Catch a glimpse of wildlife this summer at Ontario nature hot spots
A young eastern hog-nosed snake attempts to look threatening.
Thames Valley Trail allows you to explore nature in the rural countryside and in the heart of a large city. The Thames Valley Trail follows a meandering 130kilometre path along the Thames River, one of southern Ontario’s major waterways. The river’s three main branches — known today as the North, Middle and South Thames. The trail follows these branches through diverse habitats in the Carolinian Forest Region, in which a wide range of plant species thrive.
In spring, populations of trilliums and other wildflowers explode in the forests, while the pungent smell of early-blooming skunk cabbage permeates the air in swampy wetlands. In open areas, you’ll find everything from meadow herbs to cultivated crops.
The North Branch and South Branch meet at The Forks in the heart of the City of London, and flow through downtown parks. Thanks to these green spaces, urban wildlife, from rabbits and groundhogs to white-tailed deer and coyotes, flourish.
The sight of an eastern spiny softshell turtle sunning itself along the muddy banks is a special treat. With its pancakeshaped leathery shell and long, pointed nose, this threatened reptile is extremely distinctive. Much of its habitat has been lost to shoreline development, so Ontario’s softshells are left to depend on sites like the Thames to survive.
There are many spots from which hikers can access the trail along its length. Start at London’s Ivey Park, follow the river northward to Harris Park, and then cross the river at Blackfriars Street. Wander the opposite bank back south to Riverside Park. Kensington Bridge returns you to your starting point.
The St. Williams Conservation Reserve is part of the Norfolk Sand Plain, a delta that formed on the northern shore of Lake Erie after the retreat of the last ice age’s glaciers. Early pioneers eventually settled much of this land, clear-cutting populations of native trees and plants over time and exposing the sandy soil to the elements. The St. Williams Forestry Project was established more than a century ago to grow and plant seedlings in an effort to stabilize what had effectively become desert areas. As one of the first projects in Canada, it serves as a model for subsequent initiatives.
Made up of oak woodland, oak savannah, forest, wetlands and sand barrens, the St. Williams Conservation Reserve is located on Crown land within the Long Point Biosphere Preserve. With more than 1,000 hectares at two sites, the reserve is a multi-use area that supports a great number of Canadian species at risk. Today, it is being managed to restore and preserve the richly diverse Carolinian habitats and flora and fauna populations that once flourished here.
While exploring the trails, keep your eye open for one of Ontario’s most beautiful and endangered woody plants, the eastern flowering dogwood. This small tree is alive with large blooms in May. Interestingly, the white “petals” on the four-parted flowers are not petals at all but bracts, leaf-like structures that have taken on the petal’s job of attracting pollinators with their showy colour. The familiar poinsettia and bougainvillea plants share the same characteristic.
Another St. Williams denizen to watch for is the eastern hognosed snake. When attacked, it hisses, makes a striking motion, flattens its neck and even plays dead. It’s a harmless display intended to discourage potential predators. Unfortunately, in recent years, this snake has moved from threatening to threatened as its population has declined; a research project at St. Williams is focused on how to preserve this intriguing Ontario species.