Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve

Protected area in Manitoba, Canada

Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)^[1]
Entrance to the Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail
Location	1 km south of and 12, 59 Provincial Trunk Hwy 12, Beaconia, MB R0E 0B0
Area	1,240 ha (4.8 sq mi)
Established	2005

Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve is an ecological reserve northeast of Scanterbury, Manitoba, Canada.^[2] It was established in 2005 under the Manitoba Ecological Reserves Act.^[1]^[3] It is 12.4 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi) in size.^[1]

Flora

According to the Government of Manitoba's informational PDF about the site,

The reserve contains 23 species of provincially rare and uncommon plants. Twenty-eight of Manitoba’s 36 native orchid species, including the rare ram’s head lady’s-slipper, are found in the wetland along with eight of Manitoba’s 10 species of carnivorous (insect-eating) plants. A rare white cedar community also forms part of the wetland area.^[2]

Among the carnivorous plants found in the reserve are the purple pitcher-plant, common butterwort, sundew and common bladderwort. The reserve includes a calcareous fen, a habitat that is essential to the survival of the rare plant species.^[4]

Conservation

According to the Government of Manitoba's informational PDF about the site,

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship has partnered with Debwendon Inc. to create an interpretive trail and boardwalk on the Crown land adjacent to the ecological reserve. This was also made possible through funding support from the Eugene Reimer Environment Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation. The installation of the boardwalks and interpretive signage allows the public to safely visit the area for aesthetic, educational and cultural reasons without causing further damage to the native plants and their habitat.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve, Backgrounder" (PDF). Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Ecological Reserves". www.gov.mb.ca. Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Brokenhead Wetlands Special Field Day – June 22, 2012" (PDF). nativeorchid.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2016.