Legacy Trail
Nature's Protector
You find yourself high above a wetland — one of the hundreds of wetlands that are interspersed across Kawartha Highlands’ stunning landscape. Kawartha Highlands contains some of the most outstanding examples of these wetland ecosystems in southern Ontario. Wetlands are so abundant here that it can be easy to forget how important their role is in protecting Kawartha Highlands’ ecological integrity. Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems in the world, protecting environments for both humans and wildlife. For humans, wetlands clean pollution from our water, mitigate climate change, and reduce flooding and drought. For wildlife, wetlands provide food, shelter, and a place to raise their offspring.
One can think of wetlands like massive sponges. During rain or snowmelt, they can soak up and store impressive quantities of water. In fact, wetlands are so effective at retaining water that a wetland less than half a hectare in size can store more than six million litres of water. To put that into better perspective, the 14-acre wetland you are overlooking is able to store 207 million litres of water! Now imagine the amount of water that can be stored by the hundreds of wetlands scattered across Kawartha Highlands. Humans are greatly benefitted by wetlands’ sponge-like nature given that they retain water during storms and high run-off events, which prevents flooding. For wildlife, the water retained by wetlands provides animals with a place to drink and find food, even during periods of extreme drought.
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