ONTARIO'S BOREAL FOREST - Ontario Nature
ONTARIO'S BOREAL FOREST - Ontario Nature
ONTARIO'S BOREAL FOREST - Ontario Nature
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NATURE RESERVES<br />
Stewartville Swamp <strong>Nature</strong> Reserve<br />
In 1985, despite the best efforts of Arnprior naturalist Michael Runtz, it looked<br />
as though loggers would destroy the Stewartville Swamp for its big cedars.<br />
However, Runtz's refusal to give up paid off. He found a donor, Rosamond<br />
Gillies, who would pay nearly three-quarters of the property's cost. Other<br />
donors quickly pledged the balance and, in August 1985, the funds were<br />
turned over to the Federation to purchase the property.<br />
It wasn't really the cedars that had caught Runtz's attention. It was the variety<br />
and great number of orchids that grew in the cool mossy darkness beneath<br />
them. Most of the swamp is a low, very wet, mixed forest of cedar, yellow<br />
birch, balsam fir, white birch, and black ash. At the south end of the 12-<br />
hectare property, there is a small stand (approximately 2 hectares)<br />
predominantly made up of cedar and fir. It is here that the orchids grow in the<br />
greatest abundance.<br />
None of the orchids that grow at Stewartville Swamp are particularly rare,<br />
although the Large Round-leaved Orchids are uncommon in southern and<br />
eastern <strong>Ontario</strong>. What makes Stewartville Swamp special is the sheer<br />
abundance and variety of the orchids. Surveys have found close to a<br />
thousand Heart-leafed Twayblades in the lower, and about 300-500 Dwarf<br />
Rattlesnake Plantains. Near a spring in the southern section, you can find a<br />
tight clump of up to 50 Showy Lady's slippers.<br />
The 15 other species of orchids growing at Stewartville Swamp include three<br />
species of Coralroot: Early, Spotted, and Striped. Other species include<br />
Loesel's Twayblade and White Adder's Mouth. Hooker's Orchid and<br />
Tessellated Rattlesnake-plantain prefer somewhat drier ground. On the dry,<br />
open edges of the reserve's western edge, visitors can find Northern Slender<br />
Ladies'-tresses. Other interesting plants to look for at Stewartville Swamp<br />
include the translucent Indian Pipe, Pinesap, One-flowered Wintergreen,<br />
several species of Pyrola, and many kinds of ferns.<br />
As the swamp is very wet, you will definitely want to wear boots. Watch your<br />
step - many of the smaller orchids are hard to see.<br />
How to get there<br />
From the town of Arnprior, turn south onto White Lake Road (County Rd. 2).<br />
Take the first right (about 0.5 kilometres south of Arnprior). Go west on
Vanjumar Dr. to the end of the road, a distance of about 0.5 kilometres. Turn<br />
right onto Campbell Drive and after approximately 0.5 km, turn left (south)<br />
onto Flat Rapids Road. Follow Flat Rapids Road for 15 kilometres, at which<br />
point the main road veers to the right at Stewartville (4.3 kilometres). Drive<br />
straight through Stewartville onto a secondary road for 0.7 kilometres. The<br />
swamp will be on your right side through the cedar woods. There is no formal<br />
trail.