This spring, the Canadian Wildlife Federation put off a campaign, entitled Walk for Wildlife, encouraging Canadians to explore and learn about the wildlife in their area. The Portugal Cove-St Philips Walking & Hiking Club held a Walk for Wildlife last Saturday which was all about frogs, so we joined in!
Blast Hole Pond
The hike started off at the end of Blast Hole Pond Rd in Portugal Cove. From there we followed the gravel road until we got to the main trail, taking brief detours along the way to learn about frogs. On the Avalon Peninsula there are only two amphibians (the American Toad and the Green Frog), while there are two more frog species on the west coast of the province, and a total of 7 different amphibians living in Labrador. None of the species are native to the island of Newfoundland, so they were all introduced at some point.
As it turns out, the Green Frogs, who are normally abundant in the area where we were hiking, are still hibernating for the winter; they often bury themselves in unfrozen streams or moist soil during the colder months. Apparently there are normally so many frogs in the area that their sounds can be deafening, but since we’ve had a chilly spring, they haven’t come out yet. We found it interesting that Wood Frogs, who can be found on the west coast of Newfoundland, don’t need to bury themselves to hibernate in the winter; they actually freeze and thaw without doing any damage to their bodies.
As it turns out, the Green Frogs, who are normally abundant in the area where we were hiking, are still hibernating for the winter; they often bury themselves in unfrozen streams or moist soil during the colder months. Apparently there are normally so many frogs in the area that their sounds can be deafening, but since we’ve had a chilly spring, they haven’t come out yet. We found it interesting that Wood Frogs, who can be found on the west coast of Newfoundland, don’t need to bury themselves to hibernate in the winter; they actually freeze and thaw without doing any damage to their bodies.
Walking through a bog and learning about amphibians reminded us of our trip to the Fluvarium last fall.
After learning about wildlife during a couple of pit stops, it was full steam ahead to the trail. Once you know where to find where the trail intersects the gravel road, it’s only uphill from there. Really.
After learning about wildlife during a couple of pit stops, it was full steam ahead to the trail. Once you know where to find where the trail intersects the gravel road, it’s only uphill from there. Really.
We kept on hiking upwards on the trail until we reached the top. Apparently there’s a beautiful waterfall that is another couple of hours on the trail, but we stopped at the top of a point, and the view was spectacular. From there we could see Bell Island and all of Conception Bay. We even saw six icebergs, but unfortunately they were on the other side of the bay, so it was hard to get a good look at them.
Overall, the hike was great. When we arrived, we realized that we were the only newbies in the group, but they welcomed us with open arms. The Portugal Cove-St Philips Walking & Hiking Club completes a new hike every Saturday morning and while we were by far the youngest ones there, everyone was so friendly that we barely noticed. It was also very cool to hike on a trail that we have never been on before, and probably wouldn’t have known about otherwise since it is mostly unmarked.
AND, since it’s iceberg season, here are a couple of photos of icebergs that we took on Sunday in Torbay and Pouch Cove while iceberg-hunting with Elizabeth’s family.
AND, since it’s iceberg season, here are a couple of photos of icebergs that we took on Sunday in Torbay and Pouch Cove while iceberg-hunting with Elizabeth’s family.
Another great Something Saturday on the books! Here are some more pictures from the weekend:
