Wainfleet Wetlands & Quarry- Public Awareness Campaign

Hello Ian, thank you for the question. 

NPCA Conservation Areas are accessible to all Niagara residents and visitors to the Niagara Peninsula watershed for recreational activities and uses, such as hiking, birdwatching, and nature photography.

At this time we're only seeking feedback from residents of Wainfleet and surrounding areas, on their visions for the future active uses of the Wainfleet Quarry Conservation Area. Once we analyze all of the results, these will help inform future decisions.

Once covered by a shallow, warm sea 300-450 million years ago, what is now the Wainfleet Wetlands & Quarry Conservation Area was the site of a clay and limestone quarry from the late 19th century until the 1960s. Fossils of the plants and animals that lived in the Paleozoic sea can be seen in the exposed limestone of the Onondaga Formation, in the quarry walls and on rock tableland.

Today, the quarries and clay pits have naturalized and are home for fish, birds, waterfowl, turtles, snakes and plants. Unique alvar communities of rock-loving plants also thrive in the shallow soils.

This Conservation Area is a natural area and helps fulfill the NPCA’s objective to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources, as it is managed to provide habitat for fish and wildlife and to preserve the geological significance of the site, while providing passive recreational and educational opportunities.

Learn more at https://npca.ca/parks/wainfleet-wetlands

Purchased by the NPCA in 1978, today the quarries and clay pits have naturalized and are home for fish, birds, waterfowl, turtles, snakes and plants. Unique alvar communities of rock-loving plants also thrive in the shallow soils.

This Conservation Area is a natural area and helps fulfill the NPCA’s objective to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources, as it is managed to provide habitat for fish and wildlife and to preserve the geological significance of the site, while providing passive recreational and educational opportunities.

The site contains the best exposed fossil and viewing area of geological formation and fossils (ancient marine lifeforms) in the Niagara Peninsula, highlighting species that lived 380- 450 million years ago in the shallow warm saltwater sea of the Michigan Basin that covered the site. Trilobites, crinoids shellfish and corrals can be seen.

This important property is home to a variety of unique and significant habitats including: alvars, prairie, cliffs, provincially significant wetlands, upland forest, low shrub areas and open water and streams. It contains terrestrial and aquatic habitat, supporting waterfowl staging areas, and is home to a number of birds (passerine, raptors, waterfowl), mammals, fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, and salamanders. 

This wetland is unique as it attracts a large variety of bird species, with over 50 different confirmed sightings. Yellow Warblers are the most common, and wading and shorebirds are plentiful as are Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Gulls, Terns, and Sandpipers. Guests may also encounter Bald Eagles, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, and more. 

Wainfleet Wetlands is a Bronze Plaque Award winner for quarry rehabilitation work with the Management of Abandoned Aggregate Properties Program, awarded for efforts to increase wetland development and habitat cover for improved diversity and function in the landscape.

Visitors are asked to follow these guidelines when at NPCA conservation areas: (EN FRANÇAIS)

• Wear a mandatory face mask or covering in all public enclosed spaces, including washrooms, buildings, and gatehouses 
• Practice physical distance by staying 2 metres (6 feet) apart from other visitors
• Do not gather in large groups of more than 10 people
• All visitors must vacate conservation area by posted park closure time.
• Stay on trail. Respect wildlife and plant-life.
• Dispose of trash in designated receptacle or take your trash with you when leaving the property.
• Littering is prohibited.
• All pets must remain on leash at all times, and owners must clean up after them. Pets are not permitted on swimming beaches.
• Alcohol is prohibited at all NPCA Conservation Area day-use areas.
• Damage to or removal of wildlife, vegetation or natural features is prohibited.
• Gas-powered watercraft, all-terrain and off-road vehicles are prohibited.
• All visitors must adhere to provincial and municipal public health guidelines at all times.
• NPCA reserves the right to restrict access to Conservation Areas at any time due to capacity limits, public health restrictions, and/or health and safety purposes.

Our Conservation Areas are currently open for passive recreation only, such as winter hiking, nature photography, and bird watching. Non-permitted uses include swimming, off-road/all-terrain vehicle use, and horseback riding among others. 

Please note that during the winter season, there are no washroom facilities available, trails are not maintained and parking lot and sidewalks will be maintained on an as-required basis in the event of snow. The NPCA cannot guarantee timeframe of snow removal. During the winter months, visitors are using the areas at their own risk and they must comply with CA rules and regulations and opening/closing times.

Some conservation projects that have been completed at this site include: 

• Fish stocking and fish habitat creation
• Tree planting and wetland creation 
• Snake hibernacula construction with MAAP
• Seismic study
• Turtle basking habitat construction
• Trail restoration

Other on-going conservation work that are not one-time projects include:

• Ecological Land Classification, vegetation monitoring
• Wetland plants monitoring
• Amphibian and reptile monitoring