Around 40 people took part in a guided tour of the Eau Claire Gorge Trail, hosted by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority. PHOTO by: Jazz Mathon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOzezBo9brU&feature=youtu.be
There are natural hidden gems in and around North Bay and the Eau Claire Gorge Conservation Area is one of them.
With the Mattawa Canoe Race and Voyageur Days happening this weekend, the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority felt it was perfect timing to host a free guided tour and showcase the area.
“The hike is an opportunity for people to come out and experience the conservation areas, to experience nature and the historic and natural heritage of the area,” shares Sue Buckle, supervisor of communications and outreach with the NBMCA.
The tour was led by local forester, Fred Pinto, who gave lessons on how the adaptations of plants, trees and animals have changed over time.
“North Bay is a really exciting place because it is in between the Boreal Forest further north and Deciduous Forest in the south, so we tend to have mixture of different species and disturbance that go through here too,” says Pinto.
Around 25 residents boarded a complimentary bus from North Bay to the Eau Claire Gorge and a dozen more showed up at the site.
“It was very good, I enjoyed the hike, it was awesome and I think I will come back and do it again someday,” says Jeff Young of North Bay.
“It was gorgeous. The water and everything is so green, so lush, it was nice,” adds Linda Wilson, a Florida resident who visits North Bay each summer.
The NBMCA oversees 16 trails in the area. Buckle says events like this gives people an opportunity to understand the work the Conservation Authority does, in terms of protecting the environment and natural heritage.
“We have lots of hidden treasures and its growing and people are developing a greater appreciation of what the environment is and of our natural historic features.”
Fred Pinto says as Ontarians, we own 90 percent of the province, and that it is important that we know as much as we can about our forests and natural eco systems.
The Conservation Authority says improvements have been made to the site and trail system over the past few years, to make it more enjoyable and safer to visitors.
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PHOTO by: Jazz Mathon
