Heron Trail

Wetlands, such as those along the Heron Trail, are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Wetlands are especially important to nesting waterfowl. While walking down the board walks you can observe artificial nesting structures (wood duck boxes) placed to enhance waterfowl nesting during April and early May.

Sapsucker Holes
Sapsuckers drill neat rows of holes, remove the nutritious inner bark and later eat the sap that has run out and the insects trapped in it.

White Elm
The White Elm, was once widespread throughout the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence forest region. By 1959, Dutch Elm Disease (a fungal disease spread by the Elm Bark Beetle) had made the White Elm a rare sight all across Southern Ontario and Quebec.

Wild Grape / Virginia Creeper
The similar looking fruits of these familiar vines are ripe by late summer. Those of the five-leafed Virginia Creeper are poisonous while wild grapes are edible.

Wild Parsnip
Careful! The combination of wet or sweaty skin, contact with the leaves and exposure to sunlight may result in a rash similar to poison ivy.

Life On The Edge
This part of the trail marks an area where two habitats meet and is called an "edge". Edges provide animals with the best of both worlds and, therefore, usually support a greater number of species.

Goldenrod
In late summer to early fall, whole fields can glow with flowering Goldenrod This is often not appreciated by allergy sufferers, but they shouldn't blame the insect-pollinated Goldenrod. Also blooming is the culprit, wind-pollinated Ragweed.

Black Ash
Baskets can be woven from Black Ash wood. The wood is prepared by pounding a wet block until is separates into slats along the annual growth rings.

Arrowheads
These wetland plants have variable arrow-shaped leaves (some are broad, others are narrow) and white flowers with three roundish petals. Edible potato-like tubers form at the ends of underground runners.

Purple Loosestrife
An alien (non-natve) species that has become a problem. With about 100 seeds per capsule and 900 capsules per healthy plant, it's no wonder that it is spreading and crowding out valuable native plants.

Wild Sarsaparilla / Bunchberry
Sarsaparilla roots were brewed by settlers into root beer and medicinal tea. Bunchberry fruits can be eaten raw or cooked like pudding.

White Birch
Note the white, paper-like bark with small lines called lenticels. These lines are areas where the bark tends to break. Therefore, when building canoes, Indians would choose the birch bark with the least lenticels

Bur Oak / Red Oak
Acorns from the large trees on either side of the trail provide food (mast) for mice, squirrels, chipmunks and deer. Bur Oak leaves have rounded lobes while the Red Oak leaves have bristle-tipped lobes.

Silver Maple
Silver Maple grows best on rich, moist soil such as in this temporary pond. The toothed leaves have five lobes with deep notches between the lobes. The species is used for street planting and as an ornamental.

Tree Blowdown
The loss of a single, huge tree or a small group of trees from wind, rot or lightning creates a hole in the canopy. The sunlight that now reaches the forest floor allows saplings to spring up and eventually fill the gap.

Ostrich Fern
This large fern grows in vase-shaped clumps. The tall, green sterile leaves and the much shorter, brown fertile leaves are both plume-shaped. The fertile fronds can be seen throughout the winter. Ostrich Fern fiddle-heads can be added to salads or boiled.

Beaver Felled Trees
Trees this size can come down overnight! October sees the beaver at its busiest - harvesting the winter food supply. A beaver's winter diet consists entirely of bark; about 20 ounces a day for an adult beaver. The preferred species are aspens and poplars.

White Spruce / Balsam Fir
Two coniferous (evergreen) trees that look much the same. Closer inspection reveals the square leaves (needles) of the White Spruce growing on all sides of the twig and the flat Balsam Fir needles only on either side of the twig.

Wood Duck Nesting Box
Wood Ducks nest in tree cavities. As there is a lot of competition for these sites, the Sanctuary has supplied the ducks with artificial nests.

Cattail Marsh
Cattails often grow in large colonies in wetland areas. These cattail masses provide ideal nesting habitat for many marsh birds, including the Virginia Rail, Sora Rail, Common Snipe, Marsh Wren and Red-winged Blackbird.

White Cedar Grove
The cedar groves in the Sanctuary provide winter food and shelter for the more than 100 White-tailed Deer that winter here. Snow blanketing the trees creates a layer of insulation and blocks out cold winds.

This information piece is funded by the Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation and its customers. To find out how you can participate, visit your local Canada Trust branch.