….thanks to Khürt for hosting the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge
Serenity definitely comes from being outdoors. I’ve spent a lot of time in the parks in Toronto that border on Lake Ontario. Even though I’ve been working to clear away the trash that has fallen between the rocks I can still take a moment to enjoy the view and take in the peace and quiet along the shoreline. This is one of the last photos I took on my iPhone.
….ducks, geese, swans and more around the pond in Col. Sam Smith Park
…Col. Sam Smith Park is mostly made from landfill
This beautiful naturalized park in Toronto (south Etobicoke) is a gem in the neighbourhood. I remember years ago in the 1980s when dump trucks were lined up to unload their bins of landfill into Lake Ontario to expand the park. As a result an artificial harbour (now home to the Lakeshore Yacht Club) was created. It is skirted by grasslands punctuated by trees and set within the rocky shoreline. The lake-fill area also contains a wetlands habitat with wildlife-viewing platforms, while elsewhere among the tree-lined paths and lawns are playgrounds, pavilions, and a sport field.
This is one of the parks the Trish and I go to pick up litter. When you walk along the pathways you’d think the park is pretty clean but when you walk along the rocks you can see where people have partied and where the waves have deposited waste (mostly plastic) from the belly of the lake.
Here are some shots from the surface of the rocks and then what we’ve found between them.
…sun bathing in the pond at Col. Sam Smith Park in south Etobicoke (part of Toronto)
….our presence brought them closer than I expected
Normally the geese and ducks at the pond swim away when I try to get closer to them for a good photo but today they came right up to the water’s edge and reached over as if they were expecting us to feed them. Judging by the number of empty plastic bread bags that were lying around I suspect that’s exactly what they were looking for.
Despite signs posted in the park not to feed the water foul bread the public does it anyway. Bread is not a natural food source for ducks, geese and swans and I’m sure that a diet with too much gluten is harmful for these beautiful birds.
