Beamer Memorial
Renowned as the best vantage point in the Niagara Peninsula to observe the annual spring hawk migration, and part of the internationally designated Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve, Beamer Memorial Conservation Area offers one of Niagara’s most breathtaking and panoramic views of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario. Bald eagles, turkey vultures and other birds of prey are frequently sited over Beamer. As a natural escarpment property this area also has a variety of old growth and interior forest offering a linear wildlife and plant corridor, with Sugar Maple and Red Oak predominately throughout the site as well as some Hemlock and White Cedar.
Location: 28 Quarry Rd.
Grimsby, ON, Canada L3M 4E7 Phone: (905) 788-3135 (Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority)
Visiting Hours: Open 8 am-8 pm year round.
Targeted Age Group: All ages
Visit Costs: Visiting is free of charge.
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Booking a visit: Visits do not have to be booked, you are free to bring your class to Beamer Memorial at any time during operation hours.
Programs Offered: Beamer Memorial does not offer pre-planned programs. Instead, this site offers teachers a great oppourtunity to educate their classes about the escarpment, old growth and interior forests, and hawks. Click here for information on the geology, flora, and fauna of the area to educate your students as you walk the trails. I also suggest visiting the site in late February to early May to witness the annual hawk migration. Click here to learn about the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch in preparation for sharing the experience with your students. I recommend showing your students the database with which the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch keeps track of the hawks during their migration. To take it a step further, print out a few of the record sheets and have your students fill them out as they watch for hawks. You can even submit these observations to the official Hawkwatch database! If you are looking to create some curriculum-linked lessons around hawk migration, here is a great example to work off.
All the above information (except programs offered) was taken from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority's website. For additional information on the park's operations please visit http://www.npca.ca/conservation-areas/beamer-memorial/. Programming ideas were inspired by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch website and developed by me. The lesson exemplars were taken from agiweb.org (click the link for details).