The Bruce Peninsula has been a haven for naturalists for nearly a century.  Since the early 1900s, plant lovers have been visiting the Bruce to see rare species that grow in the specialized habitats of the northern end of Niagara Escarpment.  We even have a Garden tour promoting visits to many of the rural gardens of Grey and Bruce Counties. It offers an opportunity to share the delights of a variety of rural garden venues. If you are attracted to the pursuit of visiting gardens this is a new resource to help you plan your garden touring activities. Here is a link to the online Rural Garden Tour map.

Fifty species of ferns grow in Grey and Bruce Counties.  In all of Ontario there are only 75 species. We are similarly blessed with orchids:  there are 46 species and two varieties of orchids found in this region.  

The Bruce Peninsula is a haven for wildlife as well, especially migrating birds.  The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory runs a migration monitoring station at Wingfield Basin, near the tip of the Bruce.  They are holding their annual open house on Saturday, September 11, from 9 am to 2 pm.  You can watch as the experts trap birds in mist nets, band and release them.

And we have mammals! Bear sightings are common on the Bruce, and it was here that I saw my first ever fisher – a beautiful mammal about the size of a large house cat. Introduced to control the porcupine population on the Bruce, fishers are now thriving in the Bruce’s near wilderness conditions.

Some rare and endangered reptiles live on the Bruce too –  for example, the Massasauga rattlesnake, now found on only the Bruce and near the French River, on the east side of Georgian Bay.

If reptiles are your interest, head up to Bruce Peninsula National Park which had a weekend show called Remarkable Reptile, with reptile hikes, live animal displays, and an opportunity to talk to the experts.

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Posted on: 26/08/10