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| Boardwalk: Mer Bleue Trail ( 1.2 km long) |
Mer Bleue Bog is one of the largest bogs in southern Ontario and arguably the most important natural area in the Greenbelt. Ecologically, Mer Bleue is an especially valuable example of a northern ecosystem - more typical of the Arctic than the Ottawa Valley - and it has been designated an internationalsignificant wetland under the United Nations' Ramsar Convention.
The most striking feature of the area is the bog mat itself, a "sea" of deep, saturated peat overtopped by open heath and stunted to moderate-sized black spruce and tamarack trees. The mat is home to a variety of plants, some of which are rare, but almost all exhibit unusual characteristics enabling them to survive in the demanding environment.
The key to the bog's character is a small moss called Sphagnum. Other plants include the sundew, pitcher plant, rare orchids, bog rosemary, Labrador tea, several species of cotton grass, and a variety of low heath shrubs. A self-guided interpretive trail enables you to learn more about the fascinating story of the bog.
This habitat is also home for a variety of exceptional animals including the nationally rare spotted turtle, and Fletcher's dragonfly, an insect known from only a handful of sites worldwide. Some more common inhabitants include snowshoe hare, beaver, muskrat and a variety of waterfowl.
Mer Bleue’s 15th Anniversary
The year 2010 marks the 15th anniversary of the designation (on September 26, 1995) of the Mer Bleue Bog as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Canada joined the Convention in 1981, and has 37 sites, covering 13 million hectares, designated under the Convention on Wetlands. There is a great deal of pride in being associated with the Ramsar Convention.
Mer Bleue was designated a Wetland of International Importance, also known as a Ramsar site, because it meets the following criteria:
- It contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region; and
- It supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
Activities to mark this anniversary will be announced on this web page.
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