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The Carden Plain is a unique and largely unknown area of the South Central Ontario Landscape. Located between Lake Simcoe and Balsam Lake the Carden Plain features North Americas most accessible alvars. The abundance and variety of grassland bird species, now in serious decline, is the main attraction for nature lovers. However, visitors to the area will also find an amazing variety of butterflies dragonflies, and rare or unusual alvar plant species. In the spring and early summer Carden is carpeted with wildflowers.

pb020040 The Plain is comprised primarily of grassland, shrub-land and alvar and features an extensive network of provincially significant wetlands. According to Bird Studies Canada - Carden is one of the very best birding areas in North America. In 1999 the Carden Plain was designated as a "Nationally Significant Important Bird Area" (IBA)

Rare Alvar Habitat: Alvars are globally rare habitats, occurring only on the islands of the Baltic Sea of Sweden, in Estonia and in the Great Lakes basin of North America. Ecologically, they are harsh and inhospitable environments which support an extraordinary diversity of hardy but rare plants, animals and invertebrates. (Reschke et.al.,1999)

The Carden Alvar's:
are located in the northern half of the Carden Plain and host a marvelous variety of wildflowers and other plants including many rare and dislocated species such as Prairie Smoke. The plants and shrubs must be able to withstand a very harsh environment. Spring flooding occurs when winter snowfall melts; the water may lie on the limestone bedrock for months, until evaporation creates virtual