Niagara Nature

Welcome to Niagara: a luminous green haven lying between the southern shores of Lake Ontario and the northern shores of Lake Erie, with the majestic Niagara Escarpment its defining geological trait.

Begin your Niagara experience, if you like, with the Bruce Trail, Canada’s longest and oldest footpath, which follows the entire length of the escarpment starting at Queenston Heights Forest in Niagara-on-the-Lake. At any point along the trail, expect epiphanies of wonder and delight as cozy, low-lit areas give way to brilliant, sparkling scenes; as rare plants come into view, all innocent and virginal; as waterfalls and hidden pools beckon; and as animals of all description, undaunted and untamed, appear and disappear, in the twinkling of an eye.

Deep in Queenston Heights Forest, catch a glimpse (if you’re lucky!) of a Hooded Warbler or Southern Flying Squirrel. In the thickets of Shorthills Provincial Park, southwest of St. Catharines, discover rare and beautiful trees such as Paw Paw and Flowering Dogwood. At Ball’s Falls Heritage Conservation Area near Vineland, savor the serenity as you hike through leafy glades and view the breathtaking upper and lower waterfalls of Twenty Mile Creek.

The Bruce Trail connects many natural areas such as these as it curves around Lake Ontario before heading north to the Bruce Peninsula. And even these natural areas, numerous as they are, are only a taste of what Niagara has to offer when it comes to things deliciously loamy and lyrical, things sweetly, wildly alive and green.

The Niagara Gorge, for example, is a stunning natural destination, complete with raging waters, fascinating fossils and rare flora and fauna including, in the latter category, the endangered Northern Dusky Salamander. Feel nature’s pulse and soak up the beauty as you hike down to the swirling waters of the Niagara River, downstream from the famous Niagara Falls, which the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment, long ages ago, helped to form.

Fortunately, even though Niagara is part of the Golden Horseshoe, the most populated area in Canada, the Niagara Greenbelt protects much of the region from urban development. Watch for Niagara Greenbelt signs as you travel through countryside and tender fruit and grape land on the northern end of the Niagara peninsula.

The Niagara Escarpment, designated a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is also a protected area. The World Biosphere Reserve designation recognizes the escarpment’s unique ecological and geological traits and the commitment of the Government of Ontario to protect it as a substantially natural area.

Other sneak peeks

•    Near Fonthill ~ St. John’s Conservation Area, a lush, mature woodland with a spring-fed pond where you can fish for rainbow trout; and, encircling the pond, a wheelchair-accessible path and boardwalk
•    In Welland ~ Merritt Island, a surprisingly serene natural area located steps from downtown between the Welland Recreational Waterway and Welland River
•    In Pelham ~ The highest viewpoint between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie; and the Comfort Maple Conservation Area, home to Canada’s oldest and finest sugar maple tree
•    Near Port Colborne ~ Wainfleet Bog and Mud Lake Conservation Area, both thriving examples of wetland ecosystems
•    In Thorold ~ Mel Swart-Lake Gibson Conservation Park, an attractive waterfront park with large track around the perimeter and boardwalk built out into the lake
•    In St. Catharines ~ Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site, an innovative nature reclamation project complete with trails and interpretive stations

Special events sampling

•    Spring ~ North American hawk migration, Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby
•    November ~ Gull Festival along Niagara River Corridor

Websites to assist you further

•    Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority at www.npca.ca for information on conservation areas and special events  
•    Bruce Trail Conservancy at brucetrail.org for an interactive trail map and trail-related special events
•    Niagara Escarpment Commission at www.escarpment.org for information on the escarpment’s geology and ecology and its World Biosphere Reserve status