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Bruce Trail Loops #2 - Bognor Marsh Multi-Cache

This cache has been archived.

Paraseekers: We decided to archive this one a little earlier than anticipated. The boardwalk has now received some upgrades from the GSCA, and looks excellent and ready to withstand the coming winter. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed the challenge of determining the final coords from the informative plaques along the boardwalk, and then hiked the interesting trails to the cache. Bognor Marsh is truly a special place.

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Hidden : 3/18/2009
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Looking For a Nesting Site?

This cache is a regular lock ‘n lock container hidden on or near the Bruce Trail in this popular local marshland. This area is managed by the Grey-Sauble Conservation Authority.


Bognor Marsh is a unique area. At Bognor Marsh, not only can you search the quiet waters of the marsh for amazing aquatic creatures, such as Water Boatmen, Giant Water Bugs, and Caddisfly larvae, but you can also stand on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment and look down on the backs of turkey vultures as they soar on air currents above the marsh.

This management area is one of the largest marsh systems in Grey County. It encompasses 668 hectares of escarpment upland forests, three major marshes, reforested areas, natural regeneration areas, and several small springs feeding the marsh and stream system. A tributary of the Bighead River, joined by a feeder stream, runs easterly through the property. The water level in the larger of the three marshes is controlled by a Ducks Unlimited dam, in an effort to enhance habitat for waterfowl, and other marsh-living animals, birds and plants.

At Bognor Marsh you will find 11.9 km of trails, an education shelter, boardwalks with interpretive signs, a viewing tower, access to the Bruce Trail, and washroom facilities. Bognor Marsh is a multi-use area visited by school classes, hikers, naturalists, birders, and hunters. For this information and more, please visit Grey-Sauble Conservation Authority: Bognor Marsh.

The posted coordinates are for the beginning of an impressive boardwalk built out into the marsh. This cache is an offset cache requiring you to obtain information from the plaques that are located at equally spaced intervals as you walk the boardwalk in a counter-clockwise direction. The answer that you provide to the question associated with each plaque will generate a digit in the coordinates for the cache. Once you’ve completed your walk along the boardwalk, and enjoyed some time in the viewing tower, you can then relax in the picnic shelter while you determine the location of the cache, and plan your route to it. Our advice is to commit to walking the entire loop (approx. 5-6 km) in order to fully appreciate the sites and sounds of Bognor Marsh. As you seek this cache, please remember to practise good environmental stewardship, and apply the principle of Cache In, Trash Out.

*Congratulations to the lighthouse gang for being FTF (and for getting their 200th cache)!


Coordinates of Cache:


North Coordinates 44 AB.CDE
West Coordinates 080 FG.HIJ


Plaque #1 (Welcome to Bognor Marsh)

Additional boardwalk, interpretive signage, and a turtle
nesting area were made possible by financial assistance in
what year?
(a)     2001   (A = 1)
(b)     2003   (A = 2)
(c)     2000   (A = 3)
(d)     2002   (A = 4)

Plaque #2 (Turtle Nesting Area)

In June, the snapping turtle lays how many spherical eggs in
a deep, flask-shaped cavity that she hollows out? 
(a)     9 – 18          (B = 1)
(b)     20 – 40         (B = 2)
(c)     25 – 30         (B = 3)
(d)     20 – 30         (B = 4)

Plaque #3 (Marsh Plant Zones)

Which of the following plants is found in the
Floating-Leaved Zone?
(a)     Sedge               (C = 6)
(b)     Common elodea       (C = 7)
(c)     Arrowhead           (C = 8)
(d)     White water-lily    (C = 9)

Plaque #4 (Muskrats)

When do muskrats build their lodges?
(a)     Late spring to early summer     (D = 4)
(b)     Early summer to late summer     (D = 3)
(c)     Late summer to early fall       (D = 2)
(d)     Early fall to late fall         (D = 1)

Plaque #5 (Man-made Nesting Sites)

How many eggs could the typical Mallard Duck lay in the
cylinder roll nests that are built at Bognor Marsh?
(a)     8 – 12     (E = 1)
(b)     6 – 10     (E = 2)
(c)     6 – 12     (E = 3)
(d)     8 – 10     (E = 4)

Plaque #6 (Niagara Escarpment)

The large bird mentioned on this plaque is a…
(a)     Bald Eagle          (F = 1)
(b)     Cormorant           (F = 2)
(c)     Raven               (F = 3)
(d)     Turkey Vulture      (F = 4)

Plaque #7 (Birds in the Marsh)

Which of the following birds often patrols a regular route?
(a)     Red-winged Blackbird    (G = 6)
(b)     Belted Kingfisher       (G = 7)
(c)     Virginia Rail           (G = 8)
(d)     All of the above        (G = 9)

Plaque # 8 (Marsh Waterfowl)

Which of the following birds builds a nest that is a well-
concealed floating mass of dead marsh vegetation anchored
to adjacent plants?
(a)     Black Tern              (H = 1)
(b)     Blue Heron              (H = 2)
(c)     Least Bittern           (H = 3)
(d)     Pied-Billed Grebe       (H = 4)

Plaque #9 (Marshland Evolution)

Once a marsh has evolved from a wooded swamp to a marsh,
what is it typically characterized by?
(a)     soft-stemmed herbaceous plants     (I = 6)
(b)     decaying vegetation                (I = 7)
(c)     dead trees                         (I = 8)
(d)     All of the above                   (I = 9)

Plaque #10 (Water Snakes) & Plaque #11 (Purple Loosestrife)

What is the length of the Northern Water Snake, and the
height of Purple Loosestrife?
(a)     S: 55 cm – 120 cm; L: 60 cm – 134 cm    (J = 2)
(b)     S: 60 cm - 120 cm; L: 55 cm – 134 cm    (J = 4)
(c)     S: 55 cm – 134 cm; L: 60 cm – 120 cm    (J = 6)
(d)     S: 60 cm – 134 cm; L: 55 cm - 120 cm    (J = 8)


Trail Map

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Orgjrra gjb zbff-pbirerq obhyqref qverpgyl orarngu gur erznvaf bs Jbbql'f jbex.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)