Flora and Fauna
Flora and Fauna
As you make your way around the trails and fields in this 47.84 Hectare park, stop and look at the wide variety of plant and animal life that thrives at the park. In a short distance you can go from wide open Prairie, Aspen forest cover to a wetland marsh habitat. Each area hosting it's own unique birds, animals and plant life.
The quarry's themselves have filled with water and are home to painted turtles, nesting Mallard Ducks and in the fall Canada Geese stop before they head south. If you look over head you might see a Bald Eagle or a Red Tailed Hawk circling the fields,
or making their nests, even the Great Grey Owls take the time to watch the goings on from a high tree limb. There are many gophers, squirrels , rabbits and mice that go to make up their diet.\
Other animals in the forest include Deer, Red Fox, Porcupine, Raccoon and even a Coyote has been seen in and around the park area. Keep your nose at the ready for the smell of a Skunk in the air and be ready to backtrack quickly.
One of the features of Little Mountain Park are the many bird feeding stations that are located through out the park. The feeders are filled during the winter months. They attract many colourful winter birds such as Chickadees, Woodpeckers and Blue Jays who stay for the long haul.
The forests of Little Mountain are a mixture of Aspen, Manitoba Maple, Dogwood, American Hazelnut, Bur Oak , Cottonwood and Pine. Mixed in are wild Flowers such as the Crocus, Asters, Golden Rod, Avens, Puccoon, Gallardia and wild Roses for added colour. We are also home to several endangered plant species. The Prairie Clover, Lady Slipper and Old Mans Beard make Little Mountain home. There are also wild Strawberry and Raspberry patches, plum, and Chokecherry but watch out for the Saskatoon pickers come harvest time.
I am making a picture file in our 'Where are They Now' section of all the flora recorded by the City of Winnipeg. Provided will be both proper and common names for the plants. If people are interested, they could make a game out of trying to find all the 206 different plants that our park has to offer! Located just below is just a small sampling of the recorded ecosystem.
A complete list of the plants has been prepared by the City of Winnipeg Naturalist Services:
Public Works Report For Habitat Site;
Habitat Information and Plants Found at the Site:
Grade A/B Habitat Types Aspen Forest Prairie Area in Hectares 47.84
In 2009 and 2010, Susan Van D., sent in two samples of our native Wild Hazelnuts to the Arbor day organization at Rutgers University in the Untied States. These were added to their collection for planting. The Hazelnuts were the furthest Northern Accessions that the Organization had. The seedlings were planted with a well developed root system according to Thomas Molnar and Ben Cohoon of the Arbor day organization. The lot number is # 09606. In a few years we will see what progress has happened from the Little Mountain Park seeds. Good on you Susan!
http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/locate.cfm
Up-date Apr.15 2013. Here is what our Little Mountain Hazelnut Trees look like.
http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/index.cfm?TrackingID=400&utm_source=Arbor%2BDay&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Jan-Feb%2BArbor%2BDay
Species Name Common Name Date Sp. added to List Native/Introduced
Acer negundo Manitoba Maple 07/01/1987 N.
Achillea Millefolium Yarrow 07/01/1987 N.
Agoseris glauca False Dandelion 07/01/1987 N.
Agropyron repens Quack-grass, Couch-grass 09/24/2009 I.
Agropyron trachycaulum Slender Wheat grass 06 /10/1998 N.
Agropyron trachycaulum var. Awned Wheat grass 06 /10/1998 N.
unilaterale
Agrostis Hyemalis Hair Grass, Thickle grass 07 /01/1987 N.
Agrostis spp. Bent Grass 06 /10/1998 ?
Alisma Gramineum Narrow-leaved Water-plantain 07/01/1987 N.
Allium Stellatum Wild onion, Pink-Flowered Onion 07/01/1987 N.
Alopecurus Aequalis Short-awned Foxtail 07/01/1987 N.
Ambrosia Psilostachya Perennial Ragweed 07/01/1987 N.
Amelanchier Alnifolia Saskatoon 07/01/1987 N.
Amorpha Nana Dwarf False Indigo, Fragrant False Indigo 07/01/1987 N.
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem 07/01/1987 N.
Andropogon scoparius Little Bluestem 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone canadensis Canada Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone cylindrica Long-fruited Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone multifida Cut-leaved Anemone 07/01/1987 N.
Anemone patens Pasque-flower, Prairie Crocus 07/01/1987 N.
Antennaria neglecta Pussy-toes 07/01/1987 N.
Antennaria spp. Pussytoes 09/24/2009 ?
Apocynum androsaemifolium Spreading Dogbane 07/01/1987 N.
Some of the pictures at the top of this page are from www.bcadventures.com
