Going On A Swamp Walk

GOING ON A SWAMP WALK

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 (Napanee Beaver)

Friday, February 23, 2007 (Picton Gazette)

A “Winter Swamp Walk” doesn’t, at first, sound like the most glamourous event to attend. And it probably isn’t if it were to be held at any other time of the year. I did a swamp walk, for a client, several times last year, walking through water up to my waist in places, as I surveyed the property for flora and fauna. It became a necessary exercise, in order to reach the back end of the property, where much of the survey was to take place.

However, a swamp walk in the winter is different. It is actually very pleasant, as I found out a week or two ago. The wooded swamp, primarily silver maples, is located at 2800 County Road 1, otherwise known as Scoharie Road, in Prince Edward County. Ron and Nancy Fox are the proud owners of this vast treed area and reaching its depths entailed nothing more than following a well worn ATV trail into the woodlot to areas where firewood was being cut. Several times I had to remind myself that I was actually walking on ice, as this is a flooded swamp, certainly a better walking environment that more resembled a paved road than it did anything else.

Winter can be silent in a woodlot if it is wildlife we are seeking. Wildlife, birds especially, tend to travel in small communal groups, and encountering them at any point during a walk, is a matter of luck. Seldom do we find singles of anything. A hairy woodpecker drumming away on an overhanging branch high above us in a silver maple somewhat broke that theory, but there are always exceptions to every rule.

For the presence of others, it was a matter of keeping our eyes open for signs. Cottontail rabbit tracks, squirrel tracks, and in one spot in a more exposed area, the tell “tail” signs of a white-footed mouse, the drag mark from its long tail clearly visible in the snow as the signs suddenly disappeared into a wood pile. There was evidence that pileated woodpeckers had been here, but not recently.

Mostly, on this day, it was the enchantment of the walk. The silence was almost mind boggling on this absolutely windless day, the only sounds filtering through being the occasional creek of a tree as it responded to the temperatures. One tree had a recent “frost crack”, its bark split from top to bottom. Resulting from sunscald, the crack resulted from daytime sun warming the southern exposure of the tree, the plummeting night time temperature causing the bark to split. We hear these resounding cracks often if we walk a woodlot in late afternoon or evening.

We also explored cavity trees and “snags,” a rather generic term applied to any tree or part thereof, containing cavities. These are essential to wildlife, many species not possessing the ability like woodpeckers to excavate their own cavity. The importance of snags cannot be over estimated, and woodlot owners today are conscious of their contribution in the natural scheme of things, and routinely leave these when managing a woodlot.

We passed by several yellow birches, easily separated from the more familiar white birch, even in winter, by the dull, somewhat soiled yellow appearance of the bark. We found some trees that had formed peculiar elbow shapes, known by many as “widow makers,” and trees that were old and gnarled as a testament to the challenges of nature. Others had impressive outgrowths – burls, they’re called, peculiar and highly figured growths . They are largely unexplained, but are believed to be caused from irritants in the wood. We have all likely seen decorative bowls that have been turned on the wood lathe from these peculiar growths.

Anyway, we want to share with you some of these things we saw the other day. The Prince Edward Land Stewardship will be hosting a Winter Swamp Walk at 2800 County Road 1, at 1:30 p.m., on February 25^th. Joining me on this informative walk will be Forester Dan Korchuck, and a number of other knowledgeable woodlot individuals. This will be an unique opportunity to walk a treed swamp and learn about its history with owners Ron and Nancy Fox, and hear about its economic and environmental importance. You will also gain a better understanding about the wildlife that lives in a wooded swamp such as this, and about a number of very simple, basic, common sense ideas that woodlot owners can incorporate in making their woodlot more attractive to wildlife inhabitants such as cottontail rabbits, barred owls, woodpeckers and a host of others that depend on our good management of woodlots for their survival. Ideas such as leaving snags, building and not burning brush piles. You will learn about the burls we saw, and I will help you interpret any tracks we find, and learn what else is not far away by examining subtle signs we find such as scats and other signatures that animals leave behind.

What better way to enjoy the winter than by taking a swamp walk with us. Admission is free so bring the whole family. However, we would like to know how many are coming, so you can register your interest in the Winter Swamp Walk by calling The Prince Edward County Stewardship Council coordinator Andy Margetson at 613-478-5400, or e-mail andy.margetson@mnr.gov.on.ca .