35 days and a square full of potential -- Bergen 14PA23
Bergen 14PA23 lies immediately to the north of our previous square, overlapping the boundary between the City of Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser. A much more varied human altered landscape is found here; agricultural cropland, industrial areas, suburban development. The James Richardson airport airfield is located on the southern boundary. The only large park in this square is Little Mountain Park.
At the time of posting, 165 observations have been added in this area by 44 observers led by an active user of iNaturalist based in the Toronto area, a visitor to the area a few years ago. 118 species are represented, plants (56 species) and insects (41 species) in the lead.
There is a lot more potential here to be explored. While some species may be more of a challenge to find, there are still easy ones to add like Trembling Aspen and Bur oak. These two trees should be found throughout the square, where ever there is a patch of bush. Every individual tree is an opportunity to check for squirrels, birds, galls, lichens and mosses - all the organisms that depend on trees for food and shelter.
A cluster of observations is building up around the campus of the Red River College and the adjacent wooded cemeteries. Omand's Creek winds through this area on its way to the Assiniboine River. With only 13 observations of 9 bird species in the entire square, there is much potential for observers in this area to add observations of migrants and returning residents.
Little Mountain is a mixed use park combining the off-leash dog park use with areas of aspen parkland and native prairie. A plant species list for Little Mountain Park and last updated in 2009 shows 214 species including the Manitoba provincial flower, the Prairie Crocus.
Another fertile option for investigation is the right of way beside the railway line that runs from Winnipeg to Grosse Isle, the one that the Prairie Dog Central operates on. In many cases, land for rail lines was set aside in Manitoba before any agricultural use disturbed the native plant communities. Small pockets of native prairie plants can often still be found along them.
Filling in the blanks in this grid square helps give a better understanding of the entire Winnipeg region. Finding something special where others have not yet looked is always an exciting moment. As John Keats writes "Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken."
No matter where you look for observations--please be respectful of both the natural and human environment. Some forethought and an optimistic outlook can make a huge difference. Happy discoveries!
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