Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area
The Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area is part of the only bog wetland in the Niagara Peninsula. The underlying peat material has live bog plants growing on top, like Labrador tea, cotton grass, and leatherleaf, making it different from other wetland areas. This domed bog was formed when water that had ponded in the low, flat land behind the adjacent Onondaga Escarpment was filled in as plants died, providing a habitat for unique flora and fauna able to withstand the acidic and low nutrient site conditions. Bog plants, butterflies, migrating songbirds, and animals make their homes in the restored habitat sections. The site welcomes visitors with boardwalked hiking trails with interpretative signs.
Location: 20389 Erie Peat/Side Rd. 4
Wainfleet, ON, Canada Phone: (905) 788-3135 (Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority)
Visiting Hours: Open year round 8 am-dusk.
Targeted Age Group: All ages
Visiting Costs: Visiting the bog 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 the bog at any time during operation hours.
Programs Offered: The conservation area does not offer pre-planned programs. However, as this is the only bog near the Niagara area, it does offer a unique opportunity for your students to experience a bog environment. Click here for great ideas of pre-visit activities, what to do during your visit to the bog, and follow-up project ideas from the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (elementary and secondary). If you yourself need a refresher on bog environments, National Geographic Education has a very informative encyclopedic entry here.
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/wainfleet-bog/. Program ideas were developed by me and resources were taken from National Geographic Education and the Irish Peatland Conservation Council's website (see links for details).