‘Bog Walk’ trail in works for Alberton, April 17 2002, Fort Frances Times
The Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists jumped their first hurdle last Wednesday night when Alberton council agreed to support the club’s proposed “Bog Walk” interpretative trail.
Club president Bill Morgenstern gave a presentation to council outlying plans for a section of land near Whitmore Road and Peat Moss Road—specifically, part of the southeast quarter and part of the southwest quarter of section eight of the town plan.
Morgenstern said the field naturalists have been observing the area for years and have seen many signs of life, including wild plants and animals.
The proposed observation pavilion and information station would overlook a beaver pond, with tag alders and spruce on the other sides of the triangular structure.
“It’s an interesting place to see ecology and, being close enough to town, it can be accessed readily by schools to see how wetlands can work,” Morgenstern explained.
The first stage of development was to come up with an action plan, he noted. After addressing council, the group now will contact adjacent landowners to let them know their short-term objectives.
They’ll also try to secure funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The club’s mission statement for this project is to benefit the public. A cost estimate and feasibility study will be done to ensure it’s feasible to Alberton.
One of the most important parts of the project, Morgenstern said, was to see if there would be any adverse effect on the private and Crown land in the area.
“We don’t want to have a negative effect,” he stressed.
In the long-term, the group is looking to secure funding. Alberton Coun. Doug Mitchell suggested the field naturalists perhaps could team up with the Rainy Lake Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited.
Morgenstern said another possibility is a partnership with the school board. “It’s a great outdoor school. It would be a great project for students,” he enthused, adding students could help with species identification.
Phase one of construction would include the development of 370 metres of walking trail, with a species index along that stretch.
“We’d look at whether construction would be harmful . . . [to] the natural environment,” Morgenstern said.
Phase two would see a parking area developed for construction and school groups, with phase three to take place after the initial construction.
The trail would go into Crown land to the north and the group would need permission from the MNR.
“After phase three, then it’s the biggest part: ongoing maintenance and liability issues,” Morgenstern said.
Reeve John Milling first suggested tabling a resolution to support the “interesting project,” but all the councillors thought it was a great idea and so passed a resolution supporting the project—provided the field naturalists can secure funding.
“Especially now with the school closing, it’s a good way to get the kids back to nature,” said Coun. Bill Morrison, adding the field naturalists should try and get sponsorships from local businesses.
‘Bog Walk’ cleanup in quest for funding , September 18, 2002, Fort Frances Times
About two dozen people gave up their sunny Saturday afternoon to help clean up the proposed “Bog Walk” site in Crozier.
Eight members of the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, coupled with at least 15 youth from the local Junior Conservation Club, collected two pickup trucks worth of garbage.
“We went to the bog area where we’re going to be developing the trail and we cleaned up all the trash along the road—about 100m leading up to the site and at the head of site,” noted RRVFN president Bill Morgenstern.
“People have been dumping stuff there for years,” he added.
The volunteers collected old transmissions, tools, toilet bowls, and even bags full of needles, completely cleaning out the area.
After the youths left, the remaining adults walked the trail back into the bog and brushed out along the trail.
“We looked at the trail and tried to decide what other work we need to do in the future as far as making it effective as well as looking out for the natural ecosystem,” Morgenstern said.
He added such events are integral to find funding. “Once we start looking for funding, people can see we’re actually involved and doing things on our own,” he explained.
The RRVFN also is appreciative of the community support it’s received so far.
“[Alberton council] is totally in support. It’s absolutely wonderful to have that kind of support from the municipality,” said Morgenstern. “And the kids out there cleaning on Saturday, that was totally unexpected.”
The proposed “Bog Walk” would be on a section of land near the intersection of Whitmore Road and Peat Moss Road in Crozier—an area known for its many sightings of wild plants and animals, as well as having a beaver pond.
Local group developing bog walk, October 15, 2003, Fort Frances Times
Cool but sunny weather greeted a group of local naturalists earlier this month as they converged on a bog as part of an ongoing project to protect one of nature’s water filters.
The Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, in co-operation with Alberton Township, have been developing a bog walk at the west end of Whitmore Road over the past year in an effort to protect the valuable wetland.
On Oct. 4, the group was at the location to distribute five yards of gravel throughout the site—donated by the township—to improve the trail and create a small parking area at the trailhead.
The Bog Walk Interpretive Trail is a fledgling project.
This spring, the group put up a permanent sign at the trailhead. On Saturday, they did the trail work. But there still is a lot to be accomplished.
“It is a slow process,” said RRVFN president Bill Morgenstern.
The goal of the group is to create a tourism-worthy interpretive trail with some boardwalks—to help keep feet dry—and an observation deck for viewing wildlife and the scenery.
There will be interpretive signs with information about the area, about bogs, and about the flora and fauna one might come across.
There eventually also will be a triangular boardwalk loop out over the pond at the trailhead and through a wooded area adjacent to the bog. Part of this loop would be wheelchair accessible.
“The importance of the bog walk is, hopefully, it will be an interpretive trail used to increase the awareness of the importance of wetlands,” Morgenstern said. “Some people don’t realize how this wetland area affects them directly.
“Again that’s part of the educational value.”
Morgenstern said a big issue these days is groundwater pollution. “That’s why wetlands are important. They control that [pollution] like the kidneys in the body.”
The group has been given permission by Alberton Township to use a road right-of-way that extends west from the end of Whitmore Road to the boundary of Alberton and La Vallee townships.
“We have had good support from the municipality of Alberton,” Morgenstern said. “They have passed a resolution to support us in what we’re doing.”
Along the northern boundary of this right-of-way is the peat bog. It is located on Crown land, as is most of the wetland area north and west of the right-of-way.
The portion of the bog that is immediately accessible from the trailhead has been undisturbed for roughly 50 years. In it is a wide variety of plant and animal life, but more importantly, it is a unique example of the effects of peat extraction on a bog and how it can effect the environment.
One of the primary goals of the group is to open up the bog for educational purposes, especially for local schools. “[We want it] used as an educational tool so people can see what wetlands are all about,” Morgenstern said.
“It will show what happens when peat extraction takes place,” he added. “People can see how long it takes to regenerate.”
As an added bonus, it was determined during an environmental assessment of the area by Northern Bioscience of Thunder Bay in July that part of the bog to the west of the trailhead is untouched—and so is more than likely home to provincially-significant and rare plant and animal species.
“One of the things Northern Bioscience said when it did the environmental assessment was there is a potential for it to have provincial significance,” noted Morgenstern.
“The other thing they felt made this an important site is that there is easy access to a population base.
“It’s a unique site,” he added, saying the bog looks different than most in the area. “It reminds me of what you’d see along the James Bay coast.”
The RRVFN currently is in the process of jointly applying for a Trillium grant for funding to develop the bog site as an educational and tourism site. Its partners in the application process, though nothing is signed as yet, are the Rainy Lake Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The club had passed a resolution at its September meeting to work with any group interested in preserving the wetland. Both of these ones have shown strong interest.
“The Rainy Lake Conservancy, in collaboration with the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, is applying for an Ontario Trillium grant to fund the construction of a boardwalk/interpretive trail and kiosk to display educational materials to the public,” noted Phyllis Callaghan, president of the Rainy Lake Conservancy.
“The interpretive bog walk will be part of a larger initiative by the group and other local partners to identify and conserve the unique natural heritage features of Northwestern Ontario.”
“We’re just waiting for the draft copy [of the application] to make input on it,” Morgenstern added.
There is some urgency to begin the development of the site—one of the reasons for Saturday’s work bee—because a company has begun eyeing the peat in the bog for extraction.
Morgenstern said Rainy River Peatlands Inc. has approached the RRVFN for a copy of their environmental assessment, and has begun looking for private land to locate a peat processing plant and extraction pit.
He even indicated the company originally was eyeing a portion of the bog walk site for peat storage and processing.
The last discussions between Rainy River Peatlands Inc. and the RRVFN were several months ago. The status of its operation is unknown at present.
Morgenstern said the company’s plan to extract peat from the area includes a 30-year timetable and will see water levels slowly lowered.
“If they do indeed extract peat and follow their plan to draw down water, what it’s going to do is affect the hydrology of the system,” Morgenstern warned.
He explained that to extract the peat, the water must slowly be drained and then as the peat dries, it is extracted. There’s an estimated six metres of peat in the richest areas.
Morgenstern said the lowering of water levels won’t just affect the surrounding sensitive wetlands.
“It’s going to affect people’s wells in the area,” he said, adding that the water system is connected from Highway 11 south to River Road. “Those are the things to look out for. Everything is connected.”
He hopes significant progress can be made in developing the site so that these issues can be avoided—and a significant tourist attraction can be created.
“If people are interested, I don’t mind taking them for a walk in the bog,” he offered, adding, “We have people here in our community that are consulted by Trillium if a grant application is to proceed.
“I would like to see those people come see the site.”
Bog walk trail officially opens, July 12, 2006, Fort Frances Times
fter continuous development for several years, the first phase of the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail, located about 12 km west of Fort Frances, officially was opened to the public by the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists on Thursday evening.
“It’s a great educational opportunity for students to come here and learn,” enthused bog trail committee member Ahlan Johanson. “And it’s not too far from Fort Frances.”
Ilka Milne, a fellow committee member, added the trail will give the public a chance to understand the value of wetlands and nature, as well as provide an opportunity to attract tourists to the area.
She noted work on the interpretive trail began in 2002 when RRVFN member Bill Morgenstern fell in love with the bog.
“But there was a lot of work to do,” she added.
The group had to develop a design for the trail, pamphlet, and signage, as well as construct a parking lot, install a beaver baffler system, assemble a boardwalk, and obtain funding for the project.
“And before this site looked like anything, there was garbage that needed to be cleared,” said Milne, noting the local “Get Outdoors” youth club assisted with the task.
The group also helped install the beaver baffler system.
“We found the boardwalk underwater and wanted to be sure we could access it,” she explained about why the drainage system needed to be installed.
“If you ever have the chance to see a child put this in, please do,” Milne told the group of nature enthusiasts gathered for the opening ceremony. “It’s really neat.”
Besides the “Get Outdoors” club, Milne also thanked the Township of Alberton, RRVFN members, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Rainy Lake Conservancy, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Rainy River Future Development Corp. for their contributions to the bog walk project.
Brian Kahler, a volunteer with the Ontario Trillium Foundation, congratulated the organizations on the goals they’ve achieved since receiving their $48,900 grant from the Foundation two years ago.
“You’ve taken this area and turned it into something the people of the district can appreciate and enjoy,” he remarked, adding they also have managed to ensure preservation of natural heritage and a clean water supply.
Milne said she wanted to give a special mention to the memorial fund started in memory of Victor Raiche.
“It’s wonderful to have the no-strings-attached funds, and the faith we will hold to our mission and do the right thing with the money,” she enthused before introducing Raiche’s granddaughter, Wanda Botsford, who also was representing local MP Ken Boshcoff at the opening.
“My grandpa had an infectious love of nature, so this seemed like a good place to donate the money,” Botsford said. “The results are here, all you have to do is look around.”
To date, there are seven interpretive stations along the trail and a pamphlet to identify various plant and wildlife species along the self-guided tour.
Small Cranberry, Tamarack, Wild Calla Lily, Manitoba Maple, Bog Laurel, and Labrador Tea are just a few of the many species that can be seen. And at certain times, a peregrine falcon, a bald eagle, or a pair of Canada geese can be spotted.
The pamphlet also explains the wetland chosen for the interpretive trail is both historically and ecologically significant, with pools and trenches—still visible from the air—marking the site of a peat mining operation by Arctic Peat Moss Corp. in the 1940s.
The ground level of the site highlights several wetland types—swamp, fen, bog, and marsh.
“We’re hoping people will get just as excited about Phase Two of the project,” said Milne. “It’s still up in the air, but we’ve thought about getting a bog walk loop.
“Around the corner [from where the trail ends thus far]—that’s real bog,” she added.
Field naturalists pleased with ‘bog walk’, September 13, 2006
FORT FRANCES—The outgoing president of the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists said she’s pleased with the success of the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail in Alberton since its official opening back in July.
“The biggest thing this year was the bog opening,” Henriette Verhoef said in her report at the group’s annual general meeting Monday night in Fort Frances.
“And I’m happy to say there will be another 100 feet of boardwalk done this fall, which take the walk out to the bog proper,” she added.
Shortly after completing its commitments to the first phase of the project, the RRVFN was approved for a $4,000 grant from the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Community Fish and Wildlife Involvement Program.
It was noted the work to install the new cedar boardwalk will be contracted out, but that members will volunteer their time to take the boards out to the construction site.
Several members also have been spending some of their time at the trail.
“On Saturday we saw some pitcher plants,” enthused Ilka Milne, which she indicated is significant because they only grow in undisturbed bogs.
“They’re off the beaten path,” she added.
Verhoef noted pamphlets are available on-site, as well as a comment book.
“People are starting to record what they’ve seen in the book,” she remarked, adding she intends to make a copy of the comments periodically in case the book ever goes missing.
“It just goes to show people have been out there,” Verhoef enthused.
Another indication people are checking out the trail was found on www.geocaching.com—a website dedicated to worldwide treasure hunts using GPS.
“I thought we could bring some more attention to the trail by placing one at the bog walk, but I discovered there is already one there that was placed before construction,” Verhoef noted.
The cache was placed earlier this year and already more than 30 people have logged their attempts to locate the hidden container.
Verhoef suggested the group try to find it, too.
In related news, the RRVFN also made some changes Monday night to the way it functions.
For instance, members decided to down-size their executive from five members to three—president, secretary, and treasurer.
Although the change in the constitution won’t be effective until next year, the position of vice-president was left vacant and the newsletter editor no longer will be an executive position.
Milne was acclaimed as the new president, with Nell Laur as the treasurer and Jan Vassbotn the secretary.
The RRVFN also decided to do away with its planning and events committees and instead to take care of that business as a group.
Several ideas for guest speakers and events were offered, such as a visit to trails at Voyageurs National Park, the annual Christmas Bird Count, and a shared dragonfly event with the local “Get Outdoors” club.
“We should have more outdoor activities,” said Milne, suggesting the group continue to meet each month, but not necessarily for a business meeting.
“Fewer business meetings would be nice,” agreed Verhoef.
“Then let’s just get outside,” stressed Milne as the new president.
Bog walk boardwalk finished, November 29, 2006, Fort Frances Times
FORT FRANCES—Although officially opened to the public back in July by the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, the first phase of the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail’s boardwalk finally was completed last week.
The 1, 032-foot trail, located in Alberton Township, gained an additional 112 feet of boardwalk thanks to funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program (CFWIP).
“It really adds to the trail,” stressed RRVFN member Ahlan Johanson. “You can see some amazing animals from this far out.”
He noted it was important to have the boardwalk extend passed 1,000 feet because of the wildlife and plants that can be viewed. He also explained the trail can get pretty wet out that distance.
“It’s a wet and muddy area at times and without the boardwalk, you’d need rubber boots,” he remarked.
Johanson said the boardwalk does not span the entire length of the trail, but bridges just the wet areas.
“We’re hoping the beaver baffler system we installed will keep these higher areas dry enough,” he added.
The cedar planks of the most recent section of boardwalk were purchased from Colin Neilson’s Timber Ridge Land and Forest Services, and installed by Rick Neilson and Fern Pelletier.
“It’s a great space for the public, tourists, and students to take advantage of,” Johanson remarked, noting a small school group is scheduled to walk the trail this weekend.
“And [the trail] can be used throughout the winter,” he added. “It’s pretty and there is still some wildlife visible.”
He noted chickadees are a prime sighting at this time of the year but also indicated he wouldn’t be surprised if someone spotted a fox.
And while snowshoeing is permitted in the area, Johanson said he hopes snowmobilers respect the nature trail.
He explained plans for phase two of the project are still up in the air, but said there has been talk of building a lookout platform to the point where the boardwalk now extends.
“But we’ll have to see—it would probably be quite expensive,” he conceded.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation provided an initial grant of $48,900 two years ago for work on the trail.
To date, there are seven interpretive stations along the trail as well as a pamphlet to identify various plant and wildlife species along the self-guided tour.
Small Cranberry, Tamarack, Wild Calla Lily, Manitoba Maple, Bog Laurel, and Labrador Tea are just a few of the many species that can be seen. And at certain times, a peregrine falcon, a bald eagle, or a pair of Canada geese can be spotted.
The pamphlet also explains the wetland chosen for the interpretive trail is both historically and ecologically significant, with pools and trenches—still visible from the air—marking the site of a peat mining operation by Arctic Peat Moss Corp. in the 1940s.
The ground level of the site highlights several wetland types—swamp, fen, bog, and marsh.
New boardwalk big improvement for bog walk, July 22, 2009
ocal nature-lovers are in for a treat as just over 400 feet of new cedar boardwalk has been installed to improve the Cranberry Peatlands’ Interpretive Trail in Alberton.
“It’s more accessible, drier,” Ahlan Johanson, a member of the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, said about having the new sections of the bog walk built.
“We’ve had problems for a few years with water laying on the trail,” he noted.
“It’s sometimes only an inch, but sometimes it could be three or four inches in some parts.”
With funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Johanson said the club was able to install 131.5 feet of walkway along the wettest sections back in May, followed by 153 feet of cedar walkway installed on July 2 and 3.
Meanwhile, working through the Rainy River Future Development Corp., the club was able to secure even more funding, this time from FedNor, which went towards another 118.5 of cedar walkway, which was installed this past Friday.
Johanson said the RRVFN is grateful to the MNR for its support in developing the trail, including assistance from local ministry staff.
This included Tony Elders, who was responsible for processing the Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program (CFWIP) application, which would provide the $4,000 in funding for 271.5 feet of new boardwalk, Johanson noted.
The MNR also helped organize the labour needed to build the boardwalk, including the district’s stewardship co-ordinator, Colin Langford, arranging for the participation of four Ontario Stewardship Rangers (summer students aged 17 under the supervision of Susanne Brielmann) to help out during the July dates.
As well, Fire Management Supervisor Harrold Boven provided Jamie Woolsey’s crew to further assist with the project.
“They were a great help, the fire crew, under Jamie Woolsey,” Johanson said, adding the efforts of the MNR are greatly appreciated by RRVFN members.
With the boardwalks now installed, Johanson said there are plans to hopefully add an observation platform at the end of the trail.
Located at the end of Whitmore Road in Alberton, the Cranberry Peatlands’ Interpretive Trail officially opened in July, 2006 by the RRVFN to educate people about wetlands ecology, and for the
enjoyment of the public.
With the RRVFN’s goal to promote appreciation, conservation, and the wise use of the natural environment in the Rainy River valley, the interpretive trail is important and an educational tool, Johanson said.
As part of this education, pamphlets available at the beginning of the trail feature numbers and information on different flowers and plants that correspond with numbers on posts along the boardwalk.
“There’s so many different plants there along the trail, and also even little trees.” Johanson said, citing the many sights along the trail.
“There’s one tree along there called a Dwarf Birch, which I didn’t even realize until working on this project that there was a Dwarf Birch.
“And then there’s little Saskatoon berries, you’ll see each little tree along there, there’s even blueberries and cranberries further out on the left side of the trail along the end,” he continued.
“There’s just a myriad of different flowers and things—bog rosemary, bog laurel, marsh calla, just all kinds of different flowers, especially in May, June, and into July,” Johanson enthused.
He thinks the trail is a very good thing for the public.
“In the evening, they can go out there for a walk, and they can learn more about nature, about the plants and animals,” Johanson remarked.
“You see animals out there, too—beavers, muskrats. We saw a wolf out there one day.”
Johanson added there’s a real variety of birds, as well.
“I’ve seen three different types of warblers out there this spring,” he noted. “Red-winged blackbirds are nesting out there, Canada geese nest in that wetlands.
“I’ve seen sandhill cranes out there, I’ve seen pelicans landing out there, so it’s a real educational thing for the public,” he stressed.
Contributions and donations towards improvements to the trail always are welcome, Johanson added, including a possible second pamphlet available for visitors about the birds found in the area.
“We’re [the RRVFN] always looking for new members,” he remarked. “We’d like to have more.”
Ceremony held to dedicate bog walk benches, October 28, 2009, Fort Frances Times
Those taking a stroll along the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail in Alberton now have a new place to rest their feet and take in the view thanks the site’s newest addition—benches in memory of the late Victor Raiche.
“I know that my dad is smiling down right now and happy,” Raiche’s daughter, Erma Armit, said at the dedication ceremony Friday afternoon at the trail, which is located at the end of Whitmore Road in Alberton Township.
“I’d like to thank all, and the many, many volunteers who have been involved with the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, and other groups, too, I understand,” said Armit, referring to all the effort that has gone into building the interpretive trail.
“I know this has been a very dedicated project.
“I know that there are a lot of volunteers who have put a lot of time and effort and heart into making this happen this far, and I’m sure that there’s plans to go further,” she added.
On behalf of the RRVFN, Ahlan Johanson thanked the Raiche family for their support throughout the years with the building of the interpretive trail, as well as the memorial fund in support of the RRVFN which was established in memory of Raiche, who passed away in 2001 at the age of 94.
“They’re beautifully made and good workmanship,” Johanson said of the benches, also thanking Kish-Gon-Dug Canada for their craftsmanship and work.
With the memory of Raiche’s love of music and talent in mind, Armit was joined by two of her children, Wanda Botsford and Victor Armit, who celebrated the dedication by singing a family song written about Rainy River District, as well as an slightly-altered “peatlands” version of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Born in 1907 in Maple Lake, Mn., Raiche arrived in Rainy River District with his family in 1920. He was married to, and predeceased by, Ida May King (daughter of Janet and R.H. King), with whom he had two daughters—Erma Armit and her sister, Marjorie Vautrin.
At Friday’s dedication ceremony, Armit spoke of the many skills and trades of her father—from being a prospector, trapper, and hunter to working with the Ministry of Natural Resources for 17 years, as well as his musical talent as a fiddler.
With all his talents, Raiche supported the work and goals of the RRVFN as they worked to establish the interpretive trail, she explained, also taking the time to highlight the many important roles bogs and peatlands have when it comes to the environment.
“This type of thing certainly was dear to my dad’s heart,” Armit said about the work which the RRVFN has done to build the interpretive trail.
“Because he was a man of many talents, and one of his talents was art. And you know, it wasn’t until after this started happening that I started looking at a lot of his artwork and there’s bogs in his artwork.
“He paid a lot of attention to detail and his art,” Armit recalled. “He would sit in his living room and paint from his memory—all those details from his memory and people would look at his paintings and say, ‘I’ve seen that, I think I know where that is!’ because they had so much detail.”
While there originally was just plans for the one bench, following an act of vandalism, both the Raiche family and Kish-Gon-Dug each donated a new bench.
These benches will be stored until they are installed on the platform which sits overlooking the bog at the end of the trail in the spring.
Sponsors sought for bog walk signs, October 8, 2014, Fort Frances Times
The Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists is looking for individuals and businesses to sponsor signs for the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail in Alberton.
Eight years after opening, the “bog walk” continues to be well-used, visited by hundreds of people each year—some from as far away as Germany and Australia.
But the local group is hoping to enhance the interpretive trail now that it is one of the district sites featured in the National Geographic Society’s “Heart of the Continent” geo-tourism program.
RRVFN president Terry Kawulia said the group is trying to land funding for signage to post along the trail.
These signs would convey information about the wide variety of birds and plants users of the trail might see during their trek.
He noted the Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club was very successful in getting individuals, families, and businesses to sponsor signs at its Rocky Inlet trails.
As such, the RRVFN is hopeful it can garner similar support from the community to sponsor sign for the interpretive trail, which is located at the west end of Whitmore Road.
Kawulia said there is a large sign at the beginning of the trail, which explains the history of the bog, and there are numbered lookout posts along the trail.
But the RRVFN would like to put up more signs.
“What we’re trying to do is get some photos of the animals and plants we’re going to see out there—the sandhill crane, the dwarf birch, maybe the cala lily,” he explained.
“The group’s in the early process right now, deciding which signs are going to be chosen,” added Kawulia.
“So we’ll have a photo of the species we’re trying to identify and a short little piece of interesting tidbits below it.”
Kawulia admitted the RRVFN is “a small group with not very deep pockets.”
“So we’re just looking for some public support, corporate or private,” he remarked.
Kawulia said the RRVFN has gotten an estimate from a sign-maker, with each sign to cost about $60.
The names of sign sponsors will appear on them.
To sponsor a sign, call Kawulia at 274-8739.
The trail officially opened in July, 2006 after four years of hard work on the part of volunteers.
The Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail description on National Geographic Society’s “Heart of the Continent” website recounts the origin as follows:
“A wildlife photographer [Bill Morgenstern] became enthralled with the bog and brought its attention to the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalist club, and along with others, it was decided this area’s story could provide an educational experience, as well as a chance to immerse into a living, listening, and speaking world.
“With the co-operation of the Township of Alberton, government funding secured by the Rainy Lake Conservancy, and many volunteers, a boardwalk was born.”
The “Heart of the Continent” website can be found at www.traveltheheart.org
Cranberry Peatlands trail being extended, October 3, 2018, Fort Frances Times
he Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail’s boardwalk currently is being extended 330 feet, with the work expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks.
Members of the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalist Club have been volunteering their time to lay in the cedar boards onto the trail located in Alberton.
The project was made possible through funding provided by the Toronto Dominion Friends of the Environment and Rainy River Stewardship Council, totalling around $8,000 to purchase the building materials.
After the trail extension is complete, it will total close to 1,000 feet in length.
The Rainy River Valley Naturalist Club is hoping to receive more funding after it finishes the current project to expand the trail even further—by about 1,000 more feet.
The future expansion will take those who walk it straight into the undisturbed area of the bog that runs along the trail.
“We’re going through part of the bog that hasn’t been mined,” noted club member Terry Kawulia. “What we’re trying to do is give the experience of being right out into the bog.”
“We’re kind of closed in along the way coming in,” he explained. “But when we get out there, you’re more out into the open.”
About 50 years ago, a company extracted large slabs of peat out of the bog, leaving it permanently disturbed and damaged.
The trail where the boards are being laid actually is where a small rail track use to run, which is the only place the Ministry of Natural Resources would allow the boardwalk to be built.
“You’re going to be able to see what mining has done and you’ll be able to see an undisturbed area, as well,” Kawulia said.
“It’s kind of special that you are able to see both.”
The great thing about the boardwalk is it gives people access to view an area that would be nearly impossible to explore otherwise, he added.
“Could you imagine yourself getting off the road without this boardwalk and walking out there?” he mused.
“You just wouldn’t do it.
“This way you can go with your grandma, so it’s for people of all ages, kids, people with disabilities—everybody has the chance to come out and have the experience,” he reasoned.
Kawulia said he feels the trail expansion is important for getting people outdoors and reconnecting with nature.
“A lot of people are getting away from nature or get so caught up in their technology,” he remarked.
“We just want to provide people with a place to go to actually feel the wind on their face, be in the sun, and hear the birds.
“Just to give them the opportunity to get out there,” he reiterated.
There are educational signs along the trail identifying different wildlife and nature that is prominent in the Cranberry Peatlands area.
“People have the chance to learn about some of the species out here and understand how they affect us in their everyday lives,” Kawulia enthused.
The Rainy River Valley Naturalist Club, meanwhile, always is looking for more members who have an interest in nature and the environment.
The club has done work to fight against the use of neonicotinoids, which have been proven to negatively impact the bees.
The insecticide has been banned in Europe and currently is being phased out over the next three years in Canada. But Kawulia and other club members fear the damage done in the interim could be detrimental.
“The latest evidence that has come out shows that these neonics, and the glyphosates in them, have a direct impact on the bees gut biota that helps them fight off pathogens,” he stressed.
“So now they’ve discovered that it has a direct effect on the bee, not just indirectly through the killing of the plants that they depend on for their pollen but also through affecting the bacteria in their gut.”
The club hosts nature walks, does bird-watching, and focuses on being good stewards of the environment.
Anyone interested in joining can call 274-8739 or e-mail Terry-eaglewind@outlook.com