Townsman, 1991-09, Page 16from the parking area first through the
wet meadow area. The area naturally
grows elderberry, golden rod, boneset
and turtlehcads and plays host to indi-
go buntings, brown thrashers, wrens
and song sparrows. The conservation
authority has planted highbush cran-
berry. Russian olive and autumn olive
to provide food for the birds.
The trail moves on through the
expanding white cedar community
and down to the arca where Walden
Creek meets the Bannockburn River.
The Bannockburn River joins the
Bayfield River only a kilometre
downstream and the water quality is
relatively good. The river is host to
trout. pike and smallmouth bass and
you may see herons and kingfishers
living off the aquatic life.
The trail moves on to the decidu-
ous forest where maple and beech pre-
dominate providing a variety of
autumn colour. The area is also a
favourite walk in spring when the for-
est floor is coloured by wildflowers,
ferns and young saplings. The flow-
ers, in turn, are food sources for snow-
shoe hare, pheasants and squirrels.
Deer, rabbits and raccoon tracks may
be spotted along the trail.
The trail moves on through a field,
once used for pasture that is now
growing naturally to hawthorn and
nannybcrry trees. The conservation
authority has planted small blocks of
highbush cranberry, autumn and Rus-
sian olive shrubs, and red and white
pines to increase the diversity of
wildlife. At the east side of this field
is a plantation of trembling aspen, a
favourite snack for beavers in the
arca.
The trail finally enters the marsh
arca where wrens and flickers and
red -winged blackbirds fill the sum-
mers with song. The marsh is home to
Arrowheads, alder, bulrushes, pick-
erclwood and marsh marigolds at vari-
ous times of the year.
The trail comes back through the
deciduous forest arca before rejoining
the path to the parking lot. In all, it's a
walk of a little over a mile providing a
wide diversity in such a short hike.
Exeter residents may wish to visit
the Morrison Dam Conservtion Area,
just east of Exeter off Highway 83 and
south on Conession 2-3 of Usborne
Township.
You can get information on Ban-
nockbum and other conservation areas
managed by the Ausable-Bayfield
Conservation Authority by writing to
Box 2410, Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S7
14 TOWNSMAN/SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1991
cadquarters Conserva-
tion Area of the Saugeen
Valley Conservation
Authority is ocated at the Authority's
headquarters between Hanover and
Neustadt. To get there, take Grey
County Road 10 4.8 km (three miles)
south of Hanover, then turn east on
Concession Rd. 17-18 of Normanby
Twp. for .81 km (a half mile).
The Headquarters Conservation
Area offers a variety of natural habitat
along the two and a half miles of trails
throughout the 213 acre site.
This conservation area is a tribute
to one man with a dream: A. J. Met-
zger. In the early 1920's Mr. Metzger
directed the digging, by hand, of a
network of streams and ponds which
he intended to operate as a fish hatch-
ery, fed by a large spring nearby. The
project was doomed, however,
because the location and the water
supply limitations made the facility
unsuitable for hatching eggs and small
trout development. Larger fish seemed
to do well, however, so he got year-
old fish from another hatchery and
stocked the ponds that way.
But Mr. Metzger's interests went
much further than fish. Shelters and
fences were built to house a variety of
birds, some deer and rabbits. Hun-
dreds of ducks and geese stopped off
on their migrations to rest and since
the water remained a constant 49
degrees and never froze over, some
stayed year round.
In the 1960's the Conservation
Authority had its office on the main
street of Walkerton but was looking
for a rural location and eventually Mr.
Metzger's property was purchased.
Mr. Metzger's cabin was converted to
the Authority's headquarters, then
became an outdoor education centre
BIRDS of PREY
An exhibition of the Vultures,
Hawks, Eagles, Falcons and Owls
of Canada
A national travelling exhibit produced by the British Columbia
Provincial Museum and funded by the Department of
Communications, Canada, Museum Assistance Programmes
On exhibit at the
HURON COUNTY MUSEUM
100 NORTH STREET
GODERICH, ONTARIO
August 24 to November 8, 1991
HURON
[USED.
COUNT