The approximate distance of the full loop is 3.5km, however you can walk as much or as little as you'd like as the stops can be visited in any order. There are several points at which you can enter this trail system, marked by a 'little hiker' figure on the map.

What is a wetland?
Wetlands are ecosystems where the ground is submerged or permeated by water, for at least part of the year. The plants that you will find in these environments are adapted to root and grow in these saturated soil conditions. Wetlands fall under several different variations, and as you explore the different points of this walk we will introduce those different types, starting with one type of wetland many people are familiar with, swamps. Swamps are full of standing or slowly moving water that occur seasonally or can persist for long periods and the subsurface is waterlogged. The water table may drop seasonally, creating aerated soil at the surface. Vegetation here may be thick coniferous or deciduous forests, or tall thickets of shrubs.
As you walk around the wetland today you will be introduced to other wetland types.

Which of these would you describe this wetland as?
In addition to some beautiful wetland environments, this stormwater pond offers unique opportunities to see some amazing birds that call Calgary home. You will find a large population of songbirds and waterfowl, but that is not all. At the shoreline, Great Blue Herons wade through shallow water and American White Pelicans may be seen gliding across the pond. Keep your eyes open and bring a set of binoculars with you to get the best experience out of this walk.

In addition to providing habitat for wildlife, stormwater ponds through Calgary provide a valuable service to our city and to locations downstream. The slow-moving water and thick vegetation filter out some pollutants that washed in from our streets, sidewalks, and yards. By traveling through the stormwater pond the water is cleaner when going back into our rivers. This system in Mahogany is just one of over 350 across Calgary trying to protect and preserve our wetland ecosystems.

The landscape here opens up as the pathway momentarily moves away from the wetland. Here rich grasslands are fed by the nutrients and water of the storm pond system. All types of animals call environments like this home. Tall grass makes it difficult for even a trained eye to find sparrows and voles moving through this dynamic shelter.

Here the sedges are thick, and the water is calm. This is a quiet pool and if you are here at the right time of year this is a great location to watch young ducklings learning from their mothers. This section lies at the far end of the wetland and the water moves slowly here before it exits the storm water pond system. Calm water and thick vegetation are exactly what wetlands provide for our environment. Fast moving water carries a high sediment load, and stormwater has plenty of opportunity to pick up pollutants from our streets and roads before it flows down our storm drains. The quiet water gives a chance for those pollutants to settle out.

Meanwhile the wetlands plants filter the water via roots which pull excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, while at the same time absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. This makes wetlands incredibly valuable for the continued health of our water systems.

When we look at a wetland covered in low lying vegetation we are at a marsh. Marshes are periodically covered by standing or slow-moving water and are rich in nutrients. Water remains in the rooting zones of plants most of the growing season. Marshes have rich environments of vegetation such as reeds, rushes or sedges, and an absence of woody vegetation.

Wetlands provide healthy ecosystems for many types of plants. Here a thriving stand of Trembling Aspen, which provide excellent habitat. As you walk West along this pathway towards the bridge you will have an excellent opportunity to see different species of birds that call this naturalized area home.

Look along the shoreline and you might be fortunate enough to see one of the largest shoreline birds in Calgary, the Great Blue Heron, as it slowly walks through the shallows looking for prey. Their long neck and spear-like beak allow them to strike food from a distance, including fish, but also amphibians and small rodents.

From here the trail meets up with the other loop and you have the option to cross the bridge or carry on South around the wetland if you have not already. Congratulations on hiking this beautiful pathway thus far.

This rudimentary amphitheatre is a great spot to soak up the morning sun as well as all the different bird sounds around you. How many can you hear? Is it the same species of bird making different sounds? Perhaps you're hearing the familiar honks of Canada Geese who have spent the night here at the wetland. Are those bird sounds a way of telling the others, "It's time to hit the open skies and head south!" Perhaps you too would like to become a snowbird? And there goes a jet heading south! Anyways, enjoy this great spot. The peace and quiet will help calm the mind and encourage you to stay present and 'in the now'... "I wonder how many airmiles I have?" 

This park is nice and open as it moves along the south side of the pond. That means it’s an excellent time to spot birds and break out the binoculars. There are some unique birds that call this wetland home, so keep an eye open for them. One of the largest is the American White Pelican. These large white and black birds are at home in the water. Using their large beaks, they will grab passing fish, dipping their beaks back and forth into the water to scoop them in their pouch. This bird also has the 2nd largest wingspan of any bird in North America (up to 9.5ft!) 

As you come around the south end of the pond, make a stop down this side path and take in the view. Here sedges and shrubs are mixed in together, providing great habitat for the birds, frogs, insects and mammals. Cattails are abundant in this park, and you will pass by them often as you make your way around the pond. These plants have distinctive round brown fruiting spikes. The whole plant is an excellent food source for wildlife and the tall tough leaves provide excellent cover for nesting birds.

Wetlands vary a great deal in nutrient levels, and while Mahogany is quite rich, one of the poorest wetland types is the bog. Bogs are peat covered wetlands poor in nutrients, isolated from other water sources. Bogs are acidic and dominated by mosses, shrubs, and black spruce. Creating a landscape much different from the one in front of you.

This comfortable sitting area overlooks a large section of the wetland. From here you can look out and see just how much is going on in this environment. Watch as Red-winged Blackbirds flutter through shoreline sedges, or a Great Blue Heron wades through the shallows. Perhaps a member of the 'Canine' family is on the prowl. There are 3 pictures of canines tagged to this location: a Red fox, a Coyote and a domesticated dog. Can you notice what is different about one of them? If you guessed that the 'domesticated dog' is the different one then you are correct! The difference? It is on leash (to keep it safe from wild animals) and to keep wild animals safe from encounters with off-leash dogs. Help us co-exist with wildlife here in beautiful Calgary by following City bylaws in our Parks & Open Spaces.

This is one of four pathways that lead right down to the water's edge. Please remember that this water can carry pollutants, and though the wetland is working hard to clean it, we still shouldn't be wading, swimming or touching this water. Here at the shoreline you are surrounded by a thick gathering of sedges and cattails. In late spring and early summer whole flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds can be found in this area. The males are particularly striking with their red wing markings over their black feathers. These birds hide their nests among the shoreline plants, so be careful to stay on the paths.

Red-winged Blackbirds are natural residents of wetlands, and another type of wetland you may find them in is a Fen. Fens are peatlands that are slowly drained by internal seepage. They contain a thick layer of peat, like bogs, and depending on water quality may be graminoid fens (no trees or shrubs), shrub fens, or treed fens.

Hopefully, you've had a chance to see some of Calgary’s more unique bird species and have enjoyed a relaxing walk around this Mahogany gem. This bridge creates a convenient loop of the pathway you are walking, and also provides a great viewing location to watch for waterfowl moving through the waters.

You can either turn around to continue a full loop or cross the bridge to modify your walk.

As you continue along you will notice how different this park looks on either side of the pathway. Looking north on your left-hand side are manicured back yards and cut grass. On your right are wild tangles of prairie grass and shrubs, leading down to emergent plants at the edge of the wetland. These different landscapes provide habitat and resources for many different types of wildlife that call the wetland their home.

Take a moment and think of yourself as a small bird or mammal living in the area. Which of these environments would you want to live in? All animals need four things to survive: food, water, shelter, and space. As you look at these two ecosystems on either side of the path, which one do you think will provide more of these resources for wildlife? If you guessed the wild side, you’re on the right track. That is why we leave this habitat in its unkept look; it provides an excellent food source, water, shelter and space for the animals who live here.

Where this pathway meets the water there is a collection of dense shrubs. Listen and look closely for songbirds that are moving through the branches and along the edge of the pond. The small spaces provided amongst the branches are excellent nesting areas for smaller birds to find shelter. Keep an eye out for large birds like hawks soaring and gliding on warm thermal air currents above Mahogany.

Some wetlands are a transition point between a marsh and a more traditional lake; we call these areas shallow open water wetlands. These small bodies of standing water are free of vegetation, making them separate from the other wetland types. However, they are not the deep-water pools of our lake systems, the water here is usually less than 2m deep in mid-summer. As such these wetlands provide a valuable habitat moving between other wetland forms and our deeper lakes.

Thank you for taking the time to walk in this beautiful park and learn about this and other wetland ecosystems.