Cootes Paradise

Cootes Paradise is a large wetland at the western end of Hamilton Harbour, bordering the cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and managed by the Royal Botannical Gardens (RBG). Originally a shallow marsh providing habitat for a wide variety of lifeforms, the marsh was gradually degraded in the 20th century by human overuse; by 1985, 85% of its plant cover was lost. Following its ecological decline, the RBG introduced Project Paradise in 1993, part of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. The project focusses on removing sources of stress to the marsh. There are five identified anthropogenic stresses: overgrazing by carp and Canada geese, high nutrient levels, water turbidity, sediment accumulation, and the controlled water level in Lake Ontario. Controlled forest fires are also performed to maintain the Oak Savannah ecosystem, a rare grouping of Carolian plants and animals. Today, Cootes Paradise is home to species such as the Caspian tern, snapping turtle, 64 species of fish (including walleye, bigmouth buffalo, perch, and greater redhorse), sassafras tree, Kentucky coffee tree, and tulip tree.

References

McGuiness, Erin. May 25, 2005. Fish Paradise [Online]. Hamilton Spectator. http://www.waterkeeper.ca/lok/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=7528

Royal Botannical Gardens. Project Paradise [Online]. http://www.rbg.ca/pages_sci_conserv/sci_conserv_proparadise.html.