They’re back! March 31st, 2009 friend Paul called. “Earl, the wood frogs are quacking!” They were. With tape recorder we caught their raspy calls. It was mating time. Intermingled with the wood frogs calls were the piercing sounds of a few spring peepers. They’re back!

Saturday, March 28, 2009 beautiful day. drove to Marcy Pond. Ice gone. open water. waited and waited – no frogs yet. Watched surface for life – none yet. But great sighting- again this year two beautiful wood ducks. they were on the pond and took off as we approoached. Hope they nest nearby. Earl Plato

March 24, 2009. Drove the Lower Trail to the pond. Still frozen over – no wood frogs or spring peepers yet. Warmer weather coming. No ice on the road. Earl & Allison

It’s March 12th and time to tune our ears. Why? Not bird calls but frog calls. First of all we want to hear the “quack! quack! of that little masked guy, the wood frog. Timing several minutes important. They come to mate in the pond. It is a hectic time for it is a week to ten days that you hear the duck-like calls. Once mated they disappear in all directions for another year. Timing is important, eh. Like most frogs they can hear you coming on the Lower Trail. All is silence. Wait! Several minutes then comes a “quack” then another until there is another cacophany of sound. Hearing is believing. Later we hear spring peepers and the Chorus frogs – quite an spring orchestral sounds.

Daughter Allison and I checked out Marcy Woods.
Too icy-many ruts- difficult drive so backed up. Another day when ice melts down. Earl Plato

Marcy’s Woods at the south end of Halloway Bay Road is privately owned nature gem by he DiCienzo family. There is plenty to see any time of the year. Here’s what you might see flower-wise on one such spring walk in this Carolinian setting. “It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Coltsfoot and its yellow blooms were first spotted near the beginning of the Lower Trail. Soon we found delicate Spring beauties and Sharp-lobed hepaticas with their varied hues. Here too were Dutchman’s breeches and a few white blossomed Bloodroots. Then as we walked further on the rolling terrain we came to our cluster of White trillums and a sprinkling of its cousin the Purple trillium/ This is Trillium Heaven! Hill and vale now abound with trilliums. Wild leeks are still there and near the cabin we find Wild ginger. We stay on the trails as we were told. So much more to see and hear for this is bird country too. We will return.”

For Immediate Release
Contact: Melissa Marshall
PR Coordinator
905-374-4444

Marcy’s Woods: A Commitment to Restoration, Preservation, & Education

(Niagara Falls, Ontario, February 2009) -Marcy’s Woods Web Site www.marcyswoods.ca proudly unveiled by the Dino DiCienzo family of Niagara Falls.

Marcy’s Woods, 285 acres of intact Carolinian forest, is located on the north shore of Lake Erie and is considered one of Canada’s most unique biodiversities. This uniqueness stems from the vast array of flora and fauna that call Marcy’s Woods home. Despite the uniqueness of Marcy’s Woods the area has not always been protected.

In 2003 the DiCienzo family of Niagara Falls purchased Marcy’s Woods with a commitment to restoring, preserving and adequately managing the sensitive sand dunes, fragile habitats and species. To exemplify that Marcy’s Woods can be successfully preserved under private ownership; extensive restoration projects have been undertaken to alleviate human impact both past and present. Achieving a balance between conservation and human enjoyment is currently under way while allowing the ecosystem to rebuild and to ensure that the natural heritage of the region will remain a priority.

The DiCienzo family has made positive efforts to ensure that the public remain partners in its conservation.  The public can gain admittance to Marcy’s Woods with permission and school groups, nature groups, conservation organizations, photography clubs and others interested in the preservation of the beauty and uniqueness of Marcy’s Woods are encouraged to contact for available dates.  Guided tours are also available upon request.

Controlling access to Marcy’s Woods has successfully helped eliminate the negative human impact on this ecosystem. Successful initiatives include regular garbage clean up, reducing access to sand dunes, reducing the number of trials, increasing police presence.  Private security and local involvement has decreased vandalism, bonfires, hunting, anchoring boats and ATV use.

The combination of these initiatives which will continue to be built upon will not only help stabilize the environment of Marcy’s Woods but will also encourage the growth and protection of the species that make it their home. It is the goal of the DiCienzo family that the Marcy’s Woods web site will encourage public involvement and the site, now fully functional including a blog with content provided by Earl Plato, a leading Niagara environmentalist and conservationist who has extensive first  hand knowledge of Marcy’s Woods. The Marcy’s Woods blog will be used to convey information, events and activities regarding Marcy’s Woods to the public.

For more information on Marcy’s Woods or to request access to this area please visit

www.marcyswoods.ca