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Alf Hole Goose Sanctuary

Alf and Four Goslings Trail Information 1. Alf's Pond 2. Prairie to Forest 3. Whiteshell Choruses 4. Wild Voices 5. Dive, Dabble, Perch 6. Dragonfly Point 7. Beaver Activity 8. Wetland Plants 9. Not Just Friends Conclusion Further Reading Whiteshell Provincial Park main page

This sanctuary began with four Canada goose goslings-found near Rennie, in the spring of 1939. The foundlings were taken to Alfred Hole, an independent mink rancher and outdoorsman, who lived near by.

Alf Hole was not a man to be fazed by the prospects of hand-raising Canada geese. A wire pen was made for the goslings and they were fed handpicked dandelions for most of the summer. Later on they were turned loose with the chickens and lived out the summer in barnyard bliss. Alf Hole meanwhile had obtained a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service to keep migratory waterfowl in captivity. To restrain the geese from flight they were pinioned that winter and kept indoors with the chickens.

The following year, the four geese were pretty much on their own in the chicken yard. The nearby Rennie River had by then been dammed to form a goose pond. Alf Hole was interested in raising muskrats, but the dam was probably built especially for his new-found geese.

Alf feeding geese

During their third summer Alf Hole obtained an old gander and was successful in getting it to mate with the lone female from the brood. She laid four eggs which eventually hatched. From that time on, the goose sanctuary was a success.

The four goslings were banded and released on the pond. By late summer they were full-grown and when northern-bred geese flew overhead going south, the Alf Hole geese joined the migration leaving their parents behind.

Alfred Hole

Hundreds of geese stop at the sanctuary during their spring and fall migrations. About 150 spend the summer here, including 10-12 nesting pairs. Those passing through in spring find nesting sites in boreal forest wetlands east of Lake Winnipeg. The winter destination for some Alf Hole geese is the Rock Prairie refuge in southeast Wisconsin.

Alf Hole died December 23, 1959-twenty years and a few months after he received the four goslings. In twenty years he established-with the help of several private companies and individuals, and Manitoba Natural Resources-a goose sanctuary that has been a popular and successful Whiteshell attraction for half a century.

The interpretive centre presents attractive displays that tell the story of Alf's accomplishment; relates the natural history of Canada geese; and provides up-close observation opportunities. Interpreters offer scheduled programs, activities and park information, spring to fall.

• Trail between here and the far side of the dam is easy to walk on.
  
  
• Beyond the dam, trail surface varies from level to rugged. Some stairs and boardwalk are provided.
  
  
• Rock surfaces are slippery when wet; proper footwear is recommended.
  
  
• Dogs are not permitted on the sanctuary grounds.
  
  
• Camping and open fires are not permitted.
  
  
• Please do your share to protect our park resources. Take only pictures, leave only footprints.

In human terms, creating Alf's pond was akin to building a new "city" and laying out welcome mats for new residents. The pond has become a key wetland for resident and migrating geese but also for a diverse group of plant and animal residents that live here during all or part of the year. With time, this has become a dynamic, thriving "metropolis" of interconnected individuals and communities.

Along the self-guiding trail, visitors can explore "Alf's pond" and its shoreline, outcrops of Precambrian rock and its boreal forest covering. Bring binoculars; they'll help you look closely at wildlife residents, permanent and seasonal, without being too close to disturb them.

Today's wildlife and sanctuary visitors are beneficiaries of Alf's benevolence.... We have all been touched by the "ripples" sent out by Alf's actions on behalf of four goslings....

Waterwheel

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The Whiteshell was covered by prairie vegetation before its present boreal forest became established. Remnant prairie plants grow in a clearing nearby where a thin layer of soil was left on the rock at the end of the Ice Age. Look for prairie crocus in spring and big bluestem grass at the end of July.

The irregular border between the vast boreal forest and the aspen parkland lies just west of here, between Rennie and Whitemouth.

Whiteshell's amphibian choruses, in some years, announce spring's arrival before or at the same time as when the birds return…. Frogs are creatures of two worlds. The egg and tadpole (larval) stages of their development are spent in water; but the adult lives of some are spent on land.

Three of Manitoba's amphibian species, can only be heard in this corner of the province. In spring, listen for the northern spring peeper with its bird-like "peep," the green frog, with its banjo-like "clung," and the mink frog with its call of "chuck-chuck."

Other, more widely distributed frogs that you may hear at or near the pond include wood frogs, boreal chorus frogs, gray tree frogs and northern leopard frogs. You can find out more about them by asking an interpreter or by checking the centre's reference library.

Red-necked Grebe

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Ducks are the second most noticeable birds at the sanctuary; some are frequent visitors at the feeding area. If the task of "learning your ducks" seems too daunting, begin by learning to recognize the three groups that ducks have been divided into.

Common merganser

Dabbling ducks are easy to spot on the water; as they feed, their tails remain above the surface. They "tip up" to reach aquatic plants and invertebrates in shallow water. "Tip-up" ducks at the sanctuary include mallard, green-winged teal, American widgeon, blue-winged teal and rarely, the American black duck.

Perching ducks are the group that most novices master first, as the wood duck is the only one of this group found in Manitoba; they're also regulars at the goose feeding area. On the water they are dabblers but they're able to perch in trees with the aid of sharp claws.

These colourful birds have been described as North America's most beautiful duck and were adopted as the mascot for Manitoba's 1999 Pan American Games.

Wood ducks usually nest near water in cavities hollowed out by large woodpeckers in decaying, but standing trees. Where there aren't many such trees, nesting boxes are useful in encouraging wood ducks to take up residence…. Sometimes however, other ducks like bufflehead, merganser and common goldeneye become nest box "tenants."

Dragonfly eggs are laid below the water's surface on the stem of an emergent plant such as sedge, below the water's surface. Within a month a robust, aquatic nymph emerges and starts to feed (on small crustaceans, molluscs, worms, insects and their larvae). The nymphs reach up to 45 mm in length. Four years may pass before the nymph climbs out of the water and emerges into an adult. Within an hour the adult can fly.

If you're hiking the trail at the right time, late May to early June, you may observe the nymphs coming ashore and undergoing this "magical" transformation.

In the time it takes to eat and enjoy a lunch, you'll see a fearsome underwater predator emerge from its "armour" (shell), becoming an elegant insect with graceful wings. They do not shed their "fierceness" as they devour their favoured food, mosquitoes. It's been estimated that adults of some dragonfly species can eat up to 300 per day.

There are several beaver homes or lodges on the pond, on the open water and up against the shoreline. Lodges are constructed of mud and sticks where water is deep enough or where they have excavated underwater channels for entry and exit.

In evening or early morning, beaver can be seen swimming on the surface. When they're surprised or sense danger, they slap the water with their tail and dive. In late fall look for feed piles of green tree branches and shrubs-often with leaves on them-near active lodges.

On shore, used beaver trails or "runs" may be noticeable, crossing the hiking trail. Beaver must come ashore to "cut" shrubs and mature trees. They prefer young, juicy shrubs and saplings, and eat only the inner bark of trees. Trembling aspens are a favourite.

For more information on beavers, hike the Cabin Lake Trail, just north of Red Rock Lake.

Beaver

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Moose occasionally visit the sanctuary, attracted by shelter in winter and lush vegetation in summer. They need shelter from cold winds to conserve energy and find it in thick stands of shrubs or trees, including black spruce bogs. Their winter diet is limited to shrubs which flourish at the wetland edges, and tree twigs such as birch and aspen.

Aquatic plants (underwater, floating and emergent) such as pondweeds and young waterlilies are only available for a few short months and are vital to moose because of their mineral content. These minerals (sodium, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese) help cows to produce milk and enable bulls to grow their antlers.

Some of the animals attracted to the pond include geese on their menus. Northern pike and snapping turtles that lurk in the water enjoy goslings.

If you come across turtles on shore or land around the end of May, they are likely females seeking suitable nesting sites and should not be disturbed. Common snapping turtles on land can be dangerous to those who approach too closely. Because they cannot hide in their shell like its smaller relatives (painted turtles), snapping is their defence when they leave the safety of water. A lightning-quick "snap" or bite may seriously injure a person's finger or hand.

Western painted turtles are often seen as they bask in the sun on floating logs or rocks that poke up, above the water, from spring to fall.

For most of the year, fox and coyotes feed on mice and voles which are at home in tall grasses. Geese become somewhat vulnerable to these species when a nest is too close to land and later in summer during the moulting period when the birds are flightless. Most adult birds are capable of defending themselves and their nest. Alert parents are constantly on guard for danger.

Predators are nature's regulators and are integral parts of nature's web of life. They ensure that only the strong and alert survive.

Mr. Hole never had visions of grandeur about his project. It started as a hobby with him although it demanded and received an increasing amount of his time and money in later years.

He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman who knew the nearby woods and streams. Alf Hole also understood the story of conservation and from this understanding came a worthwhile wildlife monument in eastern Manitoba.

Today, people can follow Alf's example and it's not necessary to find four goslings to raise…. By walking this trail and becoming familiar with some of the Whiteshell's wildlife species you've taken a big step. Once you know who they are, it's easier to appreciate and to be concerned about wildlife and their homes. Knowledge, appreciation and concern are what Alf Hole had when he began to care for four goslings.

W. Earl Godfrey, The Birds of Canada, revised edition. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, 1986.

William B. Preston, The Amphibians and Reptiles of Manitoba. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, 1982.

As well, ask staff at the interpretive centre for information on local, provincial and national conservation organisations that invite your participation and support.

Illustrations by J. A. Carson