In Desperate Need of Adventure: Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Woodville, Ontario

With the migration season over it was time for a bit of rest and relaxation, I was lucky enough to be staying with Mike and Kathy in the County but they decided to take me out for the day to the wonderful Petroglyphs Provincial Park.

A beaver pond close to Minnow Lake

Wild Sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicauli

Petroglyphs Provincial Park was designated a historical class provincial park in 1981 due to the large assemble of first nations petrogylphs present on the site. The rock carvings were rediscovered in 1954 by a prospector and contain about 1200 carvings, representing humans like figures, animals and a dominant figure whose head may represent the sun. The carvings were made using Gneiss hammers around 900 to 1100AD by either Algonkian or Iroquian speaking people. Today first nations people
call the petrogylphs, Kinomagewapkong which means "the rocks that teach" or "the Teaching Rocks".

The forest which surrounds the petrogylphs is rich in Red Pine Pinus resinosa and Wild Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis. Creating a rich acidic soil, although plenty of other species could be found growing on the smooth granite rocks which surrounded Minnow Lake and form Islands between stands of pines.

The plants were similar to many of the species I'd come into contact with in Scandinavia allowing me identifying many of them relatively quickly although some species such as White Trillum Trillium grandiflorum are North American specialists.

White Triulliums, Trillium grandiflorum

One of the more attractive species to be found was the Winged Polygala or Gaywings Polygala paucifolia, which can be found over much of Eastern North America. With its delicate Winged purple flowers it was a lovely little plant to see spread across the forest floor.

Winged Polygala, Polygala paucifolia

Out on the more open areas where the granite broke through the substrata drifts of Pale Corydalis Capnoides sempervirens could be found. It is also known as the Rock Harlequin due to it habit of growing almost out of the smallest of cracks in the rock.

Pale Corydalis, Capnoides sempervirens

Canada May-Lily Maianthemum canadense

Three other species of plant were common on the edges of the gloomy moist pine forest, Starflower Lysimachia borealis named after its distinctive shaped flowers and Canadian Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis which was often found growing on old moss covered stumps and logs, later its edible red berries would later be an important food source for migrating birds. Canada May-Lily Maianthemum canadense is another sub-boreal specialist species and could be found growing in abundance.

Starflower, Lysimachia borealis

Canadian Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis

It wasn't just plants which could be found in the sunny glades, Dragonflies of all sizes were busy hunting the plentiful mosquitoes which provided a constant hum in the background. The first species I came across was the Twin-spotted Spiketail Cordulegaster maculata a large and impressive species which perched for a long while on a dead stick. A more plentiful species was the Common Baskettail Epitheca cynosura,which were busy catching small insects in almost every clearing we encountered.