Crawford Lake Conservation Area is a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

owned and operated by Conservation Halton near the community of Campbellville in Milton, Halton,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. It is categorized as a regional environmentally sensitive area, an Ontario

Area of Natural and Scientific Interest Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while ''surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...

, and part of the

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and into Illinois. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff ov ...

world biosphere reserve The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) covers internationally designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, which are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature (e.g. encourage sustainable d ...

''. The conservation area contains Crawford Lake, a reconstructed Iroquoian village, and several hiking trails. A study conducted in 1971 determined that the lake is meromictic, which makes the lake a prime site for archaeological and geochemical studies. Using

pollen analysis Palynology is the "study of dust" (from grc-gre, παλύνω, palynō, "strew, sprinkle" and ''-logy'') or of "particles that are strewn". A classic palynologist analyses particulate samples collected from the air, from water, or from deposits ...

, reconstruction of the history of the area over several hundred years was possible. Geochemical analysis of

sediment core A core sample is a cylindrical section of (usually) a naturally-occurring substance. Most core samples are obtained by drilling with special drills into the substance, such as sediment or rock, with a hollow steel tube, called a core drill. The ...

s has allowed for the reconstruction of the pollution history of the area. This analysis revealed the trends and sources of air pollution over approximately 150 years. The

revealed corn pollen, indicating a possible Iroquoian settlement nearby, as corn was a staple of their agriculture. A search of the surrounding area found a grindstone, which would have been used in such a village. Digs of the area just south of the grindstone revealed the foundations of an eleven-longhouse village. The village, thought to be inhabited by either the Wendat (Huron) or

Neutral Confederacy The Neutral Confederacy (also Neutral Nation, Neutral people, or ) was a tribal confederation of Iroquoian peoples. Its heartland was in the floodplain of the Grand River in what is now Ontario, Canada. At its height, its wider territory exte ...

peoples, has been reconstructed in the conservation area and is based on many years of research by archaeologists, who continue to study the site. The reconstructed fifteenth century Iroquoian village is open seasonally and for special events. The site offers interpretive programs of Iroquoian life and culture and has three reconstructed

longhouses A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from timber and often rep ...

and a palisade, although the original village did not have a palisade. One longhouse is used to display contemporary indigenous art and artifacts recovered from past digs. The longhouses are representative of life in the village at the time, with fireplaces, fur-lined bunk beds, and various items used at the time. File:Crawford-lake-longhouse.jpg, A reconstructed Iroquoian longhouse File:Crawford-lake-longhouse-interior.jpg, Interior of a longhouse File:Crawford-lake-longhouse-interior2.jpg, Interior of longhouse File:Crawford-lake-longhouse-display.jpg, Gallery of indigenous art in longhouse File:Crawford Lake Conservation Area Ontario, Canada09.JPG , A sculpted bench on the Lake trail File:Crawford Lake Conservation Area- Crawford Lake- Milton- Ontario (1).jpg, A boardwalk trail circles the lake The lake is named after the Crawford family, who lived on the site and donated the land to the conservation authority. Their house remained there until it burned down. All that survived was the front porch that was constructed of cement. Photographs of the original house and members of the Crawford family exist. The Crawford family also owned a cedar tree farm on the opposite side of the lake. The conservation area also has of hiking and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails with connections to

Bruce Trail The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern Ontario, Canada, from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. The main trail is more than long and there are over of associated side trails. The trail mostly follows the edge of the N ...

. A boardwalk trail circles the lake, protecting the environment while allowing access. The trail is decorated with various sculptures and artistic benches. Another trail leads to the escarpment, and another connects to nearby Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area.

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External links

* {{Ontario parks Conservation areas in Ontario Protected areas of the Regional Municipality of Halton Open-air museums in Canada First Nations museums in Canada Museums in the Regional Municipality of Halton Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest

See also

References

External links