Ojibway Prairie Complex facts for kids

Oak savannah at Ojibway

The Ojibway Prairie Complex is a special group of parks and nature areas in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It covers about 350 hectares, which is like 350 football fields! This amazing place helps protect some of Ontario's rarest natural habitats.

Discover the Ojibway Prairie Complex

The Ojibway Prairie Complex is located on the west side of Windsor, Ontario. It is made up of several different parks and nature reserves. These include Ojibway Park, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park, Black Oak Heritage Park, and the Spring Garden Natural Area. The City of Windsor owns and manages these areas.

Another important part is Ojibway Prairie Provincial Park. This park is owned and managed by Ontario Parks. There are also other natural areas nearby that are not yet protected.

Why is This Place Special?

This complex protects one of the largest remaining areas of tallgrass prairie and oak savannah in Ontario. These are open habitats, meaning they have lots of grasses and wildflowers, with scattered oak trees. They are not dense forests.

These unique habitats exist because of the soil. The ground has sandy soil over a layer of clay. This type of soil is not ideal for many large trees to grow, which helps keep the areas open.

To keep these habitats healthy, park managers use something called a "prescribed burn." This means they carefully set small, controlled fires. These fires help new plants grow and keep the habitat open for special species.

Amazing Plants and Animals

The Ojibway Prairie Complex is famous for its incredible variety of plants and animals. It has more than 160 species that are rare in Ontario. This is more than any other place in the province!

Some insects and plants found here are not known to exist anywhere else in Ontario. This makes the complex a very important place for biodiversity.

Many species at risk live here and are protected. These include animals like the Butler's garter snake and the eastern foxsnake. Rare plants also thrive here, such as the eastern prairie fringed orchid and the dense blazing star.

Protecting the Environment

A large road, the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway, was built near the complex between 2011 and 2015. Before the road was built, there were natural habitats with many species at risk in that area.

To help protect nature, special efforts were made. These efforts included managing habitats and restoring areas. The goal was to reduce any negative effects from the road construction on the local wildlife and plants.

Learn and Explore at the Nature Centre

The Ojibway Prairie Complex also includes the Ojibway Nature Centre. This centre is a great place to visit! It offers free exhibits where you can learn about the local environment.

The Nature Centre also provides public education programs. During the summer, they even have special programs just for children. It's a fantastic way to learn more about the amazing nature found in the Ojibway Prairie Complex.