Turner C.

Port Colborne, Ontario

Niagara Catholic Regional Fair

The Wainfleet Bog

The Wainfleet Bog is a unique and important ecosystem that supports many rare plants and animals. It has undergone many changes over the years and has a long history which includes a POW camp, fires, moonshining and peat mining.

 

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing that I have learned about my topic is that during the Second World War the Wainfleet Bog became home to a German POW camp. The German POWs were primarily merchant marine sailors and were used to mine peat. These were very well treated prisoners.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I have learned that the Wainfleet Bog is a very important ecosystem in Southern Ontario because it is one of the only places where the Round Leaved Sundew, the Massasauga Rattlesnake and Cottongrass are found. I have also learned how the bog was extensively mined for its peat. Another important fact that I have learned is that there have been many fires in the bog over the years.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Although I did not study any person in particular, I did learn that humans have both negatively and positively affected the bog. In years past the bog has shrunk because of peat mining, local farming and potential development. Currently humans are trying to restore the habitat, the water levels and the wildlife.