutrients but is quite clear and able to support a highly diverse community of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Port Newcastle Marsh has a limited capacity to support breeding bird species because of its small size, however, the area-sensitive swamp sparrow is there. This wetland also supports common marsh users such as red-winged blackbird and the great egret.
60 Eco Durham Wetlands With macroinvertebrate, bird, and amphibian communities such as American toad and green frog in good condition, it’s surprising the fish community isn’t as healthy, says DSA. However the wetland only seems to support a few native fish species and low numbers of important species such as yellow perch. The Municipality of Clarington has built an asphalt trail along the west side of Graham Creek that is used by hikers, bikers, joggers and bird watchers. Samuel Wilmot Nature Area and Wilmot Creek Marsh
The 77-hectare Samuel Wilmot Nature Area in the Wilmot Creek Watershed has deciduous and mixed forest communities and is home to a wide range of wildlife. Owned by the Municipality of Clarington, it’s located at the Lake Ontario shoreline in Newcastle. The Wilmot Creek Marsh, a cattail marsh, is located here. It’s 26 metres in size, and is a provincially significant wetland and an area of natural and scientific interest, says DSA. The municipality manages the area with the Samuel Wilmot Nature Area Management Advisory Committee and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources owns the valley land. The Ganaraska Conservation Authority provides occasional funds. DSA says the area contains a number of tree species, such as willow, red ash, red maple, elm, white birch, red oak and hemlock, and sees a wide range of resident and migrant bird species. It provides important habitat for migrant birds and bats and its location on the north shore of Lake Ontario is significant to migrant butterflies, hawks and owls. The marsh sees many birds that are general marsh users, and some sensitive species such as Virginia rail, American coot and swamp sparrow. The marsh waters sustain one of the best coastal wetland fish communities in Durham, including Yellow Perch and many sunfish species. It also has predatory northern pike and largemouth bass, says DSA. Nature activities include fishing and birdwatching. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy 3.5 kilometres of trails with limestone, woodchip or asphalt surfaces.
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Oshawa Creek Watershed
The Children’s Groundwater Festival hosted by CLOCA at Camp Samac. John Sanderson from the Durham Region Health Department showed the students a Chinook Salmon that had perished that morning from old age. Students sifted through the Oshawa Creek searching for microscopic signs of life. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
The Oshawa Creek is accessible to residents all throughout Oshawa, running from the headwaters of the Oak Ridges Moraine to the outlet at the Oshawa Harbour and Lake Ontario, with several trails for residents to run, walk and bike on. It’s around 50 kilometres long and its watershed encompasses an area of 120 square kilometres, including portions of Oshawa, Whitby, Scugog and Clarington.
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According to a 2012 report by the City of Oshawa, the fisheries and aquatic habitat of Oshawa Creek and its respective tributaries face many environmental stressors, including impacts from adjacent land uses such as urbanization and intensive agriculture. This is manifested through water quality degradation, increased stream temperatures and ultimately impacts aquatic life. However, the watershed still supports healthy fisheries including Chinook salmon, brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout, in addition to sensitive non- game species like the slimy sculpin.
Students from G.L. Roberts Collegiate take the classroom outdoors where they assess the water quality of Oshawa Creek. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
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Opportunities for restoration in the watershed that could improve aquatic habitat and overall watershed health include restoration, enhanced stormwater management, and retrofitting in-stream barriers to allow for fish passage into currently fragmented habitats. While these restoration initiatives are important, emphasis should be placed on protecting the natural areas that exist which provide the last refuge for sensitive coldwater fish species from land use changes, says the City’s report. The shawaO Creek Watershed Committee, whose members include the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, CLOCA, the City of Oshawa, and Friends of Second Marsh, encourages watershed residents to get involved through community habitat restoration projects, and hands-on environmental activities for youth. The committee can also work with private landowners to assist those interested in environmental stewardship of their properties.
64 Eco Durham Nature Reserves 5 Nature Reserves
A cyclist was silhouetted against the early morning as he makes his way along the Ajax waterfront. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland Nature reserves, parks and other natural areas worth visiting
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In an ideal world, this book would include all of the wonderful areas to take in nature in Durham Region, but it just isn’t possible to fit them all in -- Durham has a lot of them. Therefore, this book is featuring some of the popular locations. That isn’t to say there aren’t more than what is listed here. Take a walk in your neighbourhood or a drive into green areas nearby and chances are, you’ll find your own oasis. Kendal Crown Lands
Kendal Crown Lands make up a 349-hectare area on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is one of many natural areas people can enjoy in Clarington. It’s publicly owned and managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and located in the Ganaraska River watershed, adjacent to the village of Kendal in Clarington. This is another example where local residents help in projects. Residents and local Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters clubs have assisted with projects on the Crown Lands over the years, according to Durham Sustain Ability. The North Ganaraska River that flows through provides spawning and nursery areas for migratory rainbow trout and habitat for resident brook and brown trout. There are also several springs, seeps and small tributary streams. A portion of the Kendal Wetland Complex, a provincially significant wetland, is here. Historically, the property was cleared for agriculture, but was abandoned except for pasture land. A reforestation program began in 1969 and most of the steep-sloped abandoned fields in the east and central portions of the Kendal property were planted with trees and shrubs. The west upland area is a mature hardwood forest. There is also a natural mixed conifer forest, and some open fields remain.
Activities on the Kendal Crown Lands include hiking, picnicking, cross-country skiing and fishing. Trails are not marked or maintained.
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McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve
The 41-hectare McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve sits on the north shore of Lake Ontario between Second Marsh in Oshawa and Darlington Provincial Park in Clarington. This reserve is owned and operated by General Motors of Canada Ltd. An additional 40 hectares of the same tract have been set aside for the office complex, parking and services, along with buffer zones. According to mclaughlinbay.org, the abandoned field separating Colonel Sam Drive and the east side of Second Marsh may be developed someday as per the original site plan agreement between General Motors and the City of Oshawa. It calls for the development of a prestige business park, but as these parcels of land are leased, they will be developed in adherence to a strict code designed to protect the integrity of the Second Marsh. There will be no loss of wetlands as a result, says mclaughlinbay.org. It’s home to almost 400 varieties of plants, trees, shrubs and wildflowers. Native birds, mammals and fish call the reserve home. Amphibians include eastern garter snake, green frog and American toad. There are currently some water quality issues, but initiatives are underway by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, local municipalities and organizations like Friends of the Second Marsh to improve it. It consists of open meadows, something Nathalie Karvonen, biologist and Toronto Wildlife Centre executive director, says are important for wildlife, as well as forests and marshes.
A number of trails, viewing platforms for photographers and birdwatchers are available for the public to enjoy. Dogwood Trail is for use by partially-sighted or visually-impaired visitors. It’s also wheelchair accessible and open year round.
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Signs of spring at the Darlington waterfront. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Darlington Provincial Park
Part of the Ontario Provincial Parks system, Darlington Provincial Park has a number of activities for nature enthusiasts, such as birding, hiking, boating, fishing, canoeing, swimming and camping. The park borders on the northern shore of Lake Ontario and just east of the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Preserve. While the Clarington park is closed for camping in the winter, the park remains open for day use. Trails range from one kilometre to 2.6 kilometres. The park includes McLaughlin Bay, which includes a wide array of fish and amphibians, and offers a great spot for fishing. The park is also a great spot to see migrating butterflies. In early September, Darlington holds the Monarchs and Raptors Weekend. 68 Eco Durham Nature Reserves
According to Ontario Parks, birding is a popular activity at the park, and many migratory species can be seen there in the spring and fall. A bird sightings board at the main park office keeps track of what has been spotted lately. The various birds include warblers in spring, waterfowl and raptors in the fall, or terns and various plovers, which are residents of the park, according to oshawalife.com.
Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area
The Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area, around 1,300 hectares in size, is Class 1 wetland and located just north of Port Perry.
The Annual Canoe the Nonquon is a Lake Scugog Historical Society fundraiser for the Scugog Shores Museum. Photo by Armando Villanova
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According to realontario.ca, it consists of many small ridges ranging in height from one to six metres, separated by low-lying hollows. Large woodlot areas progress into open wetlands that range from one to three kilometres in width. Some open fields are also present. The Nonquon Environmental Education Centre, which is around 150 hectares, is located within the Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area. It’s used by Durham District School Board students from Grade 2 to 12.
Students can often be seen taking advantage of the outdoor learning environment. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
The forest sees white-tailed deer, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse and wild turkey. More wildlife species in the area include the eastern gray tree frog, green frogs, toads, spring peeper frog, blue spotted salamander, garter snakes, snapping and painted turtles.
70 Eco Durham Nature Reserves The Nonquon River, located within Scugog Township, flows north from the Oak Ridges Moraine, to the west of Port Perry, through Seagrave and empties into Lake Scugog. The area hosts a wide variety of flora and fauna, says DSA. The Nonquon River and shoreline provide good nesting cover for waterfowl and excellent habitat for fur-bearers. Many songbirds and shorebirds nest and feed along the river and in the marsh areas. Numerous fish species spawn in the river. Activities include hiking, bird watching, horseback riding and camping. Orono Crown Lands
The Orono Crown Lands, a 425-hectare property in Clarington, sits west of Orono between Taunton Road and Concession Road 5, in the Wilmot Creek watershed.
Replenishing the natural resources on the Orono Crown Lands. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
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It’s owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources which once used the property to grow and ship seedling trees and for forest research projects. In the 1950s, 7.5 million seedlings were shipped annually. Since 2001, the lands have been managed by the Orono Crown Lands Trust in partnership with the ministry. According to the Trust, common mammals include striped skunk, white-tailed deer, red fox, coyote and porcupine. Uncommon sightings include woodchuck, muskrat, mink and beaver. Rare sightings include northern flying squirrel and European hare. Reptiles include the snapping turtle and the midland painted turtle, the eastern garter snake and the five-lined skink.
Courtice Secondary School student Nicholas Leighton and his classmates helped build a picnic shelter on Orono Crown Lands as part of their construction technology class. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
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Some of the common amphibians are northern leopard frog, spring peeper and the wood frog. Pickeral frogs were once common but are now rare. Other rare amphibians include grey tree frog and red-spotted newt. Wildlife sightings can be reported to Jim Richards at [email protected] or by calling 905-983-5605. The vast array of wildlife can be due to the wide variety of habitat types in the Orono Crown Lands. They include abandoned nursery production beds, natural forested areas, abandoned seed orchards, open fields, an abandoned gravel pit and portions of Wilmot and Orono creeks, according to DSA.
The area contains 10 plant species that are rare or uncommon in Durham, including big bluestem and Indian grass. Breeding birds include interior, successional and habitat generalists. Area sensitive forest-associated breeding birds include northern goshawk, broad-winged hawk, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker, winter wren and several warbler species. The portion of Wilmot Creek that flows through the land is an important spawning and juvenile rearing area for salmon and trout, says DSA. Wilmot Creek is part of a program to re-establish Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario.
73 Eco Durham Nature Reserves Rouge Park
Pickering is lucky to encompass a portion of Rouge Park. One of North America’s largest urban parks, it spans 47 square kilometres in the eastern sector of the Greater Toronto Area, which includes a small portion of Pickering, as well as Toronto and Markham. “The Rouge Valley just skirts Durham. It’s down at the bottom and bends into Scarborough and up to Markham,” explains Bob Hester, a volunteer with Durham Sustain Ability, who adds he’s lucky to have his yard back onto the Rouge. According to Parks Canada, the park has a rich diversity of natural and cultural heritage resources, including: a rare Carolinian forest; numerous species at risk; a national historic site; geological outcrops from the interglacial age that are internationally significant; and, in-situ evidence of human history dating back more than 10,000 years. The latter includes some of Canada’s oldest known Aboriginal historic sites and villages.
Alan Wells, 2010 chairman of the Rouge Park Alliance, worked to have the 10,000-acre Rouge Park become a National Park. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
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According to DSA, Rouge Park is home to a number of rare species of plants, including small beggar-ticks, shy bulrush and sharp-leaved goldenrod. Rare birds include short-eared owl, red-bellied woodpecker and chimney swift. The park is also home to an at-risk fish species called redside dace and four at-risk reptile species, the map turtle, Blanding’s turtle, eastern ribbonsnake and milksnake. In 2011, after years of campaigning by members of the Rouge Park Alliance, environmentalists and local politicians, the Government of Canada announced its commitment to create a national urban park in the Rouge Valley. Eighty-eight per cent of respondents in a public opinion poll supported the concept.
The park is accessible for 20 per cent of the country’s population, and Parks Canada sees the creation of the urban park an excellent opportunity to engage current and future generations to ensure its rich natural and cultural heritage is protected. The rovinceP of Ontario, the Government of Canada, Toronto and Region Conservation, municipal governments and other agencies all manage the park, which is located entirely within the watershed of the Rouge River. The park features 10 kilometres of hiking trails, the majority of which are in the southern portion of Rouge Park between Hwy. 2 and Finch Avenue.
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Scugog Island Crown Land Property
The Scugog Island Crown Land Property is 180 hectares, located at the north end of Scugog Island. This publicly owned area is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Scouts and Cubs ice fish on the wind blown, frozen surface of Lake Scugog . Photo by Michael Jurysta
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DSA says the area is mostly a gently rolling topography consisting of old farm fields lined with hedgerows located on the slopes of three elongated hills of glacial material. Three sugar maple-beech woodlots exist on these slopes. The area also contains swamp and bottomland forest, and much of the shoreline of the property is vegetated with trees and shrubs. A small tree nursery has grown into a plantation of red pine, European larch and a variety of hardwoods. An eight-hectare white pine seed orchard provides genetically improved white pine seed for planting in southern Ontario.
DSA says most of North End Scugog Island West Wetland, which is a provincially significant wetland, is found within the Scugog Island Crown Land Property. It includes a water control structure, created by Ducks Unlimited, at the mouth of the creek that flows through the property. This structure creates a five-hectare pond site designed to improve waterfowl habitat. Water levels are managed by Ducks Unlimited with the ministry. Popular activities include hunting, angling, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, cycling and bird watching. Forest birds on their annual migration can be found in the woodlots. Wildlife species include white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit and wild turkey, says DSA. Species of fish include walleye, smallmouth basandmuskellunge.
77 Eco Durham Nature Reserves Lake Scugog
Lake Scugog, which has a surface area of 63.5 square kilometres, is part of the Kawartha Lakes water system, according to Kawartha Conservation. Its watershed covers 533.7 square kilometres and is bordered by the Oak Ridges Moraine to the south, Mariposa Brook’s watershed to the north, the East Cross Creek basin to the east and the Beaver River watershed to the west.
University of Ontario Institute of Technology rowers take to Lake Scugog in the early morning hours before sunrise. Jason Liebregts / Metroland
The lake is on average 1.4 metres deep and 7.6 metres at its deepest. Depth, area and volume are artificially maintained through the Lindsay Dam, which is under the jurisdiction of the Trent Severn Waterway. Lake Scugog has two major tributaries, the Nonquon River and Blackstock Creek, as well as two smaller tributaries, Cawkers Creek and Fingerboard Creek. Kawartha Conservation identifies the following as some of the issues affecting water quality in the lake: severe erosion of lake shores and river banks; discharges from the waste water treatment plant; leakage from septic systems around the lake; and contaminants from recreational use. 78 Eco Durham Nature Reserves
An adult duck played decoy in order to lead a persistent dog on a chase on Lake Scugog, away from the duck’s family of ducklings. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
There are a number of ways residents can help preserve the water quality. For example, the Scugog WATER Fund assists with a wide range of stewardship projects, covering up to 50 per cent of project costs. This year, the focus is on agricultural best management practices. Visit kawarthaconservation.com/lsemp/action.html.
Oak Ridges Moraine
The magnificent Oak Ridges Moraine stretches more than 160 kilometres across the most populated area of Ontario, including Durham Region, and covers a geographic area of 1,900 square kilometres -- half the size of Prince Edward Island. According to the Oak Ridges Moraine Trust, 64 rivers or streams begin on the moraine and run either south directly into Lake Ontario, or north to lakes Scugog and Simcoe or Georgian Bay. Some Durham watercourses starting at the moraine include the Ganaraska River, and the Duffins, Lynde, Oshawa and Bowmanville creeks. 79 Eco Durham Nature Reserves
A muddy Mark Clemens approaches the checkpoint during the Long Sault Conservation Area Adventure Relay race. The 160km. event draws participants from across the province and is the organization’s largest single fundraiser. Money goes towards maintenance of the trail system and training for about 100 volunteers. Photo by Peter Redman
This distinct ridge is a 12,000-year-old remnant of the last ice age and provides clean, safe drinking water to more than 500,000 people. Home to hundreds of plant and animal species, its wildlife includes meadowlark, eastern blue bird, white-tailed deer and brook trout. The moraine includes: 1,171 plant species; 125 species of moss; 166 breeding bird species -- more through migratory seasons; 30 species of reptiles and amphibians; 51 mammal species; 73 fish species; 74 species of butterflies; and 70 dragonflies and damselfly species.
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Eighty-eight species are provincial or national species at risk and 466 are moraine rare, according to the Land Trust. Thirty-two per cent of the moraine is covered in upland forests and is one of six recognized areas for forest bird diversity in southern Ontario. Five per cent of the moraine is wetlands, mostly smaller but important in their function as headwaters and also as isolated habitat for waterfowl. Provincial legislation to protect the functions of the Oak Ridges Moraine enacted in 2002 was an important step, but the work is not done. More than 90 per cent of the moraine is in private ownership, so the promotion of sustainable use by private landowners is necessary. Visit oakridgesmoraine.org to learn various ways to protect the health of the moraine. It includes information for landowners on how they can do their part to protect this precious area.
Tree planting in the Oak Ridges Moraine. Photo by Michael Jurysta 81 Eco Durham Wildlife 6 Wildlife
Cardinals are a colourful addition to Durham Region’s wildlife. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Wildlife among us in Durham
From the trails along Lake Ontario to the forests in the north, and just about everywhere in between, there is plenty of wildlife to see in Durham Region. Whether it be a small but vocal warbler or a hawk stopping off in one of Durham’s forests, or a blue jay, skunk or a cottontail rabbit in the backyard, they’re here, living among us, and residents don’t have to travel far to see wildlife. “It can be just in their own backyard, too. It doesn’t even have to be a naturalized area,” says Nathalie Karvonen, a biologist and the executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
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A wary chipmunk eyes our photographer. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
The TWC helps orphaned, injured and sick animals all across the Greater Toronto Area, including Durham.
“We do work with over 270 different species and pretty much all of them can be found in Durham Region at one point in the year or another,” says Ms. Karvonen.
Chris McConnell, a wildlife photographer and nature enthusiast who lives in the south end of Ajax, and also volunteers with TWC, calls Durham’s wildlife “absolutely amazing and it’s one of the reasons that I still live here. I love it for that.” She says a short walk or bike ride from her house can prove fruitful for wildlife sightings. She can find anything from coyotes to foxes to deer in the area.
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A Pickering fox runs back into the wild after being released. The fox had spent almost two months at the Toronto Wildlife Centre recovering from mange. Photo by Chris McConnell
“We’re absolutely blessed with the trail that we have,” she says of Durham’s waterfront. Specifically, she finds the Town of Ajax is allowing areas to become more natural, which draws more dragonflies, butterflies and other wildlife. If she wants a change of scenery, she just hops into her car and drives north until she hits farm country. “My favourite thing to do is just get on the back roads and drive,” says Ms. McConnell. Fellow nature lover and member of the Pickering Naturalists Club, Janice Melendez, feels the same way.
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“I prefer to have closer views so I do a lot of backroading in open fields,” says Ms. Melendez, a Whitby resident and also a volunteer with TWC.
Seagulls take flight. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland Mammals
Chris McConnell’s favourite animals to observe are coyotes, which she finds get a bad reputation when really they’re just trying to survive. She enjoys watching a pair that live near Rotary Park. “Just to study from them and watch them and learn from them is amazing,” she says. Nathalie Karvonen also has a special place in her heart for coyotes.
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Coyote sightings have increased in Durham Region as urban growth intrudes on the natural landscape. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
“I love a lot of wild animals, but coyotes to me are one of the ones that really don’t deserve the reputation that they have. They’re really quite persecuted and are really a harmless animal,” she says. While this wildlife lover understands people fear coyotes -- she’s spoken at many public meetings on the topic -- she points out attacks on humans are rare. “It’s been 10 years since a coyote even nipped someone in the Greater Toronto Area, and that was someone hand-feeding a sick coyote,” she says. “So I mean compared to the dangers that we face every day just getting into our cars, it is such a negligible threat. It is one that I think is really overinflated and, as I say, I think they’ve got a bad rap when in reality they’re just beautiful animals that want to be left alone.”
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There have been incidents of coyotes killing dogs and cats in Durham Region, something that pulls on these animal lovers’ heartstrings. Ms. Karvonen says it’s up to owners to take responsibility for keeping pets safe. She doesn’t allow her own cat to roam. “And there are a lot of predators out there, not just coyotes, that don’t understand the difference between a groundhog, a rabbit, a cat and a chihuahua,” she says. “They’re all the same size. There’s no way, whether it’s a great horned owl, a large hawk or a coyote, they’re going to understand that it’s OK to eat a groundhog, but it’s not OK to eat a cat. Because they’re both out there in the neighbourhood.”
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She finds skunks get the same bad reputation. “They really are the most super gentle animals,” she says. “They virtually never try to bite us when they’re in here and they just want to be left alone to go about their business.” TWC gets a number of calls regarding orphaned squirrels since squirrels only have a mother.
A squirrel, rooting under the snow for a morsel of food, pokes his head up to see who was passing him by along the Waterfront Trail. Celia Klemenz / Metroland.
“Because squirrels are single-parent families, we certainly have to deal with the ramifications of that... If their mother is killed there isn’t any father to take over the rearing of those babies.” This is unlike woodpeckers, Canada geese, foxes and coyotes, which all have two parent-families, for example.
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Ms. Karvonen says some of the other animals that have come into TWC from Durham include beavers, minks, bats, herons, hummingbirds, a lot of warblers, hawks and falcons. They’re often hit by cars, birds fly into windows or hydro lines. A number are shot, or attacked by dogs, cats or humans. Once TWC did a rescue when there was an oil spill in Bowmanville Creek. “We got a lot of oiled beavers and muskrats and minks from there, so oil spills are another issue,” she says. “Any time oil spills into water you have a problem.”
Birds
“They’re beautiful. I love their appearance. I love the fact that they can fly, their will to survive. All they’re trying to do each day is they’re trying to stay alive,” says birder and Pickering Naturalist Janice Melendez.
A chickadee grabs a seed from the railing of the foot bridge over Duffins Creek at Rotary Park. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland 89 Eco Durham Wildlife
The Whitby resident has a special place in her heart for raptors, warblers, osprey and even crows. “Everybody hates crows but I actually love crows,” she says. “They’re incredibly smart. I love watching how crows fly. Their wing beats are phenomenal.” Nature enthusiast Ms. McConnell has a soft spot for owls. She can spot the great horned owl at one of her favourite forests, Thickson’s Woods. “I’ve loved them since I was a little kid,” she says. “They’re very big. They have an innocence and a wisdom to their look but they’re amazing predators. When they fly, depending on species, their wingspan is massive. I’ve had them fly right by my ear before and you hear nothing because of their feathers. They’re absolutely majestic.”
At home in the Second Marsh. Photo by Michael Jurysta
Ms. McConnell has captured on film a number of different birds over the years. They include: a long-eared owl and a red-tailed hawk in south Whitby. She’s also photographed a rough-legged hawk in an industrial lot in south Pickering and osprey in Port Perry. This famous nesting pair of large raptors returns every year.
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Others include a great blue heron at Rotary Park in Ajax and a double-crested cormorant in south Whitby. She photographed the belted kingfisher, a powdery blue-gray, top-heavy bird with a shaggy chest and an energetic flight, at Second Marsh in Oshawa. The secretive Virginia rail stopped by while Ms. McConnell was at Kinsale Marsh in Ajax. “Kinsale is the one that I feel has changed over the years from an ecology standpoint,” she wrote in an e-mail. It used to be teeming with green herons, wood ducks and kingfishers, whereas today, there aren’t as many, she wrote. Rarities she’s captured include the American avocet, both at Pringle Creek in Whitby and Rotary Park in Ajax. She says this rare bird caused quite a stir among birders in the area. Avid birders believe there was just the one bird, present for several weeks, flying back and forth.
Lynde Shores Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
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She’s also snapped a photo of the American white pelican. For two consecutive years this very long and distinctive bird with a large beak made Second Marsh in Oshawa its home for a few weeks, she says. Even though she finds numbers have dwindled in some areas, Ms. McConnell’s sightings suggest Durham Region has no shortage of birds passing through in the spring or fall, or living here year round. According to the Durham Region Field Naturalists, more than 350 species have been recorded in Durham, and around 140 have been known to breed in the region.
Nature enthusiast and columnist Margaret Carney observes a group of Greater Scaups on Lake Ontario at Thickson’s Woods. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
92 Eco Durham Wildlife Durham has a number of diverse and interesting breeding birds as it lies in a transitional zone between the more southerly Carolinian Area and the more northerly Boreal Region. Typical northern species like northern goshawk, red- breasted nuthatch, Canada warbler and white-throated sparrow call the area home, as well as southern species such as the blue-winged warbler and the field sparrow, according the DRFN. “On a day in late August, early September or in May, I can easily get over a hundred species,” says Oshawa resident and biologist Tyler Hoar. At Cranberry Marsh and Lynde Shores, bird lovers flock for the annual hawk watch from August to December. Mr. Hoar, who lives in Oshawa, gets quite the show himself. “When the wind’s right the hawks migrate over my house too,” he says.
Lynde Shores Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer/ Metroland
According to DRFN, in the winter months, Boreal species like snowy owl, black-backed woodpecker and crossbills will sometimes move south into Durham. In the spring, Carolinian species will often overshoot their destinations during migration. Records indicate worm-eating warbler, Kentucky warbler, hooded warbler and yellow-breasted chat have been found in the woodlots along the shoreline. 93 Eco Durham Wildlife
DRFN says since Durham is between the Mississippi and the Atlantic, which are two main North American flyways for migratory waterfowl, birds from both flyways pass through in the spring and fall. Second Marsh’s wetlands in Oshawa, the forest of Darlington Provincial Park and the open meadows of the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve are attractive to birds and exciting for birdwatchers. According to mclaughlinbay.org, between the three, there have been 290 species recorded, 102 of which breed there. Species known to breed there include the stocky and well-camouflaged American bittern, the striking green heron, the slim and long-tailed Northern harrier, and the chunky but strong ruffed grouse. Those that have passed through include osprey, bald eagle, snowy owl and a number of warblers, such as the golden-winged warbler and the pine warbler.
Looked for food in Lake Scugog. Photo by Armando Villanova Ms. Melendez says she not only loves warblers, hawks and osprey, but she enjoys different ducks. “Mallards I think everyone takes for granted, and even blue jays,” she says.
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Birds do face their problems. Not only are they, like many mammals and amphibians, losing their habitat due to development, but cats, the great hunters that they are, have now become a bigger threat than habitat loss for birds, says Nathalie Karvonen of TWC.
Lynde Shores Conservation Area. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
Experts agree cats are a huge threat to the bird population. “A cat has enormous implications for the damage that it does to birds and small mammal populations. Literally on the face of the earth now, it’s surpassed habitat loss as the biggest challenge to birds and small mammals,” says Ms. Karvonen, who not only loves wildlife, but cats too. However she does keep her cat secure in the yard, and keeps her eye on her, when she allows her to go outside. This not only protects the birds, but her cats from predators, such as the coyote.
95 Eco Durham Wildlife “If we acknowledge that that’s happening and we allow them to be out there praying on those animals, then they themselves can be preyed upon too,” she says. “They in essence are becoming a part of the food chain.” Ms. Karvonen says coyotes get a bad reputation, but really, they’re doing what they know, just as cats do when they hunt small animals and birds. Insects Bees
“They’re vital to our existence,” says nature illustrator David Wysotski. “Without bees we’re relying on much less effective pollinators. There are other things that pollinate, including the wind, but there are some species that rely on bees to propagate the food that we rely on.” Most people know about the bumblebee and the honeybee, but many would be surprised to learn there are more than 800 species of wild bees in Canada.
A bee rests on a raspberry leaf at Lunar Rhythm Gardens farm. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
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“Bees are important because they pollinate all of our crops and our plants,” says Mr. Wysotski. “We rely on many pollinators but the vast majority of pollinators I believe are bees. And not just honeybees.” Mr. Wysotski didn’t realize there were many different varieties of bees until he was asked to illustrate them as part of a big project. Then, he started realizing that they’re everywhere, even in his back yard. “There are all these gorgeous creatures that nobody knows about,” he says. While honeybees and bumblebees are great pollinators, they don’t pollinate everything, says Mr. Wysotski. “We really need our wild bees,” he says. Many are so small that if they stung you, the sting would be less than the size of a mosquito bite. Another species people may know about are the carpenter bees. They look like a huge bumblebee, he says, and they drill holes in wood, such as a trellis and wooden buildings. Some of his favourites are sweat bees. “They’re absolutely striking because they have iridescent blues and greens. They’re gorgeous,” he says. And he’s also impressed with the nomad bee, which have red, yellow and black in them. “They’re a really interesting color combination you would never expect a bee to have,” he says. It’s no secret that bees seem to be on the decline in recent years. In nature writer Margaret Carney’s column in August, she wrote that she hadn’t seen a single honeybee all season. Ms. Carney noted many grain seeds are coated with neurotoxic pesticides that stay viable within a plant throughout its growth, thus killing off insects, including honeybees, which feed on its foliage, fruit, pollen or nectar.
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While France, Italy and Germany recently banned the use of neonicotinids to save their honeybees, they’re not yet banned in Canada, although health officials claim to be studying the issue, she said. According to Greenpeace, other reasons for the dramatic decline in bee populations include diseases and parasites, climate change and wider industrial agricultural practices. Some pesticides are real bee-killers. And monocultures and the extensive use of deadly pesticides are of special concern.
“They like to have diversity,” Mr. Wysotski says of wild bees, who also noted monoculture is an issue. Mr. Wysotski says if bees are in decline, they don’t pollinate and if they don’t do that job, the plant will be lost. “Or if it’s a food crop and there are no bees to pollinate the crop, then the crop doesn’t produce food. If it’s an apple tree and there are no bees around to pollinate, then you don’t get apples,” he says, adding it’s important that people realize that bees are needed. He says wild bees are all around in Durham. “My backyard is one of my favourite places to go for bees,” he says. “They’re attracted to my rose bush. The female will cut little circles out of the leaves, fly to her nest and line the inside walls of her nest, like wallpaper.” Mr. Wysotski’s all-time favourite place is the site of the former Cullen Gardens in Whitby, not for its manicured lawns, but for the wild, weedy growth, such as goldenrod. “That’s nature, that’s Canada,” he says. “A lot of our goldenrod and stuff like that are just massive attractors.” He’ll also go to the Butterfly Garden in Oshawa. “It’s three huge gardens geared toward pollinators. So that’s another good spot,” he says. 98 Eco Durham Wildlife Butterflies
It’s not just bees that have been on the decline. Monarch butterflies have been spotted less and less around the region.
A Monarch butterfly, one of many tagged at Darlington Provincial Park. Photo by Peter Redman
Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies can be found in many areas throughout Durham, and even in one’s own backyard if there are the right flowers, but due to urban sprawl in Durham, many butterflies are losing their habitats and the numbers are dwindling. That’s partly why Durham Region Field Naturalists, Durham Organic Gardeners and the City of Oshawa established the Oshawa Butterfly Garden in 2004. Black and tiger swallowtails, alfalfa, monarch, American lady and long dash are just some of the species that can be found on a visit to the oasis.
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An American group that adds up migration observations from the public, Journey North, estimates that monarch numbers have fallen 80 per cent from 2012. Ms. Carney notes in one of her columns that neurotoxic pesticides also contribute to the butterfly decline. And massive amounts of agriculture and climate change are contributors to the butterfly decline as well. She noted they’re always undergoing stresses, from often-illegal logging of the oyamel fir trees high in the mountains of central Mexico where they overwinter, to a war on milkweed, their host plant, declared a “noxious weed” in many agricultural jurisdictions. She says last fall the monarchs that hatch outside of Canada ran into that severe drought in Texas and could find no flowers to nectar on. So 80 per cent fewer showed up in Michoacan, Mexico. The life of a monarch butterfly According to the Orono Crown Lands Trust, if you want to attract and sustain monarch butterflies then you need the necessary ingredients: milkweeds, nectar sources and shelter. Milkweed is required to complete the monarch’s lifecycle. This information on the lifecycle of the butterfly was found on oronocrownlands.com. Life begins on the underside of a milkweed leaf when the female deposits an egg no larger than the head of a pin.
A striped caterpillar emerges three to 12 days later and immediately starts feeding on milkweed plants. Within two weeks the larva will have multiplied its original weight by 2,700 times. The larva sheds its skin five times as it grows. The final shedding occurs when the fully developed caterpillar has stopped eating and located a sheltered perch. Here the larva weaves a dense mat of silk, then grips the fiber while violently dislodging its last larval skin to reveal the pupa, which is like a cocoon.
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James Ingram, 7, had a butterfly released off his nose during a Darlington Tuesday’s on the Trail event at the Darlington Nuclear Waterfront Trail on July 6, 2010. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
This fragile blue-green pouch, studded with gold spots, controls colour in the developing wings. It turns transparent in about two weeks, exposing the features of a grown butterfly. As the adult gingerly exits the chrysalis, it pumps body fluid into its wings. Once expanded, the adult soars away to feast on nectar and propagate a new generation. According to the Oshawa Butterfly Garden’s website, butterflies live two to three weeks on average, except the monarch, which migrates, and can live up to six months.
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Amphibians and reptiles
Reptiles and amphibians are all around us in Durham Region. The eastern garter snake can be found in long grassy areas and turtles and water snakes can be found basking in the sun.
Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
“Snakes like to sun themselves on the road in the morning,” says biologist and Oshawa resident Tyler Hoar. Frogs can be found in places like the Orono Crown Lands and the Nonquon Provincial Wildlife Area in Port Perry.
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A clutch of turtle eggs. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
Snapping turtles exist in the region, the painted turtle and the common snapping turtle in Duffins Creek, for example. But it isn’t unusual to find them near roadways. “Turtles love to nest on the gravel shoulders,” says Mr. Hoar. But drivers should be mindful of them when turtles cross the road, due to their slow pace. In Ontario, roads run parallel to many streams containing populations of wood turtles, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, and female turtles are often killed when seeking a safe place for their eggs. Off-road vehicles are also to blame for many turtle deaths.
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Drivers can help turtles cross. Here’s what the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre says to do to help a turtle crossing: If it’s safe for you, gently move it, with as minimal handling as possible, in the direction it’s going. Once you have moved it across the road, go back a respectful distance if you wish to continue observing it. Most turtles can be picked up carefully with two hands. But be careful helping a snapping turtle across. Keep a safe distance from their head -- they will snap if they feel threatened. An uninjured snapper can be coaxed across the road using a shovel or a board, or by allowing it to bite a long stick and pulling it across the road. If you must pick it up, do so by sliding fingers behind the turtle’s hind legs, with the tail between your hands and gripping the shell between your fingers and thumbs. You may also slide one hand under the turtle’s belly to grab hold of the belly shell. Be mindful that they’re very strong and will squirm and thrash their hind legs, making it difficult to hold on. A snapper’s mouth can reach its midpoint, so do not pick it up near its middle. Never pick up a turtle by the tail because that could damage its spine.
Sadly, there is a worldwide amphibian decline, so residents should be mindful of them. In one of Margaret Carney’s columns, she says she believes cyclists riding through the trails are the culprit of many frog deaths.
On her walks along the trails, she has come across frogs and toads that had been mashed. “Earthworms and woolly-bear caterpillars are one thing; the fact that, planet- wide, our amphibians are in such serious decline makes me cringe whenever I see a frog run over,” she says.
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She says wildlife corridors could be one solution to this problem, which will allow them to make their way safely from one marsh to another.
Adria Wysotski held a toad at the Birds, Beavers and Butterflies Nature Festival at Thickson’s Woods in September of 2012. The event included guided nature walks, bugs and botany, bird banding, beekeeping demonstrations, magic shows, live wild animals, rocks and minerals, astronomy, and arts and crafts. Photo by Stephanie Fodden
Fish
Durham has a variety of different fish communities, but these communities are not without their problems. A number of stewardship groups, such as one at Wilmot Creek, and the Ministry of Natural Resources are taking steps to re- establish Atlantic salmon in Ontario.
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Chris Robinson, Atlantic Salmon Program coordinator for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, gave a bag of salmon to students at Vimy Ridge Public School so they could be released into Duffins Creek on May 16, 2011. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
The ministry says Atlantic salmon could be described, culturally and historically, as Ontario’s most important fish. Its ancestors were saltwater fish that adapted to freshwater after the glaciers retreated. Atlantic salmon once teemed down tributaries into Lake Ontario and became a major food source for early settlers in Upper Canada. This Great Lakes fish species disappeared from Lake Ontario and its tributaries in the late 1800s because of habitat destruction and over-fishing in both its spawning streams and the lake. At Duffins Creek in Pickering, the ministry in 2011 took on a project to create and improve spawning habitat, as part of a broad effort to restore self-sustaining populations of Atlantic salmon.
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Zoe DeGrace and Faith Holmes from Holy Redeemer Catholic School release salmon into Duffins Creek during a program at Brockridge Park. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in conjunction with OPG hosted a creek cleanup and fish stocking event. Ron Pietroniro / Metroland
The project included installing fencing along various stretches of bank in the Duffins Creek watershed to keep cattle from polluting the stream and destroying spawning beds. Crews also planted trees along creek banks to help prevent eroded soil sediments and farm nutrients from entering the water. The additional shade the trees bring also helps lower water temperatures.
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Local groups and schools also take part in salmon releases in order to get the population back up. One example was Grade 6 students from Holy Redeemer Catholic School who, in April, 2013, released 300 Atlantic salmon yearlings into the water as part of the Bring Back the Salmon rehabilitation program. This program was organized by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. At the time, Chris Robinson told the Pickering News Advertiser that Duffin’s Creek is one of only a few Ontario waterways suitable for the fish.
“Before restoration efforts began in the 1960s, native salmon hadn’t been seen since 1898,” he explained, noting initial efforts reintroduced Pacific salmon such as Chinook and Coho rather than Atlantic salmon, which are especially sensitive to the environment. Since 2006 the OFAH, along with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, has been restoring local water habitats to sustain yearly releases of Atlantic salmon.
Another common fish in Durham is the steelhead, or rainbow trout, which are in the salmonid family, Margaret Carney wrote in one of her columns. They fight their way upstream in many of Durham’s waterways each spring to spawn in the gravel beds where they were born, she says. Rather than dying off then, as many Pacific Northwest salmon do, they can live for 10 years or more, and spawn several times. One of great areas for rainbow trout is the Bowmanville Creek, says Ms. Carney.
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How to spot wildlife
Whitby waterfront. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
There are various ways to spot wildlife in Durham. A number of clubs exist, such as Durham Region Field Naturalists, as they have many experienced nature enthusiasts who know where to view animals, and plan a number of outings throughout the year. For Ms. McConnell, who is not part of a group, but has many contacts and friends who view wildlife, she’s just gotten to learn where and when certain animals can be found.
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Hydro One has decided to leave one of its towers in Whitby standing for the remainder of the summer after workers found a family of hawks nesting at the top in 2012. The tower was originally scheduled for removal to accommodate the Hwy. 407 East expansion project. Submitted photo
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“Your eye gets trained to where to look for certain species,” she says. “Once you’ve been doing it, you get to know the tempo of nature I guess.” Other times, if it’s an area she’s less familiar with, she’ll just sort of lurk in the weeds and wait for something to come up. If you’re still and hidden, it’s highly likely the animals will not spot you and they’ll go about their business as usual, which is her favourite way to view it.
Red tail hawk. Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland
But Ms. McConnell asks that those hoping to catch a glimpse respect animals in their natural environment. People will sometimes disrupt wildlife just to get a good photograph, she says.
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Ryan Pfeiffer / Metroland “Sometimes you have to defend the animals because sometimes you get haters who are not kind to them or you’ll get people who call themselves animal lovers or birdwatchers and disrupt them.” Because of this, many animal lovers remain tight-lipped about when and where to find wildlife in the area. Janice Melendez, birder and Pickering Naturalist Club member, says she’s come across “resident baiters” on a number of occasions. These people will buy mice from the pet store and hold them out for the birds to get in order to get a good photograph.
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For example she saw a little kestrel falcon once fly and land right next to her as she was driving, which she found unusual. “They’re usually skittish,” she says. But she later learned that was a falcon that one of the resident baiters normally feeds. “This kestrel was conditioned to seeing an approaching car and associated it with getting fed,” she says. This is dangerous, she says, because these birds can get hit by cars, and they’re becoming reliant on someone feeding them. “I can’t imagine if their food source suddenly stops and they all of a sudden realize, ‘I have to start hunting again,’” she says. And these baiters could be introducing disease because the mice are not native to the area, she says.
For those wishing to get a good picture of wildlife, it’s best to view from afar, get a camera with a really good lens, and let them continue to find their own food. They’ve been doing it for centuries, after all.
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A woman from a protest group, Land over Landings, wears one of the protest buttons from the original organization that protested the Pickering airport project. Torstar photo
Dangers to Durham’s ecological system
What used to be a landscape of valleys, hills, marshes, ponds, creeks, forests and big meadows is morphing, more and more, into highways, airport runways, parking lots, office towers, homes and apartment or condo buildings. Humans and their accompanying development pose risks to Durham Region’s natural heritage areas and the wildlife that live in them.
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Current environmental concerns in Durham include the Pickering airport, for the loss of agricultural land and a host of other factors such as pollution, and the ethanol plant in Oshawa, a concern of Durham Region Field Naturalist president Lois Gillette’s. The ethanol refinery, which is set to include four grain silos, each standing 125 feet high at the Oshawa Harbour, will be adjacent to Second Marsh in Oshawa. Looking through various summaries of Durham’s beautiful natural features, it’s evident that development has always been a concern for environmentalists interested in maintaining the natural beauty and habitats that are vitally important to Durham’s future. For example, according to Durham Sustainability’s research, already in the 1700s, Bowmanville and Westside marshes were exposed to human influences such as land clearing for settlement and agriculture, mining operations and rapid urban expansion. And during the 1800s, one of Bowmanville’s biggest commodities was cordwood for wood-burning steamers on Lake Ontario. In conjunction with land clearing or burning for agriculture and wood harvesting for ship building, the once dense, unbroken forest was quickly reduced to the occasional woodlot. Now in the 2000s, more and more people continue to move into Durham Region, requiring more places to live and work. DSA volunteer Bob Hester believes that as more people become knowledgeable about Durham Region’s special natural areas, more people will start to care.
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“Once people are aware generally, I think you’ll probably find them caring enough to be more gentle with their footprint,” he says. Ms. Gillette says it’s important to make children care too. “We really have to get our children out into nature to enjoy it, appreciate it on all levels,” she says. Nathalie Karvonen, a biologist and the executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre, agrees education is necessary. “I think it is very important to be conscientious of the habitat that we have left,” she says. While it’s great to have tree plantings, people need to realize there are other areas that need to be preserved. “But there’s also other important habitats like meadows and things like that are actually really quite endangered,” Ms. Karvonen says. She says meadows, for example, seem a great place to put a box store to developers, but really they’re a better home to bees and butterflies.
While there are laws that protect specific areas from development, and municipalities have plans in place that stipulate what’s allowed and what isn’t when it comes to development in Durham’s municipalities, municipal governments make the final decisions on a number of factors relating to the environment. This includes land use, keeping green or open space and growth management policies.
“More than ever, decision-makers need to be aware of the interconnectedness of the natural environment and its relationship to social and economic considerations. Municipalities need to be responsible stewards of the land,” says the DSA website. “What they can do is do more than pay lip service to environmental protection,” adds Mr. Hester. 116 Eco Durham Danger
While Durham is filled with local stewardship committees that keep an eye on Durham’s forests, watersheds and trails, individual citizens can also do their part to ensure Durham’s natural areas are respected as the region grows. Ms. Gillette suggests making changes at home. “Personally what you can do is start growing native plants in your own back yard,” she says.
Protestors opposed to an ethanol plant proposed for the Oshawa harbour. Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland
Those concerned with big issues such as the ethanol plant can write to politicians, members of the Ontario Port Authority, which approved the construction, or FarmTech Energy Corporation, the company that owns it. The proposed plant is something Oshawa Mayor John Henry is vehemently opposed to and the City encourages concerned residents to get involved.
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The same goes for the proposed Pickering airport. Residents can attend public meetings, write to their members of Parliament or start petitions. Durham Sustain Ability points out on its website that sitting back won’t do any good. “Do not assume that someone else will save the creek, wetland, waterfront or forest, or ensure clean water or air,” it says. It points out that environmental education, awareness and activism do not mean opposition to development, but that when development takes place, it must be planned and built with minimal impact on the environment, and to plan for growth to strike a balance between economic, social and natural environment interests. In essence, planners, developers and councillors should worry about our rivers, steams, forests and meadows before they consider development applications. Ms. Gillette agrees. “I would like to see politicians get more involved in trying to make sure that development doesn’t take over every bit of land that we have,” she says. Invasive species
Invasive species, which come in many shapes and sizes, continue to pose a risk to Durham’s ecological system. “They can be nasty, insidious and virtually impossible to eliminate,” says Bob Hester of DSA. Invasive species are essentially non-native, or alien, species (plants, animal or micro-organisms) that have been moved from their native habitat to an area where they are not natural. Once in this new habitat and free from the natural controls found in their home territories, some of these non-native species reproduce aggressively. They in turn become invasive and pose a big threat to the environment.
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The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) asks residents not to dump pond plants and pets into the natural ecosystem. Jenny Fulton, a summer student with the Invasive Species Awareness Program Hit Squad, helps remove two truckloads of aquatic invasive species from a pond in the Enniskillen Conservation Area. She has a canoe full of a plant called Frog-bit. Submitted photo
“They remove habitat for native species,” says Mr. Hester. “The native species we have here of animals and whatnot are adapted to the environment that is here. When an invasive species moves in ... it takes over from the native species so other species that depend on native now have less and they don’t know what to use or take advantage of when a plant moves in.” For example, Mr. Hester says monarch butterflies depend on milkweed and can get fooled by dog strangling vine, one of many invasive species in Durham. Or, once garlic mustard moves into a woodlot, it will crowd out native wild flowers, he adds.
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Invasive species are a significant threat to biodiversity, terrestrial and aquatic. Native species are increasingly becoming threatened and endangered. These aliens are one of the leading causes of declines in native species, along with pollution and habitat loss. In Durham, invasive species include garlic mustard, dog strangling vine, purple loosestrife and fragmites. Insects such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian long-horned beetle also threaten Durham.
Members of the Scugog Lake Stewards, Durham Land Stewardship Rangers and student volunteers gather at a test site within Joe Fowler Park to carry out a shoreline erosion protection project. Celia Klemenz / Metroland
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Mr. Hester has a crop of garlic mustard and dog strangling vine in his yard. “Once it’s in it’s really, really hard to get out,” he says. And it’s probably getting worse now, he says, because people are increasing in their mobility and their ability to transport them. “Once a species becomes established it will spread,” he says. While it is possible to remove patches of these invasive species, it’s really tough. Dog strangling vine can be pulled. But it reproduces by its roots and runners under the soil, or by the seed, says Mr. Hester. Seeds are easy to transport. When people go into certain areas, without knowing it, they can track species’ seeds from one area to another, where they’ll most likely reproduce.
Purple loosestrife is an invasive plant that started off innocently enough. The wetland plant is native to Europe and Asia and was brought to North America in the early 19th century.
“It was like a garden plant and it stayed for quite a long time in the garden so I’ve read, then it just took off from there,” says Mr. Hester. It’s possible to move invasive species around locally too. For example, people could go through an area with invasive species, then go to a pristine area, and track them in. In Rouge Park for example, Mr. Hester says there are dandelions on the edge of the trail near his house, and it’s largely because people have tromped in seeds. “The obvious solution is to be careful of how you move things around,” he says. For example, insects such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian long- horned beetle can hitch a ride on firewood, and can be transported for hundreds of kilometres. Even without this method of transportation, they’re already excellent at reproducing themselves.
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“Out of knowledge comes caring and out of caring comes action,” Mr. Hester says. It can be extremely difficult and expensive to remove an invasive species once it has become established. Control measures used to combat established invaders are costly and may harm the environment. Therefore, preventing the introduction of invasive species is difficult but less expensive, says DSA. It also causes minimal harm to the environment and is the best way to prevent long-term harm to native ecosystems. The first step in addressing the invasive species issue is to know that the species are a problem, to learn to recognize them and to avoid using them, such as when gardening or landscaping. According to DSA, people can wash off vehicle treads after off-road drives to prevent spreading seeds of invasive plants. They can clean off their shoes after hikes or walks for the same reason. Boat enthusiasts can thoroughly clean boats and boat engines when moving from one body of water to another. For more tips and information on invasive species, visit sustain-ability.ca/ resources/invasive-species/invasive-species-in-durham. There is a wealth of information available on invasive species that are, or could become, a problem in Durham Region. If an invasive species is found on private property, there are steps the landowner can take to eliminate or at least control it. If an invasive species is found on public property, individuals can inform the agency that controls the property, volunteer to assist in controlling it and they can do their best to prevent spreading the species to other locations.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have teamed up to provide extensive information at invadingspecies.com. The federation also operates an invading species hotline (1-800-563-7711) that can be called to report an invasive species or to learn more about them.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to Margaret Carney, local nature writer and birder, for pointing me in the right direction, and to some of the great people in this book, to help me take on this project. Her weekly columns in Metroland Durham Region Ltd. papers have also been helpful throughout this process. This eBook would not be possible without the extensive research that has been done by Durham Sustain Ability, the Durham Region Field Naturalists, the Region of Durham, local conservation authorities and not-for-profit groups and volunteers with a goal to keep Durham green. For the willingness of local naturalists and experts to share information with me, I am thankful, and I feel my own appreciation for Durham’s environment and wildlife will grow as a result of all I have learned. And I’m truly grateful that people with a passion for nature and the ecological system exist. I feel confident they will continue striving toward keeping Durham a wonderful place for its residents, of all species. And I’m hopeful that it will pass on to generations to come. --Kristen Calis
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About the Author
Kristen Calis covers education and writes a weekly pet column for the Metroland Media Group in Durham Region.
She has won numerous awards for her reporting, including a first-place Canadian Newspaper Award for education writing in 2013. She grew up in Ajax and currently lives in Oshawa. From the time she was little, she has always enjoyed taking a walk along Durham’s waterfront.
124 Eco Durham Copyright Notice
© Metroland Media Group Ltd., Durham Region division. All rights reserved 865 Farewell St., Oshawa, ON L1H 6N8
Publisher: Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief: Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor: Mike Johnston Author: Kristen Calis Photographers: Sabrina Byrnes, Celia Klemenz, Jason Liebregts, Ryan Pfeiffer, Ron Pietoniro, Laura Stanley, Walter Passarella, Armando Villanova, Michael Jurysta, Peter Redman, Chris McConnell, Leanne Price, Stephanie Ford, Hydro One, CLOCA Eco Durham: ISBN: ePub 978-1-927696-32-3 Mobi 978-1-927696-33-0 PDF 978-1-927696-34-7
Look for future e-reports at durhamregion.com Eco Durham Also from our journalists
Haunted Durham
Fascinating People from Durham
Flights or Farms
Dark Days: Living with a Concussion
Up from the Ground
Thanks, Mom!
Grandview Thirty-One
86,400 Seconds
The Sky was Crying: The Killing of Kegan Davis
Maverick: George R. James, The Man Behind Oshawa’s Pleasure Valley Ranch
Durham: A Year in Pictures (2012)
Durham: Newsmakers of The Year (2012)