Disappointed

Disappointed by Earl Plato
Disappointed? Yes. Very much so. A group of us are heading to Pelee Island this month. This southern most island in Canada is found in western Lake Erie. Beyond it and further south is a small unpopulated island. I will never see this Middle island. Yes, it has rare fauna and flora. The Nature Conservancy of Canada spent a few years ago circa 2 million dollars to purchase it. Will you ever see it? I don’t think so.
Case in point. Thousands and thousands have walked the Marcy Woods trails. This beautiful piece of land was accessible to nature lovers over the years thanks to the caring Marcys. What’s the cost? No comparison to me as to the relative value between Marcy Woods and that small uninhabited Lake Erie island. It’s obvious - the Ontario government must spear head the final effort lead by our MPP Tim Hudak. Fort Erie residents who love Marcy Woods know where Mayor Wayne Redekop stands. This is it! Preserve Marcy Woods for future generations or just have memories!
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“Hey, Earl, you want to check out the Marcy Alvar?” Rob Eberly continues to amaze me. I like to think that I have some thirst for natural history. My writing should help to attest to that but Rob has an unquenchable thirst for our flora and fauna. More than I ever had.
Alvar? My mind tried to recall - What’s an Alvar? Look it up, eh?
Alvar is an Estonian word that describes a limestone plain covered with scattered vegetation that endures extreme wet and dry conditions. Rob was on the search for some relatively rare flora. Alvars have their own unique flora that takes advantage of the extreme variations in moisture and the highly calcified soil and bedrock openings.
The Marcy property has a strip of land fronting on Matthews Road on the east side of the farm. Exposed bed rock with old-field thickets - an ideal spot for a parking lot if the Nature Conservancy of Canada ever secures the property for nature lovers. Wait! This is Alvar country. According to Rob there are plant species that occur few other places in Canada. Yes, famed Pelee Island has Alvars too. Check the snakes and butterflies that live in the Marcy Alvar. Rob Eberly, Ridgeway naturalist, knows.