Adventures in Lake of the Woods’ fairy-tale wetlands

Originally published in Lake of the Woods Area News, Volume 55, Number 2, Spring 2025

“It looked like something out of a fairy tale” is how Caroline Katona, senior development officer at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), described a wetland property near Kenora. The property was a potential land donation to the organization. Last fall, the NCC team visited the site to assess its biodiversity, intact habitats and the species it was home to. 

To say they were excited after returning from their trip was an understatement. Not one but seven bald eagles flew silently overhead while the NCC team searched the forest floor for spongy moss-covered hummocks and carnivorous sundews. This, while admiring the comically large fruit of the bog cranberries that taste like nature’s sour candies and breathing in the minty aroma of fragrant wintergreen. The biodiversity observed when closely looking at wetland ecosystems stands as a reminder of why it is so critical that places like this continue to exist. 

Canada is home to over a quarter of the world’s wetlands, and it is estimated that 70 per cent of wetlands in southern Canada have been lost to development. NCC partners with individuals and organizations across Canada to protect and care for these vital and vulnerable ecosystems.

As the day drew to an end and the sun’s golden rays began to silhouette the gnarly black spruce, the team came across ghost pipe—a relatively rare, ghost-white plant that “steals” its nutrients from the roots of other plants, rather than relying on photosynthesis. Colourful mushrooms and an abundance of lichen—from bearded lichens hanging in the trees, adding to the fairy-tale ambiance, to tiny bright red and pale blue pixie cup lichens hiding in the crevices of rotting logs—made it clear that nature here was thriving.

Kaitlin Richardson, NCC’s program director for northern Ontario, shared that the best part about their adventure was the thick mattress-like layer of sphagnum moss that blanketed the ground. Part of the joy of working in the field is that sometimes simple things like moss and tiny plants bring out our childlike wonder and excitement. Caroline and Kaitlin relished the opportunity to enjoy and take in this thriving wetland, as they lay on the soft moss bed, looked up at the sun poking through the tree canopy and watched birds fly overhead. 

Nature is important; it brings us happiness and supports our physical and mental health, not to mention the essential services that ecosystems like this play: flood mitigation, water filtration and carbon storage. Wetlands and forests keep our water and air clean. 

It was clear that these lands had been well cared for by the donors who made the decision to consider conservation as their legacy. Every land donation comes with its own story, and with each one, we are deeply moved by the generosity and foresight of those who choose to donate lands for conservation.

NCC is Canada’s largest environmental organization. Since its founding in 1962, NCC and our partners have helped conserve 15 million hectares of ecologically significant land nationwide. Together, we deliver solutions to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale and long-term conservation. We create lasting change for the planet and its people by partnering with Indigenous Nations and communities, governments and businesses around shared interests.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning about or supporting nature in the area, please contact us. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is always looking for passionate individuals who share our commitment to conservation. Together, we can make tangible change and ensure future generations have the chance to find joy in nature’s fairy-tale adventures.