Some habitats that need a helping hand are quite small. For instance, Purdon’s Bog, northwest of Ottawa, has one of the largest colonies of the showy lady's-slipper (a strikingly beautiful wild orchid) in Canada. Most North American colonies range in size from a dozen to 300 plants. In the past 60 years, this colony has spread from just a handful of plants to about 16, 000! That's because it was carefully protected and tended by a landowner who thinned away underbrush to provide just the right amount of light, and controlled the water level with the help of a nearby beaver dam. When the landowner died, protection of the wild orchid colony was taken over by a local conservation authority.
Since the showy lady's-slipper yields no nectar, it does not attract insects and can only be pollinated with great difficulty. It takes up to 14 years to flower!
If you want to help out a spot in your own community, here's some advice on how to get started:
• Track down a small habitat that needs protection, such as a marsh where an unusual species of turtle lives, a stand of old trees, or a patch of special plants.
• To find such a spot, talk to naturalist, conservation, and fish and wildlife groups. Also consult your government wildlife agency, teaching staff from a nearby university, or an environmental reporter. Talk to a lot of people. One person may not give the best advice but could suggest others to talk to, and as you do this, you'll build a network of useful resources.