Naturalists heading to Wolf Lake for bird survey

A group of naturalists is setting out to survey birds at Wolf Lake to show the ecological importance of the area, and the need to preserve its surroundings.

Wolf Lake, located approximately 10 kilometres northeast of Wanapitei Provincial Park,is home to the largest remaining old-growth red pine forest in North America, organizers with the Save Wolf Lake Coalition say.

While the area is protected from logging, it is not protected from mining.

Franco Mariotti, a Sudbury biologist who is part of the group, said there hasn't been much study of the habitat although it was noted fish had returned to the lake seven years ago.

"What we want to do with this is raise awareness of how special this area is," Mariotti said. "It does need permanent protection, and ultimately that's what we're aiming for."

Mariotti added the pristine area described as "little Killarney" has not been well studied.

"Wolf Lake is one of the last remaining places where you can experience what this area of northern Ontario would have looked like for thousands of years," he said. "Wild and special comes to mind immediately as you immerse yourself in the forest."

He said the group will be making use of volunteer birders to study if loons have returned to nest in the area. They will also be hoping to document a species of warblers suspected to breed there.

"One of the questions is, do loons nest at Wolf Lake now because their food is there? We want to find that out," Mariotti said.

"Then on land, there should be numerous species of warblers nesting in and among the pines but there has never been a proper study done of Wolf Lake.

"So this will be new to a lot of us," he said.

The group is also calling on the Ontario government to expand the nearby Chiniguchi Waterway Provincial Park to include Wolf Lake and permanently protect the forest.