Take new self-guided tour to see Tundra Swans
New self-guided stewardship tour provides sites to view return of Tundra Swans
Tundra Swans are returning to sites in Lambton County and area to rest and refuel; Local residents and visitors can view these wonderful creatures and stewardship projects enhancing their habitat through new self-guided tour
They’re back! Tundra Swans are returning to sites in Lambton County and area.
Want to see them for yourself? Take the new, self-guided Return of the Swans – Land Stewardship Tour.
Check out our Migration Probability Calendar (based on years of local data) to find the best time to visit the sites!
The new, self-guided Return of the Swans – Land Stewardship Tour offers nine sites of interest. The sites include places to view the swans and stewardship project sites helping to restore habitat for wildlife species.
The tour includes an interactive story map showing the tour stops. It also includes a Migration Probability Calendar (based on years of local data) to find the best time to visit birdwatching and project sites.
Every year, thousands of Tundra Swans rest and refuel in Lambton County and area. After flying thousands of kilometres, they stop to feast on vegetation and meltwater to gain the energy needed for the next leg of their journey. The creators of the self-guided tour encourage local residents and visitors to scan the skies for these wonderful creatures and also to look at the ground beneath them.
The return of the swans reminds us how important and diverse our local landscapes are, according to ABCA spokespersons.
“We are incredibly fortunate to collaborate with so many dedicated community partners year-round on stewardship projects that keep our entire ecosystem thriving,” said Brooklyn Rau, ABCA Stewardship Technician.
“We are excited to launch this new self-guided StoryMap as a way for the public to experience the spectacular Tundra Swan migration while also visiting key locations where habitat restoration is actively happening,” she said.
“These successes are built on collaboration, and we look forward to growing our network. We encourage anyone interested in future stewardship partnerships to reach out and get involved.”
Rosalind Chang is Healthy Watersheds Coordinator with ABCA.
“While this tour mostly highlights land-based stewardship projects, it is an important reminder that what we do on the landscape directly affects the water around us,” she said. The journey of the Tundra Swans, more than 6,000 kilometres one way, depends on having healthy landscapes to rest and refuel.
“By conserving wetlands and managing our watersheds effectively, we aren’t just supporting these incredible travelers, we are protecting the water on which we all rely for fishing, swimming, and as a raw water source, for treatment, for drinking water,” she said. “The return of the Tundra Swans is a powerful example of what it means to maintain a healthy, functioning watershed for everyone.”
The ABCA staff members also thanked project partners on the self-guided tour and the stewardship projects.
Special thanks to project partners including:
- Lambton Heritage Museum
- County of Lambton
- Municipality of Lambton Shores
- Lambton Shores Nature Trails
- Lambton Shore Phragmites Community Group
- Thames Talbot Land Trust
- Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy
- Phil McNamee Charitable Foundation
- Rotary Club of Grand Bend Rotary
- Lakeshore Eco-Network
(Brian Lasenby Photo)