What's under your canoe? The underwater world of a woodland pond. Part one.

Woodland ponds are an integral part of any forest ecosystem. Thousands of creatures live in, on and around these bodies of water. 

The transition from winter to spring is slow but dramatic. The previous years vegetation begins to decay over the cold winter months. Frogs and turtles dig into the detritus and mud on the bottom of the pond and enter a state of metabolism which mimics death. 

Otters, beavers and muskrats hunt and forage throughout the entire winter as deer, wolves and a myriad of other land mammals leave their tracks on the snow covered pond ice. 

As the ice melts, and sunlight once again penetrates into the depths of the pond; life awakens slowly to the gentle touch of the sun. 

This video is a short underwater exploration of a small woodland pond showing the difference between winter and mid spring. 

Fascinated by the process of renewal in natural ecosystems, I plan to film the pond in the same fashion each month until ice once again covers the pond's surface.  

  
  

The Portage - Repairing the marsh crossing

 

Portage trails are varied in length and can be anything from an easy walk through the woods to a muscle challenging trail that would test the most athletic woodland traveler.

Many portage trails cross bodies of water which are not navigable by canoe. Bridges of all sorts can be found throughout canoe country. These range from simple planks of wood which test our sense of balance to engineered crossings complete with railings. Most deep woods crossings are made from logs gathered in the surrounding area or rocks thrown into strategic places. 

This video displays one method of crossing a marsh area. I describe marsh-land as a submerged or a semi submerged area which has a tendency to suck shoes off unsuspecting hikers. 

This building method maintains water flow and helps to mitigate damage to the wetland.  Nails and fasteners are not required.  

                    Happy wandering!

   

Face to Face with An Alien.

This smiley faced alien is actually a tree frog. There are two species which look identical - the Grey Tree Frog and the Cope's Grey Tree Frog. 

The only way to field identify these little guys is by their voices. I find it impossible to differentiate the two due to the sheer volume of sound emitted from them when the mating urge envelopes the pond.

I have to wear ear plugs when sitting or canoeing around the pond which is in front of my house. The chirping is so loud it echoes within my skull to the point where internal dialogue is almost impossible. 

Pond Life

The little frogs call out in earnest from early May to June in Algonquin Highlands, slowing to intermittent calls through to August.  

I know of one person who rented a back-hoe and buried a small seep in front of his house to erase all traces of these little creatures. I will confess to you that when I discovered this person's indiscretion - I was more vocal than any frog could be.  

These frogs live in the forest but breed in wetlands and ponds. They blend in so well - locating them can be difficult. 

When traversing forested areas and wetlands, please remember that there are smiling faces looking at you. Tread lightly and enjoy the frog's ear popping sounds as they are telling you that the area through which you travel is healthy and vibrant. 

For us forest dwellers, their calls are reassuring; informing us that everything is alright within the green world we call home.  

Happy wandering.