Stewartville Swamp Nature Reserve

In 1985, despite the best efforts of Arnprior naturalist Michael Runtz, it looked as though loggers would destroy the Stewartville Swamp for its big cedars.

There are an abundance of orchids on the Stewartville Swamp reserve, such as this Large Round-leaf Orchid. Photo by Graham Bryan.

However, Runtz's refusal to give up paid off. He found a donor, Rosamond Gillies, who would pay nearly three-quarters of the property's cost. Other donors quickly pledged the balance and, in August 1985, the funds were turned over to the Federation to purchase the property.

It wasn't really the cedars that had caught Runtz's attention. It was the variety and great number of orchids that grew in the cool mossy darkness beneath them. Most of the swamp is a low, very wet, mixed forest of cedar, yellow birch, balsam fir, white birch, and black ash. At the south end of the 12-hectare property, there is a small stand (approximately 2 hectares) predominantly made up of cedar and fir. It is here that the orchids grow in the greatest abundance.

None of the orchids that grow at Stewartville Swamp are particularly rare, although the Large Round-leaved Orchids are uncommon in southern and eastern Ontario. What makes Stewartville Swamp special is the sheer abundance and variety of the orchids. Surveys have found close to a thousand Heart-leafed Twayblades in the lower, and about 300-500 Dwarf Rattlesnake Plantains. Near a spring in the southern section, you can find a tight clump of up to 50 Showy Lady's slippers.

The 15 other species of orchids growing at Stewartville Swamp include three species of Coralroot: Early, Spotted, and Striped. Other species include Loesel's Twayblade and White Adder's Mouth. Hooker's Orchid and Tessellated Rattlesnake-plantain prefer somewhat drier ground. On the dry, open edges of the reserve's western edge, visitors can find Northern Slender Ladies'-tresses. Other interesting plants to look for at Stewartville Swamp include the translucent Indian Pipe, Pinesap, One-flowered Wintergreen, several species of Pyrola, and many kinds of ferns.

As the swamp is very wet, you will definitely want to wear boots. Watch your step - many of the smaller orchids are hard to see.

How to get there

From the town of Arnprior, turn south onto White Lake Road (County Rd. 2). Take the first right (about 0.5 kilometres south of Arnprior). Go west on Vanjumar Dr. to the end of the road, a distance of about 0.5 kilometres. Turn right onto Campbell Drive and after approximately 0.5 km, turn left (south) onto Flat Rapids Road. Follow Flat Rapids Road for 15 kilometres, at which point the main road veers to the right at Stewartville (4.3 kilometres). Drive straight through Stewartville onto a secondary road for 0.7 kilometres. The swamp will be on your right side through the cedar woods. There is no formal trail.