Paradise Grove Black Oak Savannah is located on Anishinaabe lands at 440A John St E, Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is two kilometers south of downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario on a parcel of land previously known as "Camp Niagara" or "The Commons". This military installation includes the Fort George National Historical Site, Butler's Barracks, and Paradise Grove (Paradise Grove and The Commons, n.d., "The Military and Camp Niagara," 2011). The natural landscape of the Niagara region including Paradise Grove is extensive forests (Map of the Niagara Frontier, 1869, n.d.). These forests are part of the only Carolinian forests of Canada (Canada, 2014) and they are the most biodiverse forests of anywhere in Canada as well, yet what remains is a tiny fraction of what once existed (Kerr et al., 2000). Native species include southern species like pawpaw and tulip tree, and also northern species such as eastern white cedar and trembling aspen (Almas & Conway, 2016). This area acts as a transitional zone between northern boreal, and southern broadleaf forests. Paradise Grove is an isolated patch of these rich forests that will have a limited impact on biodiversity and ecological restoration due to its disconnectedness and the limitations of replanting and human interference. Long before the restoration work of Niagara Parks, Paradise Grove was initially planted to provide lumber for ship building in the area (Parks Canada Agency, 2021). When the restoration project began in November 2003, Niagara Parks partnered with Parks Canada, the NPCA and Niagara Restoration Council (Paradise Grove, n.d.) to plant native species including 1000 oak saplings, tall grasses, and wildflowers (Paradise Grove and The Commons, n.d.). In addition to the planting, they removed invasive species, such as the European Buckthorn (Paradise Grove, n.d.). As a natural restoration area, there are no trails through the grove for public use and instead is a refuge for the diverse selection of wildlife that inhabits the Niagara region. Any trails are on the periphery and not necessarily maintained for public use during the winter (Parks Canada Agency, 2021).

Municipality: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Local area name: Paradise Grove

Other identifying names or descriptions Camp Niagara, The Commons

Latitude and longitude: 43.242222, -79.062056

Physical Dimensions

Surface Area: 289,354.6 m2

acreage: 71.5 acres

Elevation:

Highest point: 119 masl

Lowest point: 89 masl

Paradise Grove is an ecological restoration project south of downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake along the Niagara river. This location is bound by John Street E on the south, the Niagara River to the east with Fort George north and Butler's Barracks west of Paradise Grove. This specific area was considered part of a bigger area previously known as Camp Niagara that includes Fort George, Butler's Barracks and the fields in between. Ecologically it is a fragmented section of the Carolinian forests in Niagara dominated today by black oak.

Map 1: Location of Paradise Grove, NOTL. Google. (n.d.).

Urbanization and habitat fragmentation has cut off species from connecting to nearby ecosystems in their various ways. Hough (2004) explains that it is vital for urbanized people to understand the connection between humans and wildlife. The native species of Paradise Grove are cut off from communities outside this immediate area. They are prevented from growing in new places because of the urban spaces, vineyards, orchards, roads and other human creations.

Who lives in Paradise Grove then? The trees include a variety of oak species like bur oak, northern pin oak, swamp white oak and the dominant black oak and also sycamore, silver maple, and ash among others. There are grasses, shrubs and flowers that are components of the understory and forest floor as well (Native_Plant_Guide.Pdf, n.d.). As the Niagara region is home to hundreds of different species, 300 of which are birds, native species inhabiting Paradise Grove are wide ranging. Bird species, for example, include cardinals, blue jays and woodpeckers. Common mammals of Niagara are those such as skunks, squirrels, rabbits and others. Commonly seen reptiles and amphibians include garter snakes, American toad, painted turtles ("Fauna" n.d.).

Urbanization and human disturbance makes it easier for invasive species to gain a hold on the land because they don't have the checks and balances from their native home. They easily take over and dominate the habitat (How Invasive Species Impact the Environment | EnvironmentalScience.Org, n.d.). Paradise Grove is not immune to invasive species. It has vines overtaking a section of the forest on the western edge near the open field.

Human activities have changed a lot about Paradise Grove. From the untouched forest before colonization to the British cutting the trees for ships and military training, to finally, the restoration by Niagara Parks Commission, it is certainly different from the original forest. With each change, species come and go, some never to return.

Today, Paradise Grove slopes very gently towards One Mile Creek. The soils of the area are stratified clay, sand and silt from Lake Iroquois overlying the Queenston Formation red shale bedrock (Feenstra, 1972). These soils now grow grasslands and black oak forest, but through urbanization, deforestation, replanting and forest fragmentation, humans have changed it from the diverse broadleaf deciduous forests to its current state.

During the Wisconsin glaciation, the Laurentide Ice Sheet fully covered the Niagara region. As it retreated it created Lake Iroquois (now Lake Ontario) which deposited sediment as the glacier retreated (Maclachlan & Eyles, 2011). This glaciation eventually formed the Great Lakes, the Niagara escarpment, and the soil where our Carolinian forests grow.

As precipitation flows over and through this glacial soil, it creates the rills and gullies that come to form streams and rivers. Today, Paradise Grove sits at the headwaters of One Mile Creek. (About One Mile Creek in NOTL - Friends of One Mile Creek, n.d.) Located in the Niagara River watershed, One Mile Creek drains into Lake Ontario. It is an urban stream that faces a lot of change due to its proximity to human influence. Alberti (2008) talks about four of the main changes. High water events will be higher for example, and during storms, low water events will be lower. There will also be more changes day to day in flow and finally, the stream will go very quickly from base flow to storm flow.

Paradise Grove will positively impact these changes through a reduction of runoff due to increased infiltration of precipitation. This increased infiltration will help recharge the groundwater, prevent erosion and flooding, store and recycle nutrients and pull carbon out of the atmosphere. A tempered view of these impacts is necessary because forest fragmentation (as Paradise Grove is) minimizes the plants capacity to absorb the precipitation (Alberti, 2008).

The local climate is changing, with hotter summers and more intense storms. Initial deforestation of Camp Niagara would have contributed to a lowering of albedo, decreased evapotranspiration and infiltration rates, and a loss of natural habitat and biodiversity through fragmentation and destruction of habitat. These factors have harmed Niagara-on-the-Lake resulting in a warmer climate, stronger storms, more runoff, eutrophication and contamination of waterbodies, less aquifer recharge, global mass extinctions and destabilization of ecosystems (Hough, 2004). The small size of Paradise Grove will not be enough to help prevent NOTL and other surrounding areas from experiencing these problems. In the big picture of urbanization, forest fragmentation and climate change, Paradise Grove isn't big enough to make a meaningful impact to the climate.

Before European contact, the Neutral Indians lived in what we now call the Niagara region. They were given this name by Samuel de Champlain because they were neutral between the fights of the Iroquois from the south and Hurons from the north. They lived in the forests near water which they used for transportation and trade. For nutrition, they grew gardens, hunted, fished, and gathered nuts and berries from the environment around them.

As a nation, the Iroquois were feared by other native tribes and settlers. They eventually killed the Neutral tribe and took their land. Until French settlers arrived in the 17th century, the Iroquois controlled the land on both sides of the St Lawrence river ("Aboriginals in Niagara," n.d.).

In 1615, the French arrived with Samuel de Champlain. Trade was established and in return, the French attacked the Seneca. In 1726 the French tried to appease the natives and wanted to build a fort. The Seneca said no to the fort, but yes to a trading post. The French agreed, but lied and built a fort calling it the "House of Peace". This enabled the French to control all trade into the Great Lakes region. By 1750, Niagara-on-the-Lake, then Newark, was a bustling little town as it became a distribution centre for trade. Five years later, the British took this land for themselves and by 1759, the French had withdrawn and British forces took control of Fort Niagara. The British started developing the land and in 1783, King George III bought all the land between lake Erie and lake Ontario for settlement (Niagara Falls: Chronicles Of Our Early Settlers - a History, n.d.).

Paradise Grove only existed as part of the general landscape until the British decided to use this particular area as a source of lumber for building their ships and as a military training camp. The 1908 topographic map shows a partially forested area now known as Paradise Grove with cleared space and military installations for other activities. Replanted in 2003 by the Niagara Parks Commission and other partners, they created a patch of wilderness with unmaintained trails traversing the perimeter (Paradise Grove, n.d.).

The Indigenous culture and the military history of Canada helps define Paradise Grove's "special character" as discussed by Baeker (2009). As a restoration project, it can be an experience for nature lovers of all kind who want to experience the history, beauty and local culture of Paradise Grove.

Educational and interpretive resources for Paradise Grove specifically are sparse because references to The Commons usually include Paradise Grove as it was considered part of the same area. However, there are currently several plaques and notice boards at various places surrounding the forest and along the trails (Paradise Grove and The Commons, n.d.).

There are no buildings on Paradise Grove, though there is a cleared lot in the middle, unseen from the outer trails.

Ownership of Paradise Grove currently resides with the municipal government of Niagara-on-the-Lake as a single owner. It is now a municipal park and protected through the Niagara Parks Commission. Public access is permitted, but individuals use the space at their own risk as this is a naturalized area and unmaintained.

When Paradise Grove was planted in 2003, they removed some invasive species, though they have since regrown and are noticeable along the trails at the western edge of the forest.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a diverse area with a variety of military history sites, with transportation, recreational, and business uses as well. Fort George, Butler's Barracks, MacFarland House and The Commons are all sites that were used in the War of 1812 and are preserved today as historical sites. In addition to these sites and uses, The Commons was the site of a Tragically Hip concert in June 2012. People also regularly come to walk the trails and let their dogs roam in the leash free section of the park.

Now as a protected area, Paradise Grove is no longer used as a lumber source though it is still influenced by human activity if only because of its proximity to downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake. Its easy access and serene landscape provides a lovely getaway from the busy-ness of business. Unfortunately its fragmented nature disconnects it from other forest patches and ecosystems that would support similar species. Humans have changed the landscape for their purposes creating an impervious and disconnected landscape that protects only small spaces of natural habitat (Alberti, 2008).

Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

250 Thorold Road West; 3rd Floor

Welland, ON

L3C 3W2

Phone: 905-788-3135

Fax: 905-788-1121

Email:

Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday – 8:30am – 4:30pm

Niagara Parks Commission

Oak Hall

P.O. Box 150

7400 Portage Road

Niagara Falls, ON

L2E 6T2

Phone: 1 (877) 642-7275

905-356-2241

Email: npinfo@niagaraparks.com

Parks Canada and Niagara National Historical Sites

General Inquiries

Parks Canada National Office

30 Victoria Street

Gatineau, QC

J8X 0B3

Phone: 1 (888) 773-8888

Email: pc.information.pc@canada.ca

Niagara Restoration Council

Phone: 905-735-2064

Email: info@niagararestorationcouncil.org

Aboriginals in Niagara. (n.d.). Niagara Falls. Retrieved October 26, 2021, from http://www.tourniagara.com/history/aboriginals-in-...

About One Mile Creek in NOTL – Friends of One Mile Creek. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://friendsofonemilecreek.org/about-one-mile-c...

Alberti, M. (2008). Advances in Urban Ecology. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, 365.

Almas, A. D., & Conway, T. M. (2016). The role of native species in urban forest planning and practice: A case study of Carolinian Canada. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 17, 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.01.015

Baeker and Hanna, (2009, February). "Culture, Authenticity, Place." Municipal World

Canada, E. and C. C. (2014, February 27). Conserve Ontario's Carolinian Forests: Preserve songbird species at risk, chapter 1 [Program results]. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-chang...

Fauna. (n.d.). Niagara Falls. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from http://www.tourniagara.com/geologynature/fauna/

Feenstra, B. H. (1972). Quaternary Geology of the Niagara Area, Southern Ontario (Prelim. Map P.764, Geol. Ser.) [Map]. Ontario Division of Mines.

Google. (n.d.). [Location of Paradise Grove, NOTL]. Retrieved November 3, 2021.

Hough, M. (2004). Cities and Natural Process: A Basis for Sustainability. Taylor & Francis Group. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/brocku/detail...

How Invasive Species Impact the Environment | EnvironmentalScience.org. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.environmentalscience.org/invasive-spec...

Kerr, J. T., Sugar, A., & Packer, L. (2000). Indicator Taxa, Rapid Biodiversity Assessment, and Nestedness in an Endangered Ecosystem. Conservation Biology, 14(6), 1726–1734. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2000.99275.x

Maclachlan, J. C., & Eyles, C. H. (2011). Subglacial deforming bed conditions recorded by late Quaternary sediments exposed in Vineland Quarry, Ontario, Canada. Sedimentary Geology, 238(3), 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2011.04.016

"Map of the Niagara Frontier, 1869." Retrieved September 18, 2021, from http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/18...

Native_Plant_Guide.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://npca.ca/images/uploads/common/Native_Plant...

Niagara Falls: Chronicles Of Our Early Settlers—A history. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from http://www.niagarafrontier.com/work.html#French

Paradise Grove. (n.d.). Niagara Falls Canada. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/play/outdoor-r...

Paradise Grove and The Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2021, from http://brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/73-nat...

Parks Canada Agency, G. of C. (2021, August 9). Heritage trails—Fort George National Historic Site. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/fortgeorge/acti...

The Military and Camp Niagara. (2011, December 27). Memories of Niagara. https://memoriesofniagara.wordpress.com/the-milita...

Photographs, Maps and Images:

Google. (n.d.). [Location of Paradise Grove, NOTL]. Retrieved November 3, 2021.

Niagara Topographic Map Images (1908). St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS. Available https://map.library.brocku.ca/maps/NTS/Niagara_63k.... Accessed (15/04/2017).

Niagara Topographic Map Images (1938). St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS. Available https://map.library.brocku.ca/maps/NTS/NTS1930s/Ni.... Accessed (15/04/2017).

Niagara Topographic Map Images (1965). St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS. Available https://map.library.brocku.ca/maps/NTS/Niagara_50k.... Accessed (15/04/2017).

[Public Archives of Canada. National Map Collection. 1851]. [4212]. St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS. 2017. Available: https://brock.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/in....

Air Photos GIF: Niagara Air Photo Index at Brock University Maps, Data & GIS Library online photo numbers

1934: NOTL-1-geo Mosaic air photos

1953: A13965-16

1965: 18949-066

1968: 20446-88

1978: 78-4317-29

2000: 27656

2018: Niagara2018mosaic2021

2021: Google (n.d.)

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Vikki Coghill for the Brock University course TMGT 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 7, 2021.

All copyrights for cited material rest with the original copyright owners.