Marl Pond Trail sees increasing use as a popular destination during the summer season. This is reflected in disturbances in the site.
| Question | Q## | Response |
| Q204/5/2 | General Information | |
| Date/Site/Submitter: | 2023-10-20: Wagner; Patsy C. | |
| Is This a Test Submission? | Q201 | No |
| SAPAA Member | Q203 | Yes |
| Over all Impression of the Site | ||
| What is the Naturalness of the Site? 4=Great, 0=Terrible | Q301 | 3 |
| How Natural?: comments | Q303 | Marl Pond Trail disturbed by usage, and incursion of weeds in some forested areas due to surrounding agriculture |
| How was your visit to the PA? | ||
| Trip Duration | Q401 | 3 hours |
| Why Did you Go? | Q402 | Visit nature, Hiking, PA Site inspection for SAPAA, Photograph tamarack in fall colour; check out previously unvisited area |
| Visit Details | Q403 | Marl Pond Trail is 1.2 km although I did not complete it but headed through forest to the south-west fence line of the NA, then headed back west to Atim Road and returned north to the parking lot. Objective was to survey plant communities on that little-visited west side. Probably walked a total of 4km. |
| What is in the Site? | ||
| Ease to Visit | Q501 | |
| Biological Observations | Q502 | Almost completely devoid of wildlife, though I heard a flock of small birds. Noted fresh porcupine damage on a tamarack – they definitely prefer tamarack to spruce. Followed a deer trail – deer may be partly responsible for abundance of nettle and thistle in west woods. |
| Submissions to iNaturalist | Q503 | No, did not see anything of note |
| Geological Observations | Q504 | Drying of marl pons due to summer drought, making them firm enough to walk on. |
| Designation as a Protected Area | Q505 | Signage, Fencing, Fence Stiles/Gates |
| Comments | Q506 | |
| Human Activities/Disturbances | ||
| Agricultural Activities | Q601 | None noted |
| Resource extraction | Q602 | None Noted |
| Motorized disturbances (ATV or vehicle activity). | Q603 | None Noted |
| Animal or self propelled activities | Q604 | Hiking Trails, Other (please note in the comment section below) |
| Gathering and Dumping Activities | Q605 | Other (please note in the comment section below) |
| Infrastructure encroachment | Q606 | None Noted |
| Comments | Q607 | Extensive “flattened” areas noted in Succession Field, suggesting human activity had taken place there, e.g., possible photo shoots, weddings? Two encounters with off-leash dogs (dogs must be on-leash). |
| What Needs to be Done? | ||
| Remediation/Protection Activities Needed | Q701 | Fencing, Re-vegetation, Continued Monitoring, Fence Post Replacement |
| What Have you Done Recently to Help the site? | Q702 | Visit and Submitted This Report!, Cleanup |
| Comments | Q703 | Fence post no. 23 is misplaced along the Marl Pond Trail. Fencing along the southwest boundary needs fixing. Revegetation should be considered as part of a new management plan being developed, especially for the weedier portions of the MPT. Monitoring is a constant necessity along this very busy trail. (I did not inspect the toilets, but often they are dirty.) |
WagnerNA _Succession Field_Area showing trampled vegetation, probably due to human use_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_open and treed fens along Marl Pond Trail showing tamarack trees (yellow) prior to leaf fall _2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_dried marl pond showing bleached stonewort alga, in open fen along the Marl Pond Trail_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_tree root sculpture; the trampled path is probably due to people taking photographs with the tree as background_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_old tamarack tree on Marl Pond Trail_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_opening caused by blowdown along Marl Pond Trail_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_decadent willow along Marl Pond Trail_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_porcupine damage to tamarack_20223-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_black spruce twig with cones_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_squirrel midden in black spruce forest covered by tamarack needles_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_southwest boundary corner_2023-10-20_PCotterill 
WagnerNA_non-native reed canarygrass wetland replacing a former wetland with a beaver dam and willow shrubbery_2023-10-20_PCotterill
SAPAA 