Presqui’ile
Provincial Park, situated just south of Brighton, on Lake Ontario, is
located on a tombolo (an island that is linked to the mainland by a sandbar).
Shaped like a boomerang, the park consists of
beaches, marshes and forest: the perfect environmental mix for a variety of wildlife to
flourish.
Presqu’ile (a French word that means
'almost an island') was part of a large piece of land the British acquired from the Mississauga Indians in 1787.
Although the peninsula was to become the
capital of the Northumberland and Durham counties, those plans were abandoned following an
unfortunate incident.
As a historical plaque at the park attests, a
schooner called The Speedy sank in rough weather just off the peninsula, taking with it a
prisoner and all those who were to try him at the newly built courthouse on the island.
Following the sinking, it was decided that the area was too inconvenient and treacherous
to develop into a commercial area.
Although there were some attempts to farm the
land after that, it was left alone for the most part to the delight of environmentalists.
And in 1922, the Presqu'ile
Park Commission was established to conserve the area’s natural beauty and to open
it to the public. It officially became a provincial park in 1956, the same year that
nature programs began at the park.
According to Janine DeWit, the Natural
Heritage Education Leader for Ontario
Parks, the first naturalists at Presqu’ile recognised the importance of teaching
others about the biodiversity found in the area.
“The education program, which is really
popular, has existed for a very long time,” she says. “It has never been about
entertaining the public, but rather, educating visitors about the diverse ecosystem at
Presqu’ile and all of the wildlife it supports here.”
The fact that upwards of 60,000 people attend
these interpretative programs and other nature-themed events annually, clearly
demonstrates their popularity. And the two visitors buildings, the Nature Centre and the
Lighthouse Interpretative Centre, attract another 47,000 each year as well.
Programs specifically created for children and
led by park interpreters are offered between June 28 and August 31. The 'Presqu'ile For
Kids' Book is another initiative designed to educate young ones about the park. It
contains 40 pages of activities separated into three levels of difficulty that, once
completed, allows participants to earn a Nature Explorer certificate.
But clearly, the
park has gone to the birds.
Events at Presqu'ile Park:
From Winterfest Bird workshops in January to Migrants Weekend at the end of summer, each
month has an event dedicated to these feathered creatures.
“Most of the programs revolve around them
with the area being a major stopover for birds migrating north in the spring and south in
the fall,” explains DeWit.
In fact, avid birders often find themselves in
the fortunate predicament of having too many birds and not enough time for all their
spotting. That’s not surprising with over 300 different species that have been
sighted at the park.
Some of the birds stay longer than others. On
Gull and High Bluff Islands, just off the peninsula, a large gull colony as well as
cormorants, terns and herons nest and raise their young from March to September. During
that time though, no visitors are allowed on the islands.
There are also one-day workshops devoted to
other park inhabitants.
The Mainly
Mammals workshop takes a closer look at the deer, racoons, skunks, shrews
and other animals cohabiting in the area.
Taking a closer look at the deer -- © Phil Raby
An evening program allows visitors to discover
how alive the park becomes after sundown with the presence of bats, owls and other
nocturnal creatures. And a butterfly workshop, in late June, educates participants on the
habitats of these delicate flying jewels. Later on in the summer, another program deals
with bird banding and Monarch tagging, as the fall migration kicks in.
 The Lighthouse, on the most eastern tip of
Presqu’ile, is another point of great interest. It is Ontario’s second oldest
lighthouse and the original lighthouse keeper’s cottage in still on the grounds.
The Interpretive Lighthouse Centre has rich
programs and exhibits aimed directly at teaching about the park’s past, including the
sinking of The Speedy. Aside from learning about the early pioneers, little know facts
about pirates and rum runners from two centuries ago are also revealed.
A complete list of all the programs and nature
workshops taking place at the park during spring, summer and fall can be found on the
Friends of Presqu’ile Park website at www.friendsofpresquile.on.ca.
The Friends of Presqu’ile Park also
compile a list of recent bird sightings that is posted on the website weekly.
Getting There:
From Toronto, go east on Highway 401. Turn south at Highway 30 exit on the 401. Once at
the town of Brighton, watch for signs to the Park. Information: (613) 475-4324
© AP Rodrigues |
