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Winterland's Stewardship and Glacial History
Welcome to SAM's Network of Stewardship Earth Cache's. By establishing this Network, SAM hopes to encourage Cachers to visit local conservation areas in NL, to appreciate why the area is being conserved and to learn more about why the area is being protected.
Who is SAM?
The Stewardship Association of Municipalities Inc (known affectionately as “SAM”) is an incorporated, non-profit organization. SAM works with the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture in NL to secure, enhance, & restore important wildlife habitat (wetlands, uplands, coastal areas, & species at risk habitat) within municipal planning boundaries by encouraging municipalities to seek a balance between development and conservation. As a network of communities who practice environmental stewardship across NL, SAM contributes to maintaining & enhancing biodiversity in the province.
The Winterland Conservation Area consists of three wetland types: bog, fen and marsh. Bogs make up the majority of the area, but more productive marshes and fens are interspersed through the northern part of the area. Bogs are low in mineral content which leads to minimal plant productivity. However, these low nutrient areas do produce ericaceous shrubs including blueberries, cranberries, crowberries and sheep laurel, which many waterfowl take advantage of for food. Fens are also present in the Conservation Area. Fen development depends on the constant movement of nutrient-rich seepage water through coniferous forests, from low-lying open areas or from brooks and small streams. Of all the wetlands in Winterland's conservation area, marshes support the greatest number of flora and fauna. Marshes in Winterland support populations of brook trout and banded killifish (a species of special concern under the federal Species at Risk Act). On the Burin Peninsula, a marsh serves much like an oasis for wildlife species and should be valued as such. Wetland complexes like those occuring here in Winterland - with a mixture of marshes, fens and bogs - mean that seasonal resources are provided to local waterfowl at various life stages, satisfying specific needs throughout the year.
The Winterland Eco Museum officially opened on August 1st, 1998 - it opened to educate people on environmental conservation, and serves to protect seven square kilometres of wetland and boreal forest. Today, it's a 3 km wheelchair accessible trail with interactive exhibits of the area's natural and cultural heritage. Facilities include an observation tower, wildlife blind, outdoor classroom and numerous rest areas and is taken care of by the Winterland Heritage Development Committee (WHDC).
Winterland's SAM Member Page
Winterland persisted as a predominantly agricultural-based community and has endured as the only truly inland community on the Burin Peninsula. The topography of the Southeastern Barrens of the Burin Peninsula dramatically reflects glacial activity that occurred here. Most of the area is covered by gently rolling ground moraine (uniform deposit of till - sediment in a range of sizes), but scattered throughout are gigantic boulders left by retreating glaciers (erratics), and hundreds of lakes and ponds created by glacial gouging of the earth's surface.
Newfoundland and Labrador's landscape with a remarkable geological history, formed by continental collision, mountain-building, volcanoes, oceans, rivers and ice sheets. Glaciers had an enormous effect on the landscape, smoothing and polishing wide areas, eroding lake basins, and carving deep valleys through mountains. Along the coast, these valleys were later flooded by the sea, creating deep fjords. Sea level around the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador changed considerably as a result of the last glaciation (known as the Wisonsin glaciation).
Scientists have studied the Southeastern Barrens for many years - using striation records (scratches formed on a rock surface by rock fragments frozen into the bottom of a moving glacier), they can track the movements of the glaciers as they receded. They also use other evidence in the area, including land formations, presence of exposed bedrock, and geomorphic features.
What you are looking at as you travel across the “barren landscape” of the Burin Peninsula (Byorn) is the result of glacial activity that has scraped the bedrock of the peninsula. As you stand on top of this lookout, take a look around you and see if you can see any evidence of glacial movement. The ponds surrounding you are not eroded, nor are they typically connected. This indicates that the glacial movement took place more recently than other geologic events that affected the area.
Please answer the following questions to log this Earth Cache:
- In accordance with the updated guidelines from Geocaching HQ (June 2019), photos are now an acceptable logging requirement and will be required to log this cache. Please share a photo of yourself, your GPS, or a personal item as proof of visit to the site.
- When did the Town of Winterland and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador sign their MUNICIPAL HABITAT STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT?
- If you look in all directions, you will see that there are distant mountains surrounding you on almost all sides, except one. What direction does not have mountains in the distance, and what do you think this indicates?
- Below is a diagram of phases of glacial flow on the Burin Peninsula (Batterson, 12) that can help you identify which glacial flow you are viewing. Based on the previous question and your location on the map, which describes the flow you see evidence of?
a. Late Wisconsinan radial and recessional flow (west and south west)
b. Wisconsinan southern flow
c. Pre-Wisconsinan onshore westward flow
