Genius Hour

Welcome to Balls Falls! B Historical Context  Ball's Falls has been lovingly restored to its early 1800's atmosphere and now features an operating flour mill, a lime kiln, a church, family home, blacksmith shop, carriage shed, and more. The Bruce Trail passes through the very north end of the conservation area to the north of the lower falls. Hikes along the Bruce Trail either to the west or the east ca n be made from this location. Welcome to our final hike of our genius hour project! Our learning objective for this project was to explore the hiking trails in the Niagara Region based on beauty, difficulty and natural resources. My group and I succeeded in doing this because we explored many different trails around the Niagara Region, and selected some of our favourites based on the criteria listed above. I am sad to be concluding this project because I had a lot of fun and had the opportunity to reconnect with nature and focus on mindfulness and self care. T

Welcome to Morningstar Mills:  Decew Falls !  Historical Context  Morningstar Mill is a rural industrial heritage site owned by the City of St. Catharines and operated in partnership with the Friends of Morningstar Mill. It features a working grist mill rebuilt in 1872, and the home of the Morningstar family restored to 1932. It is one of the few mills in Ontario that houses all its original equipment, and operates its millstones using the original water source. The mill provides a rare glimpse back in time to when moving water was still used to mechanically grind grain into flour. This week my group members and I explored the beautiful and historical Decew Falls! During this hike I looked for the four elements and what natural resources are available for hikers in a case of emergency of getting lost or stranded. I will begin by mentioning that the path is accessible, and clear trail makers indicate where paths are. My group members and I repelled down the rock cl

Welcome to Glenridge Quarry! Historical Context  The Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site operated as a municipal landfill site from 1976 to 2001. In the 1990s it was decided that a naturalization site with a trail system would replace the landfill once it closed on Jan. 1, 2002. Our second hike was at Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site. This week was more challenging to answer my genius hour research question, which is natural resources in terms of the four elements air, water, fire, and land. The landscape was sparse and did not offer many forested areas. This trail is located in urban boundary which makes it difficult to assess for the four elements. However, I still was able to answer the question with some more exploring. Land: The land and terrain at Glenridge Quarry was easy to hike. In terms of the probability of getting lost is slim to none. The land has some rolling hills but a hiker does not have to worry about getting lost on this trail. There was a majorit

                                     Welcome to the Bruce Trail!  The Black Walnut trail can be accessed from the Wiley Road and Pelham Road entrances. This natural terrain path is a shared use trail through many scenic valleys. Horseback riders and mountain bikers will find this trail to be a moderate ride. Some of the notable features along this trail include several old roads, mixed hardwood and coniferous vegetation, and a variety of wildflowers including Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Common Milkweed. This trail loops through the eastern section of the park. It parallels a section of the Bruce Trail, winds around Twelve Mile Creek, follows an old farm road and joins the Swayze Falls Trail at the central kiosk. Our first hike was on Wednesday September 12 at Shorthills Friendship Trail on the Black Walnut Trail! My group members (Amy and Colleen) and myself documented our experiences for our Genius Hour Project. I was collecting data on the natural resources i

Welcome to my Blog!  Hi! My name is Angelica Hill. I am 27 years old and live in the beautiful wine country of Niagara on the lake. My word art represents my interests and what is important to me in my life. The shape of the earth is important to me because it reminds me of my responsibilities as a caretaker of the land. The circle represents the interconnections between all things and human beings. In my circle are the things that make me feel whole and complete. Please check out the following link to access my "All About Me"   Pinterest page to learn more about my passions and interests. My page conveys my love of nature and the outdoors. The four seasons are reminiscent to me because it signifies the seasons and stages of our lives. I am sharing this video "The Great Laws of Nature" because I am Mohawk and Yugoslavian. I am passionate advocate for Indigenous ways of knowing and being. I believe in preserving and reconnecting to the traditional knowledge o