“Can
he give you a kiss?”
It
wasn’t the first thing I expected to hear when my family and I reached Kelso Conservation
Park on this chilly but beautiful Saturday afternoon. Then again, I
didn’t expect to be greeted by a three foot fork-tongued grizzly lizard named
Oreo. The charming fellow was part of the reptile show at Kelso over the
Thanksgiving weekend and one of many activities that are part of Conservation
Halton’s Fall
Into Nature festival.
My
daughters Emma and Katie and I laughed as we reeled back when Oreo’s tongue
darted toward us. Oreo is owned by “Adventure Ed” who brought his Safari Science
show to Kelso for the event, which continues this weekend.
My
family and I had been looking forward to checking out the cornucopia of events
at Halton’s six parks (Kelso, Hilton Falls, Mountsberg, Rattlesnake Point,
Crawford Lake and Mount Nemo), especially since the escarpment is now ablaze in
full fall foliage. The events continue October 13 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We
were looking forward to rediscovering some of the parks in the area which we
don’t always get to. What we didn’t expect - and I’m embarrassed to admit this
since I grew up in Burlington - was that we would discover a treasure trove of
natural gems we never knew existed.
The
list of activities was long - wagon rides, pumpkin painting, chair lift rides,
bird of prey shows, and, of course, hiking. We decided to start our adventure
at Kelso and, after greeting Oreo, headed over to the chair lift for a ride up
the hill.
There
was a brisk wind and I was glad we were wearing mitts but the panoramic view of
nature in all its fall glory was well worth it. It was spectacular seeing the
escarpment lit up in an artist’s palette of reds, yellows and golds.
The
girls then did some pumpkin painting and then we popped in for some hot apple
cider as we waited for the Arashido-Taiko Japanese drummers to play. The
drummers looked chilly in their light clothing, especially those in sandals,
but warmed up as they vigorously pounded their drums.
The
next stop was Hilton
Falls Conservation Area, a five minute drive away. I’m ashamed to
admit I’ve never been, especially now that I’ve seen what it has to offer.
After Emma and Katie made their own pine cone bird feeders, we headed to the
trails.
“Boy,
you would think we’d have to go up north to find this but it’s all here,” said
my husband, Mike.
So
true. The trails were breathtaking in their beauty; the archway of trees, the
beaver pond, the carpet of colourful leaves. If Spielberg designed a Hollywood
set of the perfect hiking path, he couldn’t have created anything as beautiful
as this.
The
scenery kept us going as we made the 8-kilometre hike to the waterfall and
back. By the time we arrived back at our car it was after five so we headed
home to rest up for Sunday when we planned to take in Mountsberg and Crawford
Lake.
While
Mountsberg is known for its wonderful Birds of Prey show, we also had a delightful
visit with a corral full of charming goats. My Katie swears one of them winked
at her. Emma spotted the most beautiful grey horse in a nearby fenced area who
we learned was a 21-year-old Percheron, a breed that originated from
northern France.
“She
looks like a statue,” said Katie, as we gazed at the beautiful still creature.
Next
we tried our hand at painting the mural of large farm animals on the side of
the barn. We headed for the wagon that would take us to see the bisons. As we
rode along the bumpy trail, resource interpreter Erica Lagios explained to us
that bisons are the largest mammals on the planet and that they once numbered
in the 30 to 60 million range but by the late 1800’s there were only 600 left.
Due
to conservation efforts, they are back up to around 25,000 and Mountsberg has
ten of them. That includes a very macho-looking fellow named Steve, who has a
wicked set of bangs that flopped up and down when he loped toward our wagon.
The
bisons obviously love the mix of grain and molasses Erica feeds them. My
daughters laughed as Steve’s bangs bounced up and down like an overteased
hairdo as he ran toward us, obviously looking for more granola.
“Wow,
where else can you get this close to bisons,” I said to my daughters.
After
our ride, we headed to the bird sanctuary where we met Echo, the owl and
Duchess, the kestrel falcon and learned how they are cared for.
Back
in the car, we headed off to Crawford Lake to see the longhouses. Chief
Topleaf had drawn a crowd as he shared stories about First Nations culture.
After
a quick game of lacrosse, which showed off my less than athletic abilities at
the game, it was time for a walk around the lake. For all the fun activities we
enjoyed, the best part of each park for us was the natural beauty of the
surroundings and Crawford Lake was no exception.
It’s
an absolutely gorgeous area and we were again reminded again of the hidden gems
around us here in Burlington.
As
we walked along the wooden boardwalk that wound through the trees, we could
hear the lovely sounds of The Playford Players on the hammer dulcimer
and guitar. There was nothing quite like seeing the reflection of those trees
on the lake while being serenaded by the music.
From
the smiling goats and majestic bisons of Mountsberg, to hiking the boardwalk
around Crawford Lake, and the breathtaking trails of Hilton, I can’t think of a
better way to spend a weekend.
----------------------
SIDEBAR
On
October 13 and 14 you can experience Fall into Nature by bus. It will run from
10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., starting at Kelso Conservation Area Info. tent. It
includes a chairlift ride followed by a BBQ lunch then at 12.30 the bus will
leave for Crawford Lake. At 2.30 you’re off to Mountsberg for a birds of prey demonstration
and wildlife walk. The bus will leave for Kelso at 4 p.m. and arrive at 4.30
p.m.
Cost
is $36 per person plus HST. Reserve your seat by calling 905-336-6684 or
register online at www.fallintonature.ca.
Guest Blogger - Denise Davy
"Denise Davy is a freelance writer who has lived in Burlington for more than 40 years. She is an award-winning writer who wrote news stories, feature articles and columns for The Hamilton Spectator for 26 years. She has travelled extensively and visited India, China, Japan and the Caribbean, thanks to being honoured with three national journalism fellowships. She now specializes in writing about travel, parenting, and health and women's issues. She is proud to call Burlington her home and lives here with her husband and their two beautiful daughters." You can contact Denise through her web site and blog at www.denisedavy.com
