Natural Heritage

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System comprises almost 1,900 hectares (4,700 acres) of natural lands and open space connecting the Niagara Escarpment to Hamilton Harbour at the western end of Lake Ontario.

Through western Hamilton and Burlington the Niagara Escarpment is characterized by a variety of habitats. This part of the Niagara Escarpment is one of the few sections with a southern aspect. It is this south-facing protected microclimate that creates habitat for a wide diversity of species. These conditions create the specialized habitats for southern Carolinian forest zone plant species to exist at their northern limits and more northern species at their southern limits. The natural areas contain some of the most botanically rich lands in Canada, and provide habitat for many important bird, reptile, amphibian, fish and insect species. Several smaller watersheds drain directly into Cootes Paradise Marsh or Hamilton Harbour from the Escarpment. Cootes Paradise Marsh and Grindstone Estuary connect this ecological unit to Lake Ontario through Hamilton Harbour.

Overall, 1,582 species of flora and fauna have been documented through biological inventories of environmentally significant lands in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System area. Surveys have identified over 50 species at risk within these natural areas.

Information on the numbers of species and Species at Risk on specific partner lands within the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System area are provided in the links below:

• Species diversity on Conservation Halton and Hamilton Conservation Authority lands
• Species at Risk on Conservation Halton and Hamilton Conservation Authority lands
• Species at Risk within Royal Botanical Gardens'Nature Sanctuaries