JoAnne Burek

The Ministik Bird Sanctuary in the Beaver Hills Biosphere is one of the gems in the Waskahegan Trail system. On this hike, the group started from Spilstead Road and walked to Horseshoe Lake.

A perennial highlight of this hike is the muskeg patch. It’s a sensitive area that we step through very carefully as we try not to crush the rich layer of moss. A new treat this year was getting a glimpse of the striking dense pink spikes of the water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium), a plant that can grow either in land or water, as its Latin name suggests.

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On this particular hike we were delighted to be walking with Dylan Reade, the Oscar-nominated cameraman behind some of the great IMAX films (“Fires of Kuwait”, “Flight of the Butterflies”, “Dinosaurs Alive”, to name a few). Dylan is currently producing a series of videos for the Beaver Hills Biosphere website. In an email correspondence, Dylan said, “I am particularly interested in Ministik since a portion of the sanctuary intersects with a route that Joseph Tyrell took through the Beaver Hills in 1886—which I am also covering in an upcoming episode.”

We look forward to seeing what Dylan captured on this hike!

Many thanks to Johanna for leading the hike, to Helen and Lee for scouting it, and to Trail Maintenance who cleared the way. You can find more photos on Flickr.

Eleven people came out to hike the trail along Saunders Lake from the south end. The day was pleasant, with varying degrees of cloud cover. By the afternoon, the weather had turned quite warm and humid, so the breezes from the lake were very welcome.

It was a great day for wildlife-spotting. We saw a fritillary butterfly, fledgling red-winged blackbirds, swooping black terns, a catbird, a kingbird, a tiny chatty bird with a long beak, a muskrat swimming, and a doe.

…to yellow evening primrose, delicate meadowsweet, and blue lettuce.

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A surprise element was the wasps on the path in two places. As we also discovered at Stoney Creek two weeks ago, you really have to pay attention to where you’re stepping this summer. Keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to make a wide detour around these creatures.

In spite of insects, these hikes are worth it—especially when we get to enjoy everything else nature has to offer, along with the conversation and friendliness of like-minded fellow hikers.

Thanks to Stella for leading the hike and to Trail Maintenance for clearing the way. You can find more photos on Flickr.