Carp Hills | Friends of the Carp Hills

12 Days of Christmas in the Carp Hills – Part 2

🎶 On the 12 days of Christmas, the Carp Hills give to you . . . a diversity of life in its many forms. 🎶

Each day from December 25 to January 5 we will highlight a plant, animal, fungi, or bacteria that makes the Carp Hills home. We will feature the unusual, the overlooked, and the unappreciated.

Over the 12 day period this post will be updated daily with a new entry that contains more information and links than what we post on social media.

12 days of Christmas in the Carp Hills – Part 1. Days 1 through 6.

7. Seventh day of Christmas – Sedges.
8. Eighth day of Christmas – Snowshoe Hare.
9. Ninth day of Christmas – Salamanders.
10. Tenth day of Christmas – Decomposers.
11. Eleventh day of Christmas – Native wild felines.
12. Twelfth day of Christmas – Ruffed Grouse.

7. Seventh day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the seventh day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . sedges!

Good heavens, you say. What is a sedge?

Sedges are grass-like plants. “Sedges have edges; rushes are round; and grasses are jointed all the way to the ground.” There are exceptions of course, but most sedges have triangular stems. The edges can be felt as you roll the stem between your thumb and finger.

By number of species, sedges comprise the largest group of flowering, vascular plants in the Ottawa area.

There are over 150 known species that grow in Ottawa (out of over 5000 species worldwide).
65 species in Ottawa are Regionally Significant, growing in 10 or fewer locations.
9 Regionally Significant species are known to grow in the Carp Hills. Three of these are Regionally Rare (less than 5 known locations). Filiform Cottongrass (Eriophorum tenellum) is a Regionally Rare sedge that grows only in the Carp Hills (in two fens) and in the Mer Bleu bog.

Sedges have great variability, particularly in the shape of their seed heads. All of these sedges grow in the Carp Hills.

Sedges grow everywhere: in forests, wetlands, meadows, shorelines, arctic tundra, sand dunes, and salt water environments. However many sedge species grow only under specific conditions, so ecologists can use them as habitat indicators. Sedges take many different forms, but some species look so similar that they can only be distinguished by examining the seed head with a hand lens.

Sedges feed waterfowl. Their seeds provide food for animals. Many are host plants for moths and butterflies. Some foster diversity by creating habitat like tussock mounds that host other species. Their rhizomes anchor soils and dunes, preventing erosion.

Read more about sedges in the Carp Hills in our fen series.

8. Eighth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the eighth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . a wascally mammal that’s not a wabbit.

Snowshoe Hares inhabit the Carp Hills in areas with coniferous forest, the habitat they prefer. They are primarily a boreal species, but their range extends south into Ottawa’s natural pine, fir, and spruce forests. They should not be confused with the smaller, shorter-eared Cottontail Rabbit, which prefers edge habitats and our lawns and gardens!

Snowshoe hares are most active at night, staying hidden in brush during the day, which is why they are rarely seen except referentially by their distinctive tracks in the snow. They will break cover and run if threatened. We once counted 4 hares streaming past us in early May on the Carp Barrens all heading in the same direction, possibly fleeing a predator. They can reach a top speed of 45 kph.

Snowshoe Hare on the Carp Barrens in the Carp Hills. Photo by Owen Clarkin. — Snowshoe Hare on the Carp Barrens. Photo by Owen Clarkin.

Snowshoe Hares famously moult twice a year and change colour: white fur in winter and brown fur in summer. Cottontails stay brown all year.

Snowshoe Hare tracks near the Crazy Horse Trail in the Carp Hills. Photo by R. Russell. — Snowshoe Hare tracks near the Crazy Horse Trail. Photo by R. Russell.

Plenty of Snowshoe Hare tracks can be found around the Crazy Horse Trail in winter. They tend to make and use the same trails through the woods. As you walk the trail look carefully in the brush. You may spot a wascally hare blending in with the snow cover.

Learn more about Snowshoe Hares.

9. Ninth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the ninth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . an elusive, but charismatic amphibian.

In a healthy woodland, salamanders comprise one of the largest sources of biomass of all vertebrates.

But if there are so many, where are they?!

Salamanders hibernate underground and live in moist wooded places unseen in the leaf litter. They are amphibians so they must lay their eggs in water. They choose ephemeral ponds, which are temporary woodland pools that form in the spring from meltwater. These ponds are important because they don’t contain fish that would eat the salamander eggs. The Carp Hills have many ephemeral ponds.

Red-spotted salamander in the Carp Hills. Photo by J. Mueller.

Many salamanders in a forest indicate a healthy ecosystem. Salamanders breath through their skin, absorbing oxygen in water along with any pollution. This is one reason why it’s critical to keep dogs on leash and to clean up dog poop from trails, because it will contaminate the woodland water system.

Blue-spotted salamanders in the Carp Hills. Photo by R. Russell.

Salamanders are an important protein source for many creatures. In turn, salamanders eat forest floor invertebrates. Their loss from forest ecosystems could affect invertebrate diversity, soil dynamics and nutrient cycling.

There are two common salamander species in the Carp Hills: Blue-spotted salamander and the Eastern or Red-spotted Newt. The (yellow) Spotted Salamander has also been observed, but does not seem to be common.

Read more about salamanders in the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, published in 2023.

10. Tenth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the tenth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . Nature’s cleanup crew giving the gift of renewal!

Celebrate the underappreciated, but mighty decomposers: fungi and bacteria.

Decomposers play a crucial role in ecosystems by breaking down organic matter into simpler substances that release nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, back into the ecosystem. These nutrients are then available for use by plants and other organisms.

Without decomposers, dead organic matter would accumulate and nutrients would become locked in the remains of dead organisms, hindering the growth of new life. Decomposers also detoxify harmful substances and control the spread of diseases by breaking down harmful substances and infected hosts. They contribute to the formation of healthy soil by creating humus, which is prized by gardeners.

Fungi fascinate us with their alien shapes and bright colours. 13% of iNaturalist observations in the Carp Hills are fungi and lichens. 109 fungi species (research grade, iNaturalist) have been identified so far. This is a small number because most fungi are difficult to identify through casual photos. Many Carp Hills fungi break down wood like the spectacular North Tooth and the delicious Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus). Even mycorrhizal fungi like the Black Trumpet (Craterellus fallax), which form a mutualistic relationship with tree roots, help break down dead plant material in soil.

Craterellus fallax in the Carp Hills. — *Craterellus fallax* in the Carp Hills.

Northern Tooth on a sugar maple in the Carp Hills.

Bacteria species found in Carp Hills ponds using environmental DNA analysis.

The eDNA project conducted by citizen scientist Mike Nash has given us a small window into the bacteria species that make their home in Carp Hills ponds. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia helps breakdown complex organic matter. It has been studied for its potential use in bioremediation, helping to clean up environments contaminated with pollutants.

Millipedes and many beetles are also decomposers. One found in the Carp Hills is the American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana). They are attracted to carrion and are often among the first insects to arrive at a dead animal. The beetles help break down the carcass by feeding on the flesh and tissues. Fungi and bacteria take over from there.

American Carrion Beetle in the Carp Hills. Photo by Anne Wong.

[Information on decomposers was researched with help from ChatGPT.]

11. Eleventh day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the eleventh day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . native wild felines.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) or Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)? There are reliable accounts of native wild felines sighted in the Carp Hills in the 1980s, but nothing more recent except inconclusive scat observations. As recounted in our history of Hidden Lake, Walter Zeitz regularly saw what he called a lynx on his many ramblings north of the beaver pond.

Houses and human activity have increased significantly around the Carp Hills since the 1980s. Thomas Dolan Parkway bisected the Carp Hills when it was extended from Dunrobin Road to Carp Road. Saddlebrook Estates was built into the interior and new developments were added along the north rim of the ridge off Marchurst Road.

Bobcats inhabit the southern part of Canada because deep snow restricts their movements. They are tolerant of human habitation and versatile in their habitat. They prey mainly on rabbits and rodents.

Canada Lynx is primarily a boreal species with large feet suited for deep snow. They specialize in preying on Snowshoe Hares. The southern extent of their range overlaps with the northern range of Bobcats.

Are there Bobcats or Lynx in our area? The Carp Hills and surrounding farmland interspersed with woods are home to suitable prey and offer good habitat for both species. The photo of a Bobcat spotted in Dunrobin in 2021 suggests that the answer may be Yes!

Photo of a Bobcat spotted in West Carleton.

Learn more about Bobcats in Canada.

Learn more about Canada Lynx in Canada.

12. Twelfth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the twelfth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . drummers drumming like thunder and lightning.

You are hiking the Crazy Horse Trail. The sound of your footsteps on rock and leaf is suddenly interrupted with a startling whoosh and the rapidly retreating sight of a brown blur with flapping wings. You have probably flushed a Ruffed Grouse.

Whump, whump, whump. Ruffed Grouse are heard even more often than they are seen, especially in the spring. Males “drum” to attracts mates and warn other males away from their territory.

Contrary to popular belief, Ruffed Grouse do not beat a hollow tree to drum. Standing on a rock or tree stump the male rapidly moves its cupped wings back and forth. The “wings achieve the same speed as the sound waves generated by their passage through the air. This causes the sound waves to “pile up” into a penetrating shock wave, also known as a sonic boom.” (Adirondack Almanac.) This is similar to the phenomenon that produces thunder: a lightning bolt slashing through the air rapidly heats the molecules causing them to expand faster than the speed of sound to create a shock wave.

Ruffed Grouse in the Carp Hills. Photo by M. Nash.

Ruffed Grouse in the Carp Hills. Photo by Anne Wong.

The mixed spruce, poplar (aspen), and birch forests of the Carp Hills provide ideal habitat for these birds. They are primarily vegetarian, eating leaf shoots, acorns, and woodland fruits, but must feed their young protein-rich invertebrates.

There is so much fascinating information about these birds. Listen to recordings of their drumming and calls and learn more at the All About Birds web site.

Watch a video of a Ruffed Grouse drumming.

This concludes our 12 Days of Christmas series. We hoped you enjoyed learning about only a fraction of what makes the Carp Hills unique, special, and worth conserving.

12 Days of Christmas in the Carp Hills – Part 1

🎶 On the 12 days of Christmas, the Carp Hills give to you . . . a diversity of life in its many forms. 🎶

Each day from December 25 to January 5 we will highlight a plant, animal, fungi, or bacteria that makes the Carp Hills home. We will feature the unusual, the overlooked, and the unappreciated.

Over the 12 day period this post will be updated daily with a new entry that contains more information and links than what we post on social media.

First day of Christmas – Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen.
Second day of Christmas – Hermit Thrush and Wood Thrush.
Third day of Christmas – Swamp Milkweed.
Fourth day of Christmas – Moths.
Fifth day of Christmas – Rock Elm and Slippery Elm.
Sixth day of Christmas – Smooth Greensnake.

12 days of Christmas in the Carp Hills – days 7 through 12.

First day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the first day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . Canada’s national lichen. And it feeds reindeer!

In a poll run by the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia stellaris) was chosen as the national lichen of Canada. It grows in every province and territory and across the Carp Hills on acidic rock outcrops.

Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen is easily identified by two features: it forms round, grey-yellow-green mounds and has a 4- or 6-pointed star at the tip of each branch.

Star-tipped Reindeer lichen (Cladonia stellaris) on the Carp Barrens (Carp Hills). Photo by Colin Freebury. — Star-tipped Reindeer lichen (Cladonia stellaris) on the Carp Barrens. Photo by Colin Freebury.

Star-tipped Reindeer Lichen on the Crazy Horse Trail. Photo by Rich Russell.

Lichens are not plants. They are fungi in a symbiotic relationship with a photosynthesizing partner, which can be algae and/or cyanobacteria. They play an important role in slowly breaking down rock into soil. They also provide food for animals, insects, and microbiological communities. Reindeer Lichen is a critical food source for caribou (called reindeer in Eurasia) in winter.

Did you know? The light-enhancing tissue in caribou eyes changes from gold to blue in the winter. This improves their ability to see ultraviolet light. Reindeer Lichen absorbs UV light so it appears as dark patches against the snow, making it easy for caribou to find it.

A recent survey by lichen enthusiast Colin Freebury found 84 species growing on the Carp Barrens. Read his article Lichens of the Carp Barrens for more information.

Canada’s national lichen was chosen in a poll run by the Canadian Museum of Nature. Read more about lichens from the Canadian Museum of Nature.

2. Second day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the second day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . two forest birds with enchanting songs of ethereal beauty.

If you’re standing in the Carp Hills rooted to the spot because you’re listening to a haunting, flute-like song, then you have encountered a Hermit Thrust or a Wood Thrush. These two birds sing across the Carp Hills in forest habitat in spring and summer. Both migrate to Canada from their winter homes in the southern US and Mexico (Hermit Thrush) and the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America (Wood Thrush). They forage on the ground in leaf litter for invertebrates like snails and beetles. The Hermit Thrush prefers forest edges while the Wood Thrush requires mature, interior forest. Since this later type of habitat is disappearing in both its winter and summer homes, the Wood Thrush is a Species at Risk (Special Concern) in Ontario, borne out by a decline in its numbers.

One reliable place to hear these birds is on the Crazy Horse Trail, often near and around the beaver pond. Prepare to be enchanted.

Listen to their songs, recorded in the Carp Hills, in our 1 minute video.

Learn more about the Hermit Thrush at All About Birds.

Learn more about the Wood Thrush at All About Birds.

3. Third day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the third day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . a native milkweed.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a perennial wildflower that grows in wetlands. Like the Common Milkweed found in fields, Swamp Milkweed is a critical host plant for the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, which can only feed on milkweed plants. We have found Swamp Milkweed in just a few Carp Hills wetlands. You can see it on the Crazy Horse Trail near the boardwalks that parallel the snowmobile trail in the open area just before the trail turns abruptly south.

Swamp Milkweed seed pods in a Carp Hills wetland. — Swamp Milkweed seed pods in a Carp Barrens wetland.

Swamp Milkweed on the Crazy Horse Trail in the Carp Hills. — Swamp Milkweed on the Crazy Horse Trail.

If you have a damp, sunny area in your garden, plant Swamp Milkweed. Its nectar feeds many pollinators, including hummingbirds, and you’ll be helping Monarch butterflies, which are a Species at Risk (Special Concern).

4. Fourth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the fourth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . creatures of the night.

Without moths we would have fewer birds. Bird nestlings need protein. Bird parents feed them insect larvae from many species, with caterpillars from moths and butterflies forming the bulk of their meals. A study in the US found that the Carolina Chickadee fed its young 6000 to 9000 caterpillars over a 16 day period.

One reason for the decline in bird numbers is the corresponding decline in the food available for them and for their young.

Scientists believe that the main reason for northward migration in the spring is for birds to take advantage of the burst in caterpillar and insect populations that feed on the fresh foliage.

Moth and butterfly caterpillars are very specific about the plants they can feed on. They need native plant species, not plants introduced from Europe and Asia that we grow in our gardens.

Poster by Justin Lewis showing a select set of moths in Ontario and their native host plants. Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. — Poster by Justin Lewis showing a select set of moths in Ontario and their native host plants.

Without moths we would have fewer flowering plants. Moths are important pollinators. We just don’t see them because they are active at night. According to the Lepidopterists’ Society there are about eight moths for every butterfly. The Smithsonian Institution states that there are approximately 160,000 species of moths in the world compared to 17,500 species of butterflies.

Hydrangea sphinx moth in the Carp Hills. Photo by R. Russell.

We don’t know how many moth species there are in the Carp Hills. As of December there were 132 different species of moths and butterflies recorded in our iNaturalist project (102 of these are research grade). However, the high native plant diversity in the Carp Hills bodes well for a healthy diversity of moths. For example, Buttonbush is an uncommon shrub that grows in Carp Hills wetlands. It is one of only two host plants for the Hydrangea Sphinx Moth in the Ottawa area.

Learn more about moths in this Canadian Geographic article.

The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library web site has comprehensive information about butterflies and moths and their native host plants.

The best book on the topic of the relationship between native plants and insect and bird populations is Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy. It’s available in the Ottawa Public Library.

Watch one of Dr. Tallamy’s videos on YouTube.

Luna moth in the Carp Hills. Photo by L. MacDonald.

5. Fifth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the fifth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . two native trees that grow anonymously in plain sight.

Widespread across Eastern Ontario, Rock Elm (Ulmus thomasii) and Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra) are not as well known as the (formerly) common American Elm that used to grace farmlands and streetscapes. Rock Elm lives up to its name in two ways: its wood is harder and denser than oak and hickory and it is often found literally growing on rocks. In the great lumbering of our Eastern Ontario forests, Rock Elm was particularly prized for shipbuilding. Slippery Elm is so-called because of its mucilaginous inner bark, which is used in traditional medicine to ease bowel inflammation.

Both trees are uncommon in the acidic, Canadian Shield Carp Hills because they strongly prefer alkaline, calcium-rich soils. In the Carp Hills they grow where the underlying bedrock is Precambrian marble, which is a calcium based mineral.

Rock Elm on Juanita Avenue in Carp near the Carp Hills. — Rock Elm on Juanita Avenue in Carp.

Some grow just outside the Hidden Lake Trail on Juanita Avenue in Carp. Rock Elm and Slippery Elm are susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease (DED). All of the Rock Elms near the Crazy Horse trailhead have died from DED. A new pest, Elm Zigzag Sawfly, also threatens our remaining populations.

For information about Rock Elm and Slippery Elm in Eastern Ontario and how to identify them, see these links.
Treess Canadensis – Rock Elm.
Trees Canadensis – Slippery Elm.
For a particularly spectacular Rock Elm, see this tree on the northeast side of Old Second Line Road in Kanata between Wild Acres Lane and Panandrick View Drive. It is well over 200 years old.

6. Sixth day of Christmas in the Carp Hills.

On the sixth day of Christmas the Carp Hills give to you . . . an exotic emerald green reptile that looks more tropical than Canadian.

The Smooth Greensnake is one of five species of snakes that live in the Carp Hills. The Smooth Greensnake can be observed on the Carp Barrens if you are lucky and carefully observant. Its bright green skin provides excellent camouflage in the underbrush. On sunny, cool spring days it basks on the warm rocks. It grows up to half a meter in length and eats invertebrates like spiders and crickets.

Smooth Greensnake on the Carp Barrens in the Carp Hills. — Smooth Greensnake on the Carp Barrens.

When encountered, it will sometimes appear curious by regarding you with a swaying raised head and upper body, but this is considered a defensive posture. Fear not. The Smooth Greensnake is not venomous or aggressive.

Anecdotally, some think that the numbers of Smooth Greensnakes have declined in Eastern Ontario. Based on iNaturalist observations, the Carp Hills, Burnt Lands Alvar, and Marlborough Forest have the largest populations within Ottawa.

Read about the Smooth Greensnake in the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, published in 2023.

12 days of Christmas in the Carp Hills – days 7 through 12.

It takes a village. Over 300 turtle hatchlings saved.

From August through September, 74 Blanding’s and 284 Snapping turtle hatchlings from the Carp Hills, Carp, and Dunrobin areas swam into their home waters for the first time.

These baby turtles were lucky.

They survived the most critical period in their young lives – from laid egg to hatchling – because they were protected by Friends of the Carp Hills (FCH) and our volunteers in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF).

Blanding's turtle hatchling ready for release in the Carp Hills. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.) — Blanding’s turtle hatchling ready for release. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.)

Snapping turtle hatchling ready for release near the Carp Hills. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.) — Snapping turtle hatchling ready for release. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.)

Ontario turtles need help.

The Province of Ontario lists 7 of its 8 turtles as Species at Risk due to loss of habitat, road mortality, and increased predation of nests. Three turtle species make the Carp Hills home: Blanding’s turtle, Common Snapping turtle, and Midland Painted turtle.

We focused our conservation efforts on Blanding’s turtles (Threatened in Ontario, Endangered in Canada) and Snapping turtles (Special Concern). Blanding’s turtles can take over 20 years to reach reproductive age and they lay a small number of eggs (usually 10 to 15) compared to Snapping turtles (usually 25 to 35).

One of 60 predated turtle nests recorded by our team in the Carp Hills area. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.) — One of 60 predated turtle nests recorded by our team. (Photo by I. Stonebridge.)

One way to improve the odds is to protect the eggs in turtle nests so that predators can’t eat them.

Our experience confirms the predation threat. Our turtle monitors recorded 60 predated nests. They observed racoons waiting in popular turtle nesting sites for turtles to finish laying eggs. Monitors often waited for a turtle to finish laying in order to quickly slap a protector over the nest. Last year one monitor chased off racoons from hassling Blanding’s turtles while they were laying.

Snapping turtle checking out a nesting site on a road shoulder next to a protected nest. (Photo by C. Merritt.)

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre estimates that up to 99% of turtle eggs are predated by racoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. This number tends to the higher percentage in areas where human presence supports healthy populations of these predators. Once hatched, turtles must survive additional human-caused pressures like road mortality and loss of wetland habitat.

This means turtle populations can become unsustainable in areas where they used to thrive.

The impending extirpation of Blanding’s turtles in the South March Highlands in Kanata is a good example.

Our 2023 turtle conservation program.

This was the second year that we ran our turtle conservation program. Based on lessons learned from 2022, we made some changes.

We expanded the area driven by our turtle monitors, adding more roads where high turtle activity had been reported in 2022.
We added a night shift after dark, where monitors drove specified roads looking for laying turtles.
We added trained volunteers in high turtle activity neighbourhoods who worked with other residents to protect turtle nests.

All of these changes resulted in a threefold increase in Blanding’s turtle eggs protected compared to 2022 (80 vs 26 eggs). Blanding’s turtles typically lay eggs in the dusk and in the dark.

Detailed 2023 turtle conservation project statistics are available below.

Blanding’s turtle on road side at 11:23pm. (Photo by R. Hurdon.)

Turtle Champions Jeff and Helen protecting a Snapping turtle nest.

It’s not all good news.

We recorded 15 Blanding’s turtles found dead on roads in the Carp Hills and Dunrobin areas in June.

7 of these were females containing unlaid eggs.
13 of the eggs were considered viable and sent to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough for incubation. They will be released near their original nest location in summer 2024.

In August, one of our monitors reported 2 dead Blanding’s turtle hatchlings on a road.

In July FCH shared the turtle mortality information with the City of Ottawa. We used Google Earth to map the roadkill locations and colour-coded the turtle species. Three specific areas on two roads were responsible for 11 of these deaths. There is no turtle fencing at these locations.

City staff replied quickly to our email, indicating that they would look for upcoming roadwork projects in the high mortality areas. Installing turtle fencing is expensive. It’s often paid for by developers looking for compensation activities for habitats they’ve destroyed elsewhere.

“It takes a village.”

So says our Turtle Champion John, extending the proverb about raising a child in a safe and healthy community environment to how his neighbourhood came together to protect turtles and their eggs.

Indeed it does. West Carleton residents stepped up to volunteer, send us emails about turtles laying eggs, help turtles cross roads safely, and place protectors over nests on their properties.

Many thanks to our Turtle Monitors (Rachel, Ian, Jennifer, and Carole) who drove roads morning, evening, and in the dark of night to find turtles who needed help. Thanks to our Turtle Champions (Helen, Jeff, John, Bernard) for their work mobilizing their neighbours to protect turtles. Heartfelt gratitude to Dave Seburn and staff at the Canadian Wildlife Federation for their turtle conservation work in the Ottawa and surrounding areas. And a big thanks to the Bell family for their donation that made this project possible.

You are all making a difference.

CWF biologist ready to release a Blanding's turtle into a Carp Hills wetland. — CWF biologist ready to release a Blanding’s turtle into a Carp Hills wetland.

Turtle monitor Jennifer releases a Blanding's turtle into a Carp Hills pond. — Turtle monitor Jennifer releases a Blanding’s turtle into a Carp Hills pond.

CWF staff with incubated turtle hatchlings ready to release into their home ponds.

Blanding's turtle hatchling enters its home pond for the first time. — Blanding’s turtle hatchling enters its home pond for the first time.

Watch a Blanding’s turtle hatchling experience the outside world for the first time when it is released into a Carp Hills pond in August 2023. Quan Huynh with the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) captured the video footage using a waterproof camera.

2023 turtle conservation project statistics.

Photos and additional documentation are available in iNaturalist project Carp Hills Area Turtle Monitoring project.

All location data is obscured.

The photos of roadkill dead turtles are pretty gruesome so be warned.

As in 2022, we will prepare a detailed report with maps (using Google Earth) and data for the City of Ottawa.

Blanding’s turtles.

Due to their Threatened status, all Blanding’s turtle eggs were collected.
CWF collected 80 eggs from 7 nests that were protected in the Carp Hills and Dunrobin areas from 10 June through 26 June by FCH monitors and neighbourhood champions.
CWF incubated the 80 eggs at their facility in Kanata.
74 eggs successfully hatched (93% success).
From 13 August to 25 August we released the 74 hatchlings in ponds close to their original nest location.
15 Blanding’s turtles were found dead on roads in the Carp Hills and Dunrobin areas in June.
- 7 of these were females containing unlaid eggs.
  - 13 of the eggs were considered viable and sent to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough for incubation. The OTCC will raise the hatchlings from these eggs for one year. They will be released near their original nest location in summer 2024.
Subsequently on 30 August, 2 dead Blanding’s turtle hatchlings were found on the road in the Dunrobin area.

Snapping turtles.

Collected eggs.
- CWF collected 37 eggs from 2 nests that were protected in the Carp Hills and Carp River areas on 8 June and 13 June by FCH monitors and neighbourhood champions.
- CWF incubated the 37 eggs at their facility in Kanata.
- 25 eggs successfully hatched (67% success).
- On 21 August we released the 25 hatchlings into a pond or the Carp River close to their original nest location.
Protected nests.
- 17 nest protectors were placed in the Carp Hills, Carp River, and Dunrobin areas from 6 June to 26 June. The protectors were left on the nests for the eggs to incubate naturally.
- We have data from 16 protected nests:
  - We excavated the protected nests in September through 2 November to determine the success rate.
  - 14 nests had evidence of eggs.
    - 364 eggs were protected. Of these, 259 successfully hatched (71% success).
    - Of the 259 that successfully hatched, there were 27 live hatchlings found still in the nests. The hatchlings were released near their nest location.
    - There were 6 dead hatchlings found still in the nests.
  - 1 protector looked like it had been moved with human intervention. No nest found. Status of original nest location unknown.
  - 1 protector was either hit by a car or vandalized. No nest was found.
1 small, very young Snapping turtle was found dead on the road in June.
15 viable eggs from a predated nest were sent to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough for incubation. The OTCC will raise the hatchlings from these eggs for one year. They will be released near their original nest location in summer 2024.

Painted turtles.

5 Painted turtle eggs were collected and incubated based on being mistaken by a resident for a Blanding’s turtle. The oval eggs are quite similar although Painted turtle eggs tend to be a bit smaller. 3 of the eggs hatched and the hatchlings released in home waters.

CWF biologists Mackenzie and Dave Seburn excavate protected Snapping turtle nests to determine the hatching success.

Blanding's turtle hatchlings just released into a Carp Hills pond. — Blanding’s turtle hatchlings just released into a Carp Hills pond.

References

https://ontarioturtle.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Turtle-Nests-and-Nest-Protection.pdf

Blanding’s turtles at risk of extinction in Kanata in next few years, study finds. CBC News, September 2023.

Bloodsuckers in the Carp Hills

With Halloween on the way our thoughts turn to . . . bloodsuckers!

We may not have vampire bats (or vampires!) in the Carp Hills, but we have no shortage of blood-sucking creatures. Mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies, and ticks get the most attention because they feast upon us in droves from spring through fall.

There is one more Carp Hills bloodsucker that we seldom encounter, but deserves to be recognized: leeches.

Leeches can be found in various aquatic habitats, such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and wetlands. They often live in the sediment or attached to submerged vegetation and rocks. They are prevalent in Carp Hills ponds and are another good reason to keep pets out of the water.

Leech in a Carp Hills pond. (from video footage by Quan Huynh.)

North American Medicinal Leech in the Carp Hills. (Photo by A. Wong.)

There are about 30 to 35 species of leeches in Ontario, but most of these are predators that eat invertebrates and don’t feed on blood. Blood-feeding leeches primarily prey on amphibians and birds. Only one will actively seek out human blood. It is the North American medicinal leech (Macrobdella decora), which is still used in hospitals today.

Unlike other local blood-feeders like ticks and mosquitoes, leeches do not transmit diseases to humans. However, if you try to remove an attached leech by pulling it off or using salt, it may regurgitate its meal into your bloodstream, which can cause an infection. According to the experts, the best approach is to let the leech finish its meal and detach naturally, which could take up to an hour! But during this time you won’t feel a thing, because the leech releases an anesthetic to prevent its prey from feeling the bite. The site of the bite may bleed for up to a day due to the presence of anticoagulants in the leech’s saliva.

Some interesting facts about leeches.

They are segmented worms (Annelids).
They have suckers at both ends.
They are hermaphrodites, having both male and female reproductive organs.
They are good parents, looking after their eggs and young.
One species of Ontario leech, the Giant Horse Leech (Haemopis marmorata), can grow up to 36 centimeters long! But don’t worry. It eats insects.

Ontario blood-feeding leeches primarily feed on frogs. There are also two leeches in Ontario that parasitize turtles: Placobdella parasitica, the Smooth Turtle Leech, and Placobdella ornata, the Ornate Turtle Leech. Most turtle leeches attach to the turtle’s soft tissues, but they are also found on the shell, which has nerves and blood vessels that leeches can access.

Blanding’s Turtle in the Carp Hills with three leeches on its carapace.

Leeches play a vital role in the freshwater food web by controlling the population of certain invertebrates and by serving as a food source for larger aquatic organisms, such as fish and birds. Leeches are a preferred bait for bass and walleye. Many anglers swear by the superiority of leeches for catching these fish.

In Canada the purchase of medicinal leeches (and medicinal maggots) is regulated by Health Canada. The primary therapeutic use of medicinal leeches involves the removal of excess blood from specific areas of the body, Leech saliva contains a very effective anticoagulant called hirudin that keeps blood flowing. It can be beneficial in cases of venous congestion or hematoma or after surgery, such as reattachment of a finger or toe. Hirudin and other enzymes in leech saliva help improve blood circulation and reduce swelling at the site.

Leeches play a valuable role in pond ecosystems, help us catch fish, care for their offspring, and keep tissue healthy following surgery. Perhaps these bloodsuckers aren’t so scary after all.

Watch a short video showing leeches in Carp Hills ponds.

Three short clips of leeches in a Carp Hills pond.

References

Here’s a great article about leeches in Ontario. Leeches: Good guys with a bad rap. The Land Between.

CHRISTINA M. DAVY, KUM C. SHIM1 AND SUZANNE M. COOMBES. Leech (Annelida: Hirudinea) Infestations on Canadian Turtles, Including the First Canadian Record of Helobdella modesta from Freshwater Turtles. Canadian Field Naturalist. Volume 123. 2009.

Questions and Answers: Regulation of Medicinal Maggots / Medicinal Leeches. Health Canada.

Medicinal Leeches: Still A Bloody Good Idea, Museum of Health Care. 16 July 2022.

Leeches are one of the all-time great baits. Outdoor Canada. 20 May 2022.

Guided Hike on the Crazy Horse Trail

Sunday, November 5 from 9:30am to 12:00pm.
At the Crazy Horse Trailhead on March Road.

Join us on a guided hike using our new mobile app featuring an interpretive guide for the Crazy Horse Trail.

We’ve been working on a GPS-enabled interpretive guide all summer and it’s ready to launch. We will use a Beta test version and walk the trail together. You can download the app and help us improve it by providing feedback on the 16 points of interest.

The app is available for both Android and Apple phones.

No need to sign up. Just be at the trailhead (intersection of March Road and Huntmar Drive) at 9:30am on Sunday, November 5. Remember clocks fall back 1 hour on Saturday night so don’t show up an hour early!

Well-behaved dogs on-leash are welcome. We will cancel only if it’s raining.

GPS-enabled Crazy Horse Trail guide for smart phones by Friends of the Carp Hills.

get the app and trail guide by following these instructions.

Help collect samples for eDNA project

Support citizen science in the Carp Hills!

Sunday, 20 August at 10:00 am.

At the Crazy Horse trailhead on March Road.
Registration is required.

Due to the poor weather forecast, we have moved this event to Sunday morning, 20 August at 10:00 AM.

Join Mike Nash in collecting samples at the Crazy Horse Trail beaver pond for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.

We will meet at the trailhead on March Road. After hiking to the beaver pond, we will walk around the trail loop and assist Mike in collecting samples at various locations using a bucket on a rope. We will combine the samples and then concentrate the suspended solids using a syringe and filter. Mike will seal the filter in a plastic bag and we will hike back out to the trailhead. We expect to take about 3 hours.

The hike will also include highlights about the flora and fauna along the Crazy Horse Trail as interpreted by Friends of the Carp Hills.

Participation is limited to 10 people. Should more than ten register, priority will be given to those who have donated to the project and to our members.

Participants will need bug spray and should consider wearing a bug net. It’s inconvenient, but it’s worth it for science!

Since 2021, Mike has undertaken a citizen science project to learn about the efficacy of using eDNA to study biodiversity in the Carp Hills. Using eDNA can help identify the presence of species that would otherwise be difficult to find like fish, aquatic organisms, invertebrates, bacteria, amphibians, reptiles, and even mammals.

Mike’s presentations on 2021 and 2022 sampling results are available for viewing on our YouTube channel. See Casting a Net for DNA and Casting a Wider Net for DNA.

Preparing eDNA sample in the Carp Hills. — Concentrating the DNA material in the water sample.

Learn more: Carp Hills eDNA Project.

Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, 29 March at 7 pm.
Carp Memorial Hall, 3739 Carp Road in Carp.

Followed by our guest speaker, Mike Nash, at 8pm.
Casting a Wider Net for DNA.

After three years of streaming on Zoom due to Covid-19, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) returns as an in-person event at the Carp Memorial Hall. We are looking forward to seeing you!

At the AGM members will review and vote on the 2022 financial statements, 2023 budget, and board directors up for election. We will also brief on our 2022 activities and plans for 2023. Our guest speaker will follow at approximately 8:00 pm.

We welcome the community to the AGM, but only members of record can vote. Non-members are asked to pay $10 to support our conservation and trail work.

Door Prizes Return!

Friends of the Carp Hills thank these local businesses for sponsoring these amazing door prizes at our annual meeting.

Gambit Music Academy – 4 free lessons.
West Physio – 1 hour massage and hot pack.
Ridge Rock Brewery – gift basket.
Merristem Massage – one hour for 2 people in the Sauna/Tub Room.
March Meadow Farm – an Introduction to Pottery on the Wheel, one pottery course with three classes.
Marc Savard – Hand turned maple burl pen with a cyanoacrylate finish.
Richardson Family – Maple syrup from their property on the Ridge.
The Carp Bakery – fresh baked goodies.

Local businesses support our community. Remember to support them by shopping local.

Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker is Mike Nash. Mike will speak about the organisms he’s found in Carp Hills ponds that he surveyed last summer using Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology. This work follows from his 2021 pilot project, Casting a Net For DNA, that he presented in our 2022 webinar series. Both presentations are available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

This update will focus on new species that were not characterized in 2021 including Bacteria, Plants (aquatic and terrestrial), and Amphibians. Using this information, he will construct a food web for each of the sampled ponds. He will also show the differences between summer and fall samples and compare pond data to Ottawa River data that has been shared by the Riverkeeper.

Join us to find out what’s happening, provide feedback, ask questions, and find out how you can help. As a community organization we rely on your support and involvement. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who you think might be interested in attending.

Thanks to everyone who came out!

Friends of the Carp Hills 2023 AGM. — Our 2023 AGM: a good turnout for a stormy night.

Board members Hugh and Judy staff the door prize table.

It was a stormy night, but members and others, including Councillor Kelly and our OMBA partner Eric, came out to our Annual General Meeting. Members elected new director Greg Bell and returned two directors (Marc Savard and Rudi Aksim) to the board. We heard from citizen scientist Mike Nash about his eDNA project that analyzes samples from Carp Hills ponds. Thanks to donations and to the excellent door prizes from generous Carp businesses and from individuals Marc Savard and Ian Richardson we raised over $300 to help pay for trail system upgrades.

Solve the Mysteries of Hidden Lake Park

Ever wondered why there is a pond at Hidden Lake? Or how old the forest is? Or why there’s a big rock sitting on the ground in the middle of the woods?

These questions and more are answered in the new Hidden Lake Park Tour interpretive guide, which is available as an online mobile app and as a downloadable file.

Walking the path with clues from the tour is a great short introduction to the landscape, ecology, plants, and animals of the Carp Hills.

Starting at the 181 Charlie’s Lane entrance in Carp, the Hidden Lake Park Tour has an introduction and eleven points of interest along the 650 meter crushed stone path. Each point asks a question and shows the visitor how to interpret clues to discover the answer about the area’s natural history.

The tour is available on a new mobile app called Pintales, which is available for free on the Apple Store and Google Play Store. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the app on your phone you can view the Hidden Lake Tour interactively online.

The GPS-enabled mobile app provides interpretive information at points of interest along a trail. The app shows a trail map with the points of interest, which are described with text, photos, external links, and even video (planned for the future). The app generates an audio notification near a point of interest so a user can stow their smart phone while hiking and view it when notified if they wish.

Software developer Tom Goldsmith created the Pintales mobile app.

Ottawa software developer Tom Goldsmith of Thirty Report Inc. created the app to promote environment-related education. Other non-profit groups can create their own online interpretive trail guides using the Thirty Trail app. Check out the Pintales web site for more information.

Friends of the Carp Hills also have an online tour for the Crazy Horse Trail and will be adding one for the Carp Barrens Trail in 2024.

Downloads.

There are two options for viewing the Hidden Lake Park Tour.

You can download the Hidden Lake Park Tour file (PDF).
You can download the Pintales app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store to your smartphone. Once it is downloaded, follow the instructions below.

Make sure your phone’s GPS is turned on.
Open the Pintales app on your phone.
A list of trails is displayed.
Select the Hidden Lake Park Tour.
Select Start to open the guide.
You now have access to the Tour.
You can explore the Points of Interest away from the park by clicking on them. When you walk the path in the park, the app will notify you when you are near a Point of Interest.
When you are finished exploring the park, select back arrow at the top left of the screen. This will stop the app from monitoring your location.
The Hidden Lake Park Tour will remain on your phone to access again.

Learn more about Hidden Lake Park and area.

Hidden Lake Park is 5.6 hectares (14 acres) and owned by the City of Ottawa. It is surrounded by privately owned land.

View a map and learn its history on our Hidden Lake Park web page.

Become a Turtle Champion

We are implementing a Carp Hills Turtle Champion program in 2023. We need one or two people to become champions during the month of June in each of the following neighbourhoods:

Saddlebrook Estates – John Aselford Drive and Edith Margaret Place.
Hidden Lake in Carp – Charlie’s Lane, Hidden Lake Crescent, Seagram Heights.
Rivington Street in Carp.
Ridgeside Farm northeast of Carp.

Blanding's turtle hatchling ready for release in the Carp Hills. — Blanding’s turtle hatchlings from 2022 ready to be released into the Carp Hills.

In 2022 we ran a turtle conservation program that monitored and protected nesting turtles and their eggs in the Carp Hills. (See the 2022 Retrospective below). We had many people in West Carleton contact us about how to protect turtles laying eggs in their backyards or along a roadside. Time is of the essence when protecting eggs as the nest can be predated by racoons and skunks within an hour of being laid.

To provide timely protection to nests, we are setting up a program in key communities in and near the Carp Hills with support from neighbourhood Turtle Champion volunteers.

Turtle Champions will become the neighbourhood’s contact and resource for protecting nesting turtles during the month of June. We will provide training on turtle nesting behaviours and when to contact the Canadian Wildlife Federation. We will also give each champion some turtle nest protectors, which they can provide to others in their neighbourhood.

Interested in becoming a Turtle Champion? If you’d like to learn more, please contact us.

More information about the responsibilities.

We will provide training and have an information package for our Turtle Champions. Turtles lay eggs in June and usually in the evening or early morning, so most of the work occurs then. Here are the responsibilities:

Be one of your neighbourhood’s contacts for information about nesting turtles. You will need to be comfortable sharing your email address so that people can contact you. (You can set up a special email only for turtle work on gmail, for example.)
Take the training and read all the information provided to learn about turtles.
Hand out nest protectors to people in your neighbourhood when they have a nesting turtle. Help them identity their nesting turtle species.
Know when to involve the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Make sure the nest protector is installed properly.
Report the location and species to Friends of the Carp Hills.
Ask people to follow up when the eggs hatch.
Make sure that the nest protectors are returned to Friends of the Carp Hills.

70 Years at Hidden Lake

Part 3 of the History of the Hidden Lake area.

Friends of the Carp Hills recently interviewed Allyson Zeitz, Jennifer Zeitz, and Rosemary Zeitz, three of four sisters who grew up on a 250 acre farm in the 1960’s and 1970’s in an area now called Hidden Lake in the village of Carp. Their farm was a “paradise” for learning about nature. Over time the land was sold off for development. Their story tells us how much this edge of the Carp Hills has changed over 70 years, but also how nature has adapted and learned to live in what remains.

The Farm Years: 1950’s to 1980’s.

Walter Zeitz immigrated from Germany in 1951. He had a degree in genetics and animal husbandry and wanted to be a farmer. He worked at the Experimental Farm as a research assistant and then at Health Canada. He met Pamela, a nursing student, and they were married in Ottawa in 1953.

Pamela and Walter Zeitz in front of the farmhouse on today's Charlie's Lane near Hidden Lake in Carp. Taken in 1966. (Zeitz family collection.) — Pamela and Walter Zeitz in front of the farmhouse on today’s Charlie’s Lane. Taken in 1966. (Zeitz family collection.)

In 1956 they bought a 250-acre farm in Carp from Charles and Juanita Snelgrove. (See our article from 2017: Carp Memories of Juanita Snelgove.) The farm stretched from modern day Juanita Avenue west to Holland Hill/Murphy Side Road and north to the Concession Line (roughly the location of the snowmobile trail).

Extent of former farm near Hidden Lake in Carp. — The Zeitz farm included what today is the west edge of the village: Juanita Avenue, Charlie’s Lane, Snelgrove Drive, Ridgeview Drive, Hidden Lake Crescent, Seagram Heights, and Hidden Lake Park. The original 1835 log farmhouse remains tucked behind Charlie’s Lane. It was clad in brick in the 1880’s.

The farm originally had four historic log barns and a milking shed. The long laneway to the house from Carp Road was lined with huge Elm trees, which eventually died from Dutch Elm disease. Corn fields grew up to the edge of the wetlands where Hidden Lake houses stand today. The family rented some land to Ted Carruthers, who pastured cattle on the Ridge into the 1960’s.

Large barn at the corner of today’s Ridgeview Drive and Charlie's Lane, circa 1950's, near Hidden Lake. (Photo from the Zeitz family.) — Large barn at the corner of today’s Ridgeview Drive and Charlie’s Lane, circa 1950’s. (Photo from the Zeitz family.)

Zeitz Pond in the 1970’s. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

Looking north from the south shore of Zeitz Pond in Fall 1973. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

What today is called “Hidden Lake” is really a beaver pond. Before the 1960’s it was a wetland, which can be seen from the 1945 aerial photo below. Beavers disappeared in the Carp Hills due to trapping and logging. In more recent times, a large brush fire burned the ridge in 1955. (See our 2020 article Carp Ridge Fire History.) Beavers returned to the area in the 1960’s and 1970’s when the cattle were removed. Trees and vegetation regrew. Conifers regrew around the large wetland, which became a pond due to beaver activity. Trees that died when the wetland flooded became safe havens for Great Blue Heron nests. The pond and its wetlands continued to expand until 1990 when nearby development drove the beavers out. Today the pond is about 1.25 meters at its deepest point.

Aerial photo of Hidden Lake area near Carp in 1945 from the National Photo Archives. — Aerial photo from 1945. The large barn and the laneway lined with Elm trees from Carp Road to the farm are visible in the lower left corner. The outline of the Hidden Lake pond is clearly visible, but it is a wetland not a pond. (National Photo Archives.)

The sisters describe their parents as “environmentalists” and their farm as a “paradise” for learning about nature. Recreation centred around the pond. They had a rowboat for exploring it, they hiked around it, and they skied across it in winter. Swimming was not an option due to the leeches. The girls had a microscope and examined water samples. They describe their mother Pam as a naturalist. She painted landscapes and planted young trees on the farm taken from the woods by the pond. She taught them about the plants and lichens. And she volunteered at Huntley Centennial Public School to teach crafts. She also hosted classes at the pond where the students collected leaves and other specimens for their craft projects.

Zeitz pond at Hidden Lake in Carp, painted by Pamela Zeitz. — Zeitz Pond painted by Pamela Zeitz.

Zeitz Pond photo that possibly inspired the painting, Fall 1973. (Photo by Pamela Zetiz.)

They remember routinely seeing a lot of wildlife: deer, porcupines, foxes, bears, and many birds. Herons nested in a rookery at the north end of the pond. Whip-poor-wills sang non-stop in the humid summer nights. They could hear wolves and coyotes at night. One year Walter Zeitz regularly saw a Canadian Lynx during his two- to three-hour daily rambles. There were many frogs and salamanders, indicators of a healthy woodland ecosystem.

When Walter Zeitz died in 2007, the family scattered his ashes in the pond.

Story from Rose. I remember one Christmas (when I was in high school) my oldest sister Lisa was home from university for the holidays. It was a gorgeous evening and the full moon cast an amazingly strong light over the farmhouse. Lisa got this wonderful idea to go for a night ski. The two of us left and skied up to the pond. We reached the pond and then the wolves began howling. My sister was thrilled and I was terrified! She was fascinated at how close they were and confirmed they were indeed wolves. I didn’t waste any time looking for them and told her I was scared and going home. I literally flew over the snow to my Mum awaiting our return in the kitchen. I had my skis off a blanket around my shoulders and was sipping a hot drink by the time Lisa made it back. We laughed about that for years.

Carp Begins to Grow – the 1970’s.

The Zeitz’s sold their first parcel of land in the mid-1970’s in preparation to fund their four daughters’ university educations later that decade. Developers built residences on a new road called Snelgrove Drive. Eventually houses were built to create Ridgeview Drive.

Elsewhere in Carp between 1976 and 1999, developers built new streets and houses on Cavanagh Drive, Glenncastle Drive, and Inniskillin Drive.

In the 1976 aerial photo above, new houses on Snelgrove Drive are visible. Stubs for Juanita Avenue and Charlie’s Lane are created. The brown field will become houses on Ridgeview Drive. The Zeitz farm, laneway, and outbuildings are visible north of Snelgrove. By 1999 the east side of Carp has grown substantially.

During this time, Carp still retained its small village vibe. People asked permission to use the Zeitz property for cross-country skiing and were allowed to create a ski trail with markers that connected to a wider network. The Zeitz family also allowed the local snowmobile association to create and maintain a trail on the northern edge of the property.

Today’s Hidden Lake Crescent in the 1970’s. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

Great Blue Heron rookery at the north end of the Hidden Lake pond circa 1980's. — Great Blue Heron rookery at the north end of the pond circa 1980’s. The trees died when the wetland became a pond, creating an ideal habitat for herons to nest. Eventually the trees rotted and fell into the water, all part of the lifecycle of a beaver pond. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

Paradise Lost – the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Major changes came after the Zeitz family sold a second parcel of land in the 1980’s.

View looking north toward the pond to what would become Hidden Lake Crescent, circa 1980's. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.) — View looking north toward the pond to what would become Hidden Lake Crescent, circa 1980’s. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

Hidden Lake development finally began on the second parcel in the late 1990’s with clearing of land near the pond. Hidden Lake Crescent, Charlie’s Lane, and Seagram Heights were built over a period of 14 years and were mostly complete by 2014. Carp was also growing in other areas, adding Jensen Court, Frances Colbert Avenue, and the beginning of a new development on Meadowridge Circle off Donald B. Munro Drive.

Near the Carp Hills: Hidden Lake area in 2014. Most of the new development just south of the beaver pond is complete. — Hidden Lake area in 2014. Most of the new development just south of the beaver pond is complete. (GeoOttawa.)

Both sisters remember how the clearing of land south of the pond affected wildlife. The beavers left. Rose saw a fox family disoriented by the tree cutting and blasting as the land was levelled. Wildlife retreated deeper into the Carp Hills.

As the village’s population increased, unauthorized use of the family’s remaining large property around the pond became a problem. Developers falsely told buyers that they had access to the Zeitz’s land. No trespassing signs were ignored and removed. Trails were created. Garbage was left. Campfires became a problem. Illegal duck hunting occurred without landowner permission and too close to houses. Someone even installed pipes to try to drain the pond

Hidden Lake in Carp: Seagram Heights in the 1980's. (Zeitz family photo.) — Seagram Heights in the 1980’s. (Zeitz family photo.)

Pamela Zeitz at the Hidden Lake pond in the Carp Hills. (Photo from the Zeitz family collection.) — Pamela Zeitz at the pond. (Photo from the Zeitz family collection.)

Eventually Pamela Zeitz decided to sell their final piece of paradise. In 2015 a young farmer who shared the family’s land stewardship and conservation values bought the 121-acre property surrounding the pond and built a house. (Read our 2018 post about Hidden Lake’s new resident.)

Pamela Zeitz passed in 2021 at the age of 96.

Hidden Lake Today

As noise and traffic from construction abated, birds and animals returned to the land around the pond, albeit in lesser numbers and diversity, and adapting to human presence.

Signs of recent beaver activity are visible along the path in Hidden Lake Park.
The park is an eBird hotspot with over 130 bird species recorded. Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons stalk the shoreline for crustaceans, frogs, and fish.
River otters frolic in the pond, indicating there must be a healthy population of fish and amphibians to sustain them.
Painted turtles, Snapping turtles and threatened Blanding’s turtles emerge to lay their eggs where they have for decades in what are now lawns and gardens.
Coyotes patrol along the woodland edges and in backyards.

Allyson Zeitz muses philosophically about the changes she’s seen at Hidden Lake. “Changing times, changing needs, and a changing landscape most certainly, but always an incredibly beautiful place to be observant of the natural world.”

Coyote in a backyard on Charlie's Lane in Hidden Lake in the Carp Hills, 2018. (Photo by Josée Leblanc.) — Coyote in a backyard on Charlie’s Lane, 2018. (Photo by Josée Leblanc.)

Blanding’s turtle looking for a nesting site at the entrance to Hidden Lake Park, 2022, in the Carp Hills. — Blanding’s turtle looking for a nesting site at the entrance to Hidden Lake Park, 2022.

Signs of recent beaver activity at Hidden Lake Park in the Carp Hills, 2022. — Signs of recent beaver activity at Hidden Lake Park, 2022.

Hidden Lake south of the beaver pond, circa 1970’s, where houses stand today. (Photo by Pamela Zeitz.)

Learn More

Hidden Lake Park is a 5.6 hectare (14 acre) park with a 650 meter gravel pathway. It provides the only public access to the former Zeitz farm.

We are publishing an interpretive guide to the park this year.

Part 2 of the History of the Hidden Lake area: Carp Memories of Juanita Snelgrove – We interviewed Juanita Snelgrove in 2017 when she was 101 years old. Read about her memories on the farm before the Zeitz family and about the fire of 1955.

Carp Ridge Fire History – Our 2020 article about fires in the Carp Hills.

Hidden Lake’s New Resident – Our 2018 article about the purchase of the final parcel of the Zeitz farm.

Beavers: Partners in Wetland Management – Our 2020 article about the importance of beavers to the Carp Hills.

Coming soon – Part 1 in our Hidden Lake area history trilogy about the farm below the pond when it was owned by the McCord family from the 1830’s through to the Snelgroves in the 1950’s.