// June 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // Boreal Forest, Fungus Mosses Lichens, Manitoba Tourist Destination, Scenic, Whiteshell Provincial Park, Wildflowers
The Winnipeg River (above) meanders through the Whiteshell creating lakes throughout. Above are some rapids where Pelicans sit to catch their fish. The photos below show terrain typically found in the Whiteshell. Roads have been “cut through” the rocky terrain and the forest is full of lush undergrowth, tall stands of Boreal Forest trees and many different kinds of mosses and lichens. I personally find the mosses and lichens both beautiful and interesting ( check out a previous blog under Mosses and Lichens for photos). Fox, deer, black bears and beavers are common sights here as well as a variety of forest dwelling birds, owls, herons and other waterfowl.
Below: rocks line the highway edges.
Below is the sign welcoming visitors to the Whiteshell. Note the “turtle” on the sign. The Petroforms (a sacred site to Aboriginal Peoples) are located in the Whiteshell. One of the Petroforms is a turtle symbol representing “Turtle Island” which is another name for North America. According to First Nations teachings, the Turtle represents the teaching of Truth. You can find a “Gallery” dedicated to the Petroforms which inlcudes contact information on the right hand side of this page.
In addition to the lakes, beavers in the park have created numerous marshes which in turn provides habitat for birds, turtles and waterfowl to name a few. Many of these marshes are filled with beautiful pond lillies. Below is a photo of a marsh filled with Water Calla Lillies.
The Whiteshell is less than 2 hours from Winnipeg and is a very popular cottage area. There are a number of hiking trails in the Whiteshell for persons with varying skill levels.
Enjoy!
~Sharon
