The Boreal, meaning “of the North”, is a place of awe and wonder. This trip is designed to give people general as well as in-depth knowledge of the plants and ecology of the area (depending on your desire to learn), with lots of time to paddle, relax and enjoy the natural setting.
The Boreal, meaning "of the North", is a place of awe and wonder. The word comes from the Greek boreas meaning "god of the north wind". Mantario is right on the edge of the Boreal forest in the Mantario Wilderness Zone; it is wild in every sense of the word. The area also represents some of the best accessible canoe country in Manitoba. Come and explore the Garden of Boreas by canoe and on foot. For lots more information on this trip, and some general canoeing and plant information, please go to Charles Burchill's webpage.
There is no set schedule for the week, a fixed plan would take away from the relaxed atmosphere of the Mantario experience. By the end of the week I would like the participants to feel that they have had a chance to better understand the diversity and importance of the flora of the Whiteshell. They should, if they are interested, come away with some knowledge of the plants of the region, general ecology, and plant identification.
There is generally lots of free time available for guests to relax, read, or do what ever they want. During these times I am available to answer questions or cover some indepth topics. Over the past several years some guests (really only two or three) have been interested in serious botanical study. I have spent time showing people how to identify mosses, lichens, mushrooms, sedges, rushes and grasses. These are very important groups of organisms that many people find very difficult, even overwhelming, to identify.
The botany week has generally followed the rough outline below. Every year the trip has been different based on the interests of the participants, weather, and time.
Monday – Introductions and paddle into Mantario: The trip is roughly 22km with 18km of paddling and the rest traversing 5 or 6 portages. Making the trip over the years has taken as little as 4 hours and as many as 10. The typical time for the trip in with the summer program is 7 hours. There are further notes and a map found on my Trip to Mantario page.
Tuesday – Plant tour of the island, Canoe skills: The morning is generally spent with a short tour of the island looking at the different types of plants followed by a short discussion on field guides and identification. A check list of the more common plant species in the Mantario region will be provided for participants. During the afternoon there has usually been a chance to practice and learn the art of canoe rescues – both assisted and self rescue techniques will be tried. Participants will also have a chance to learn more advanced flat water skills including both tandem and solo paddling.
Wednesday – Day hike, trip to Sunset hill: The day hike takes us through many different plant communities. Generally a considerable amount of time is spent discussing or identifying the plants during the hike. I have a reputation for very slow hikes. During the 2001 Botany week we made it to the top of the first hill by lunch time. We have spent time talking about the ecology and trying out edible plants on the trail. If the blue berries are ripe we usually have picked enough to make pies or muffins. Picking berries, swimming and lunch along the way provide some welcome breaks.
Thursday – Various activities: Collecting edible plants, hikes, canoe trips, etc
Friday – Trip back to Big Whiteshell.
