November Moments At Vanderwater

NOVEMBER MOMENTS AT VANDERWATER

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 (Napanee Beaver)

Friday, November 16, 2007 (Picton Gazette)

There is some sort of emotional connection between November and Vanderwater Conservation Area. I can’t really put my finger on it – it could be the gentle rippling of the Moira River that always seems to filter through the trees. It could be the mysterious fungi growing under the red pines, or the last remaining leaves on the deciduous trees as you ascend the final rise and reach the summit at the conservation area’s south end and gaze upon the phantasmagoria of colour and scenes unfolding below you. And it might be something as innocuous as a lingering robin scratching amongst the leaf litter, or as succinct as the resident barred owl passing before your eyes in a fleeting moment.

Often it is just the history which comes more alive as the leaves fall from the trees and remnants of the past come into view. The paved road at the conservation area’s far end, beyond the locked gate, tells a story of something that took place here, and if you look carefully, it all becomes apparent. Spaced strategically apart are small clearings, and it is here where campers once set up their tents in this former campground section of the conservation area. Situated as it is within a stone’s throw of the Moira River, it was a popular destination in its heyday. There are other signs of the past there too – a rusting pump, campsite posts in decay and little side roads that gave campers options of where they could set up. Today, it is a popular two-kilometre walking trail for pet owners, and also horseback riding, as evidenced by droppings on the ground, an added bonus that Nature can always use.

However, there are other trails too, almost nine kilometres’ worth, that serve as cross country ski trails in the winter, but popularly followed during the warmer months by enthusiastic hikers. It is these trails that we follow every year at this time as we search out those last remaining kinglets flitting among the pines, or the unusual earthstar, an intriguing leathery fungus, actually a puffball, of which the outer wall of the spore-bearing body expands, then explodes into a star-like pattern. References claim it is edible, but most who find it prefer to photograph its unusual shape, and remember it that way. You have to be there at the right time for this one.

Likely conversations among the hikers caused us to miss the bladdernuts, although we did see one on the last leg of our hike. It is a shrub, not particularly common in this area, noted for its peculiar three angled fruit that droop like brown ornaments on a Christmas tree – in this case, a deciduous one. We find them on hillsides and riverbanks so it is not surprising they occur here. The trails here open up a world of the unusual. On one spring walk several years ago, we came upon a musk turtle that also goes by the unflattering name, stinkpot. They are also called skillpots or stinking-jims. The rare turtle is aptly named for it protects itself through chemical warfare by excreting a foul, musky secretion from two glandular openings on each side of the body. There is also ground cedar along the trails – Locopodium, if you want the technical version, that is actually a species of club moss, but more closely related to the ferns. This little ground cover which resembles white cedars in miniature reproduces through spores and runners. References say that is quite inflammable and was apparently used in the explosive powder of early cameras.

The conservation area is named after Colonel Roscoe Vanderwater, who served as Chairman of the Moira River Conservation Authority (now Quinte Conservation) from 1948 to 1957. It was largely through his interest that the local conservation authority was formed. A plaque commemorating Vanderwater may be found at one of the parking lots beside the river. Low water levels on this sunny day had several of us exploring the dry riverbed. We came across one young lad out in the middle of the riverbed, using the dry surface as a convenient stage from which to perform graceful karate type movements in slow motion, resembling a progressive martial arts form. It was very graceful and we watched the young boy for several moments until others out on the flat rock surface drew our attention away from him. They were following rivulets of water as they made their way along the cracks and surfaces of the now dry riverbed, then finding an opening somewhere, the water would disappear and not appear to emerge anywhere nearby. It was difficult to imagine that this dry riverbed would be a raging torrent of water in the spring.

Vanderwater Conservation Area, at 635 acres, has much to offer the visitor, whether a hiker, a river watcher or someone whose passion is photography. There are mysteries, like the “Demonstration Pond” the original purpose of which has been lost through the years, and the predictables such as the changing forest scene, and the leaves stubbornly clinging to the beech trees. There is still time for that last kick at the can before winter arrives, and Vanderwater is sure to leave you with a day’s experience that will be long remembered.

Vanderwater Conservation Area is located about 30 minutes north of Belleville, off Highway 37 at Thomasburg. Take Vanderwater Road east for three kilometres, and the entrance is just past the bridge over the Moira River. And keep your eyes peeled for the barred owls that will make your visit complete.