Ayla’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009
For the last ten days, my parents and I have had the awesome experience of cruising the Trent Severn National Historic Waterway. This canal system devised of 45 locks is  neat, organized, and really cool to transit! My favorite part is the program Parks Canada has come up with to educate cruisers about endangered animals! At each lock, you can collect a set of cards that covers endangered species in the area! We had a great time collecting, exchanging, and playing games with the cards.

On each card, there is a picture of the animal, how to recognize it, a description of their habitat, why they are endangered, and some fun facts! Here are some examples from my favorite cards:

• The Bald Eagle builds the largest next of any bird in North America.
• The Loggerhead Shrike has excellent vision for such a small bird.
• The Lake Sturgeon has lived upwards of 154 years!
• The Lake Sturgeon is also Canada’s largest fresh water fish.
• The Western Chorus Frog has a call similar to nail sliding along a comb.
• The Eastern Cougar has a tail that is more than half the length of the head and body.
• The Five-Lined Skink is Ontario’s only lizard species!
• The Golden Winged Warbler swings upside down on branches to feed on insects.
• The Monarch Butterflies warning color is imitated by the Viceroy butterfly to protect itself.
• The Snapping Turtle is very aggressive on land, but not known to aggressive in the water!
• The Blanding Turtle’s upper shell resembles a WWII army helmet.
• The Wood Turtles learn to stomp their feet to to encourage earth worms to the surface.
• The Stinkpot Turtle gets their name from the smell they produce when handled.
• The Great Grey Owl has a face designed like a satellite dish.
• They are also the largest owl in North America; and will occupy abandoned hawk or raven nests.
• The Black Turn build nests that float in the shallow marshes.
• The Chimney Swift is a very frequent flier, and eats, bathes, and drinks while flying.
• The Least Bittern is the smallest of North American Herons.
• The eastern foxsnake produces a sent similar to a fox.
• The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake is Ontario’s only poisonous snake.
• A segment is added to the rattle after each time the snake sheds it’s skin!