Why I Feel at Home in Niagara’s Forests – Confessions of a Tour Guide

If you’re a Niagara-on-the-Lake local yourself, or perhaps a visitor whose eyes have perchance found this page, then I hope you are about to see your surrounding natural world in a whole new perspective. I’m certain that if you live in this town, you already have plenty to be appreciative of – I mean really, how can you not? Niagara-on-the-Lake is safe, beautiful, entertaining, and holds a character of immense stature on the world stage. The challenge now, if you haven’t already, is to open yourself up to the natural wonders in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Region. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.

Enter a 26 year old, who can be spotted at the ice rink, your favourite pub in town, or perhaps impossible to spot. If I’m impossible to spot, it’s because I’m in Niagara’s “other” backyard with my cameras, field guides, and hiking gear. That’s me, Owen Bjorgan. I spent my earliest days on the outskirts of Queenston, crawling, then running (and sometimes back to crawling) up the slopes of the Niagara Escarpment.

Back then, I wasn’t truly aware of the significance that was my backyard. However, one unmistakable feeling I was enveloped by as a kid is that this area had a certain gravity to it. The massive oak trees, unending rocky outcrops, and residents of both feathers and scales all seemed to operate as one unit, this thing we call nature. The woods of the Escarpment were constantly presenting new sights and scenarios that I wanted more of, and they continue to do so over 20 years later.

I’m fortunate that Niagara’s wild spaces have stuck with me, and I have stuck with them. My interest in these nationally unique ecosystems never faded the slightest, and like an old friend, I’ve had to jump in and try to help them at times. I’ve been in the thick of it with mud, mosquitoes, and decision makers who all have a place in Niagara – sometimes literally all at once. Why bother? Is it because a true nature geek never runs out of batteries? There’s that, but consider the statistic I’m about to tell you. It should lay the groundwork for future articles that I hope inspire you about Niagara-on-the-Lake ‘s natural features.

Approximately 90% of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Niagara Region’s original wetlands and forest cover are gone. The only thing that makes this number more startling is that we were never taught this in school. Life moves along, the trees photosynthesize, the salamanders dig in, and we relax on the back patio with some fine Niagara wine. There is a lot more happening out there than meets the eye. This is why I feel the passion to educate the public about the remaining hidden corners.

While I was acquiring my BSc in Biodiversity (the diversity of life – species, genetics, and ecosystems), I became fully switched on to the value of Niagara’s green spaces. This is why there is a nature documentary I produced, titled Hidden Corners: NIAGARA, free on youtube.

When you think of Niagara and Niagara-on-the-Lake, do you think of blue spotted salamanders? Valleys where you can’t hear any traffic? Tree frogs, rattlesnakes, or big cats? Ancient flooded woods? That big forested ridge rising above the vineyards on your way to Niagara Falls is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, and the type of forest that clings to it is found in only 1% of Canada, yet, it contains more species of plants and animals than anywhere else of the country. Now consider that southern Ontario is one of the fastest growing regions of the nation, and we have a lot to talk about!

To come full circle, the challenge is this – Spring is coming up. Watch the forests and creeks change as you drive around. Maybe our collective perception and value for these areas will grow, as the new shoots will begin growing from the soil.