By Shelley Cooke
Rouge National Urban Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America. It features 79 square kilometres of green space, from Lake Ontario in the south to the Oak Ridges Moraine in the north. It contains a great diversity of landscapes and ecosystems found throughout its many meadows, forests and wetlands. Rouge Park offers something for both nature lovers and adventure seekers, including 12 kms of hiking trails, paved roads for cycling, water sports and more! Here is some general information about the Rouge and how to best experience it in the spring.
Experiencing springtime in Rouge Park
Rouge National Urban Park is a free entry park that’s open 365 days a year. The trails and day use areas offer a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, cycling, birdwatching, photography and picnicking.
Free guided walks are a fantastic way for visitors of all ages to connect with nature and learn about plants, wildlife, history and agriculture in the park. In April and May, the guided walks focus on the transition of wildlife from winter to spring while highlighting the native spring ephemerals that signal its arrival.
Plants that come alive in spring
In the forest, the first thing you’ll see is green on the forest floor as smaller plants take advantage of the sunlight before the trees form their canopies. Bloodroot, Trout Lily, Mayapple, Anemone and Trilliums are examples of native spring plants that come alive early in the season. Shrubs are next to leaf out, followed by small-vessel trees like maples, poplars, birches and willows. Red and silver maples have tiny, beautiful flowers that you can observe with binoculars as these trees grow quite tall.(If you need a photo of a spring ephemeral, I’ve put a Trillium and a Bloodroot into Photos. KS)
In the northern areas of the park, trails wind through agricultural fields and hedgerows, where you’re sure to see striking cherry, apple and other fruit tree blossoms.
Birdwatching
Spring migration begins in late February and early March and peaks towards the end of April. Birds are vocal, active and demonstrably showy at this time of year as mating season begins. They respond to the change in season by molting their feathers. Male cardinals will undergo a noticeable glow-up, shedding their dull winter feathers for stunning bright red.
In wetlands, expect to see red-winged blackbirds. They are the most vocal among the early migratory arrivals. At Rouge Marsh, visitors may also catch a glimpse of young cygnets in the fold of the resident Trumpeter swans. In open areas, expect to see large, swooping raptors such as hawks, owls and bald eagles.
Parks Canada spring field work
Spring is a busy time for Resource Conservation staff in the Rouge with monitoring and field work. The season kicks off with surveys of frogs and toads conducted in wetland areas in the evenings when amphibians are most active in their calling and vocalizations.
This year, salamanders will be added to the list of species that Parks Canada will survey in forest habitat. Parks Canada also conducts spring surveys of birds across habitats, including waterfowl and least bittern, a species at risk in wetland areas. Monitoring to determine the nesting locations of species at risk birds helps Parks Canada identify habitat that can be enhanced to support them in the future.
Volunteer work
Parks Canada has a team of incredible volunteers contributing to many facets of conservation within the park.
Bird box maintenance
Prior to the spring season, “Stewardship Squad” volunteers clean and repair over 300 bird nest boxes in the Rouge. These boxes are designed to attract many different species, including migratory songbirds like eastern bluebirds and tree swallows, who use cavities to nest. Maintaining these boxes reduces the transmission of diseases by removing the buildup of parasites and provides a clean and safe nest for the new arrivals.
Monitoring
Monitoring programs engage volunteers in a wide variety of field work, including conducting bird counts and recording data on bumble bees in the park. Birds are an important indicator of ecosystem health as they are sensitive to environmental changes. Globally, nearly half of the world’s birds are in decline and one in eight species now faces extinction.
The “Turtle Tracker” monitoring program engages volunteers and the general public to track nesting turtles at hotspots throughout May and June. When a nesting turtle is found, volunteers record data, take GPS coordinates, and install a protective mesh box overtop of the nest. The boxes prevent turtle eggs from being dug up and eaten by predators like raccoons and skunks.
In many cases, eggs from turtle nests are collected for incubation as part of Rouge Park’s hatchling release program. The public can call the “shell phone” line at 416-938-3017 and/or the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre at 705-741-5000 if they observe a mother turtle laying eggs or hatchling turtles exiting an existing nest.
Litter cleanups
Each year, the spring thaw uncovers a great deal of litter throughout the Rouge. In April, Parks Canada and “Stewardship Squad” volunteers join forces for litter cleanups, especially at Rouge Beach and Marsh. Interested in volunteering? You can sign up to receive more information at parks.canada.ca/pn-np/on/rouge/activ/benevolat-volunteer
Seasonal hazards for visitors
Trail conditions and flooding
With the spring thaw, trail conditions are variable and flooding can occur next to large bodies of water, such as Lake Ontario or the Rouge River. Visitors should exercise caution and visit the Toronto and Region Conservation Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre for active flood messages. Safety and closure messages are posted on the Rouge National Urban Park website.
Wildlife safety
Spring mating season means that animals like coyotes can exhibit more territorial behaviour as they protect their young and the area around their dens. Visitors should keep dogs leashed at all times to prevent dangerous interactions with wildlife.
If you spot a coyote, do not approach it. Maintain a distance of more than 30 metres from the animal, taking a wide detour if needed. Remain calm, do not turn your back and do not run away – this can incite a chase response. Be prepared to look large and make lots of noise if you do confront a coyote.
Ticks
Warmer days means active ticks, and visitors should be aware that Rouge National Urban Park falls within the estimated risk area for black-legged deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Protect yourself and your pets by staying on designated trails and away from tall grasses and bushes.
Construction projects this season
The Zoo Road Day Use Area is closed to accommodate construction of the new Visitor, Learning and Community Centre. Throughout construction, Rouge National Urban Park will not be accessible from the Zoo Road Day Use Area. Visitors can continue to access Vista and Orchard trails from Twyn Rivers Day Use Area. Visitors should anticipate higher congestion and limited parking at this location.
In addition, work is expected to get underway on the Rouge Beach Improvements Project as early as May. For the most up-to-date information on closures, visitors should check the Important Bulletinspage of the Rouge National Urban Park website.
April field walk schedule
Saturday, April 5: Urban environmental restoration – 1 pm
- Location: Tallgrass Trek; Meeting point: 7277 14th Avenue, Markham – oTENTik (A-frame cabin); Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Easy, flat/paved or gently uneven; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 1.5 hours; Age range: Adults; Dog friendly
Sunday, April 6: Photography and iNaturalist walk – 10 am
● Location: Central Trail; Meeting point: 7445 Elgin Mills Road East, Markham – parking lot); Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Easy, flat/paved or gently uneven; Pace: Easy; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Families; Service dogs only
Wednesday, April 9: Wondrous woodcocks – 6:30 pm
- Location: Reesor Way/Tanglewood Trail; Meeting point: 7277 14th Avenue, Markham – oTENTik (A-frame cabin); Distance: 1-3 km; Difficulty: Moderate, possible hills and/or stairs; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 1.5 hours; Age range: Families; Service dogs only
Saturday, April 12: Emerging from winter – 10 am
● Location: Harvest Trail; Meeting point: 7445 Elgin Mills Road East, Markham – parking lot; Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Easy, flat/paved or gently uneven; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Families; Dog friendly
Sunday, April 13: Changing seasons in the Rouge – 1 pm
- Location: Woodland Trail; Meeting point: 19 Reesor Road, Scarborough – parking lot; Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Easy, flat/paved or gently uneven; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Adults; Service dogs only
Saturday, April 19: The early settlers of the Rouge – 1 pm
- Location: Reesor Way/Tanglewood Trail; Meeting point: 7277 14th Avenue, Markham – oTENTik (A-frame cabin); Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Moderate, possible hills and/or stairs; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Families; Dog friendly
Sunday, April 20: Yoga with the trees – 10 am
● Location: Mast Trail; Meeting point: 7450 Kingston Road, Scarborough – parking lot; Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Moderate to difficult with some steep hills and stairs; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Adults; Service dogs only
Saturday, April 26: Invasive plants in the Rouge – 10 am
- Location: Monarch Trail; Meeting point: 7277 14th Avenue, Markham – oTENTik (A-frame cabin); Distance: 5-8 km; Difficulty: Moderate, possible hills and/or stairs; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Adults; Service dogs only
Sunday, April 27: Rooted in restoration – 1 pm
- Location: Northeast Trail; Meeting point: 10725 Reesor Road, Markham – oTENTik (A-frame cabin); Distance: 3-5 km; Difficulty: Easy, flat/paved or gently uneven; Pace: Moderate; Duration: 2 hours; Age range: Families; Dog friendly
