Courtesy NCC
Map provides approximate location.
Secteur MapleCross
Shawinigan, QC
Nature Conservancy of Canada – 2020
202 hectares
Property Description
Secteur MapleCross is located within the Lac-a-la-Tortue bog, where NCC recently secured five additional parcels of land totaling 509 hectares near or contiguous to lands protected as part of the Lac-a-la-Tortue ecological reserve. These are highly significant wetlands located within the municipality of Shawinigan west of Québec City. This peat bog is the largest expanse of wetland of this type in the St. Lawrence Lowlands.
The bog is home to a wide variety of animals, including beaver, coyote, redbelly snake, wood frog and green frog. Moose, black bear and white-tailed deer are the large mammals that use this vast site. In addition, there are several ponds and swamps that are home to many waterfowl, including black duck, wood duck, great blue heron and blue-winged teal. Sandhill cranes have also been seen on numerous occasions. There are also plant species considered to be at-risk, such as Virginia chain fern and twin-scaped bladderwort.
Wetlands provide us with many ecological services, particularly by absorbing large quantities of water during heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt. This buffering effect helps prevent overflowing of streams near the bog. In addition, bogs are considered important carbon sinks that contribute to mitigating global warming.
Content and property pictures courtesy of Nature Conservancy of Canada.
