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People
from all over North America and around the world come to Haliburton,
Ontario, Canada for the annual fall colour tours throughout the
province. Nowhere are the colours of the deciduous trees
such as, maple,
oak, birch so intense. Haliburton's Fall Packages are included in the
Provincial Great Fall Drives Booklet
Here's a link to the Fall Colour
Tours in Ontario, which are updated each week on Tuesday and Friday:
.
Link to:
Haliburton
Fall Colour Report
Torrance Barrens
The Torrance Barrens Conservation
Reserve consists of 1990 hectares (about 5000 acres) of crown land
south-east of Bala, which is administered by the Province of Ontario.
The first of its kind in Canada, the Torrance Barrens is now officially
recognized as a "Dark Sky Reserve." The geology of the landscape is
characterized by low ridges of Precambrian Shield, which was formed
approximately 2.5 billion years ago.
The rich
variety of vegetation, the geology and the large size of the Barrens
have resulted in a diversity of plants and animals, including some
provincially and nationally rare species such as the Southern Bog
Lemming and the elusive Five Lined Skink, Ontario's only lizard. One
might also find the threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, the
uncommon Eastern Hog nose Snake and several species of birds and mammals
that are at the northern limit of their distribution.
The
area is home to many erratics–large boulders that were dropped off by
receding glaciers.
The troughs between the rock
ridges are filled with wetlands and small ponds and lakes. The wetlands
are diverse, with dense open-water marshes, peat lands, grassy bog
mats, floating shrub mats and swamps dominated by mature conifer trees
or shrub thickets. Beavers are active in many wetlands.
The
lunar landscape of the Barrens is characterized by low ridges of
Precambrian bedrock, separated by wetlands and peat-filled hollows,
scattered boulders and even a little soil. The prevalence of bare
bedrock is the direct result of wave-washing by the receding waters of
the ancient, glacial, Algonquin Lake and Nipissing Lake. The
nationally-rare Eastern Bluebird and Cooper’s Hawk can often be spotted
on the Barrens and the elusive Wippoorwill and Nighthawk can be heard
in late evening. Many diverse vegetative species grow here. The Eastern
Massasauga Rattlesnake–a threatened species–can also on occasion be
found here, as can Ontario’s only lizard, the Five Lined Skink. Amateur
astronomers have identified the Barrens as an ideal place to view the
night skies with little light infiltration from urban areas.
THE DARK SKY RESERVE
Once the Conservation
Reserve was established, naturalists realized that the Torrance Barrens
had a previously un recognized attribute. Because of an absence of
light pollution at night, it was a remarkable place to view the natural
beauty of the starry sky. Protected or undeveloped land virtually
surrounds the Reserve, acting as an additional buffer from urban
lighting. This combination of attributes makes the Barrens unique in
Ontario. In 1999, the Ontario government acknowledged night-sky viewing
as an important use of the Torrance Barrens and added the designation
of Dark Sky Reserve to its title. The announcement received national
and international attention. This is indeed a special place to view the
universe.
The metamorphosed rock is more than two
billion years old. It has been under mountains, under water, under
miles of ice and under tropical jungles many times in its history.
Today, it is under your feet as you look up into the cosmos and
appreciate the immensity of time and space. To claim this find, place
yourself at the posted coordinates and identify the glacial feature you
can see both north and to the south.
The dark sky
designation was a project was developed by Muskoka Heritage Foundation
director Peter Goering in partnership with the Ministry of Natural
Resources, with support from the Township of Muskoka Lakes Ratepayers
Association and the Township of Muskoka Lakes. The growing awareness of
light pollution of the night sky and the inability of large sectors of
the population to experience and enjoy astronomical events has created
a demand for an area where the dark sky can be preserved.
The
Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Reserve
A combination of
ancient rock outcrops, peaceful wilderness and rare plants and wildlife
makes Muskoka’s Torrance Barrens a unique Conservation Reserve. In
1999, the Barrens’ nighttime star-filled darkness was designated by the
Ontario government as the world’s first permanent Dark Sky Reserve – a
move that recognized the region as a protected space free from
intrusion by urban light pollution.
Few natural
vistas can match the inspirational panorama of the Milky Way-our home
galaxy-arching overhead on a cool, clear summer or early-autumn
evening. At the Torrance Barrens, the ancient constellation and planets
shine forth in majestic profusion. On occasion, the northern lights
(aurora borealis) are visible – often as greenish wisps but sometimes
as spectacular curtains of colour. In binoculars, rivers of stars that
are completely invisible to the naked eye flow into view. Rich star
clusters, wispy nebulas, the cloud banks of Jupiter and the rings of
Saturn are all visible with a beginner’s telescope.
Geography
The Dark Sky Reserve is a designation added
to the Torrance
Barrens Conservation Reserve – an area of some 1900 hectares of crown
land, south-east of Bala, which is administered by the Province of
Ontario. It is relatively open with modest tree-growth – which gives a
clear view of the sky from horizon to horizon. The Torrance Barrens are
characterized by low ridges of Precambrian bedrock separated by wetland
and peat-filled hollows. The bedrock provides a sold basis for
astronomical instruments such as telescopes.
Background
Once the Conservation Reserve was
established, Muskoka
Heritage Foundation director Peter Goering realized that the Torrance
Barrens was an ideal candidate as a Dark Sky Reserve because of the
absence of light pollution at night. He proposed the idea in 1998 as
part of the public input into the “Lands for Life” discussions. With
co-operation and support from Michael Silver (Township of Muskoka Lakes
Ratepayers Association), Russ Black (Muskoka Heritage Foundation),
Astronomer Terence Dickinson, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the
Muskoka Heritage Foundation and various politicians, there was wide
acceptance of the idea. In 1999, the Ontario government acknowledges
night-sky viewing as an important use of the Torrance Barrens including
the concept in its Statement of Conservation Interest and adding the
designation of Dark Sky Reserve to its title. The Township of Muskoka
Lakes has already passed a resolution to encourage the use of night
lighting that directs all light towards the ground and hence decreases
the pollution of the skies.
Recreational
Opportunities
The Township of Muskoka Lakes
Recreational Trails Committee has created several trails suitable for
educations and interpretive hikes as well as family exploring. The
trails are accessible from the parking area at Highland Pond off County
Road 13. Excellent blueberry picking in the summer, and a main
snowmobile trails runs through the area in the winter.
Hiking
Trails
Main Trail (3.0 km)
The main trail circles Highland Pond, which
is a relatively large
shallow pond surrounded by floating fen mats that provide habitat for
several species of orchids including the White Fringed Orchid, Rose
Pogonia and Calopogon. A large intermediate fen extends off the western
end of the pond. This sedge dominated wetland provides a field habitat
for Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow and Bobolink.
Barrens
Extension (6.0 km)
Accessed from the Main Trail,
this extended loop takes the visitor around another large fen and past
a working beaver dam and house.
Pine Ridge Trail
(5 km)
Immediately north of Highland Pond, this
trail runs northwest to southeast along the southern shore of Pine
Lake. It can be accessed from the Main Trail. This trail is the best
example of the "ridge and trough" pattern that characterizes the
Torrance Barrens landscape.
Directions
Access
to the Torrance Barrens is off District Road 13 (Southwood Road). Turn
west onto District Road 13 (between Gravenhurst and Washago), then
drive about 20 minutes until you see the brown Torrance Barrens sign on
your right. Parking is in the area to the left of the sign. An
alternate route is to turn south onto District Road 13 from the village
of Torrance on Hwy 169. Drive on County Road 13 until you see the sign
and parking area. If you are in the Gravenhurst or Bracebridge areas,
proceed North on Muskoka Road 169 (former Hwy 169) and turn South on
Southwood Road (Muskoka Road 13) and go approximately 6.5 km until you
see a sign, "Torrance Barrens." Stone cairns, white marks on the rocks
and metal signs mark the trails.
A full-colour
brochure is available from the Ministry of Natural Resources located in
Bracebridge at the Muskoka Heritage Foundation Resource Centre.
GPS
Here is a link to a geocache site
with information about the Torrance Barren's Dark Skies, and GPS
coordinates. Torrence Barren
This link goes to the Barrens
Dark Sky information at geocaching.com site.
Here's a link to some excellent hiking
trail in the Muskoka area:
http://www.muskokatrails.com/pdfs/28-29_SIM_2007.pdf
Haliburton
Highlands, Ontario, Canada
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