Butterball Pool Trail
At 8.1 km in length, the Butterball Pool Trail is the longest trail at the HPWA. It takes about 2 hours to walk and the level of difficulty is 2. This trail is perfect for viewing waterfowl and wildlife such as beaver, muskrat, mink and deer. The water level sometimes rises above 8 meters in this pond.
This is a great pond to view migrating waterfowl, especially in the spring. Tundra Swans congregate here as do different varieties of migrating ducks - like Northern Pintails, Bufflehead and Greater and Lesser Scaup. In the breeding season, the Butterball Pool is the place to be to see both Sandhill Cranes and Great Egrets. Observe Red-tailed Hawks soaring over the area on sunny mid-day thermal air currents.
Butterflies are especially visible on this trail with Red Admirals, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Clouded and Orange Sulphur, Monarch and Viceroy being the primary varieties. There are many sizes, colours and flight styles to study. Red Admirals and Milbert's Tortoiseshells are territorial with Red Admirals even darting out at humans from time to time! Monarchs are strong flyers, while Viceroys and Sulphurs are more 'fluttery' in flight. Can you tell the Monarch and Viceroy apart?
When you take a walk on the Butterball Pool Loop, look carefully at the plants that grow alongside, in, on or out of the water. Hullett has a large variety of submergent, emergent and terrestrial plants that can be studied along the marshland dyke trails. Check out coontail and chara (submergent), arrowhead and cattails (emergent) and swamp milkweed and jewelweed (terrestrial). Each plant has adapted well to its chosen environment and thrives in it.
Currently Ducks Unlimited is drawing down the water in this pond to stimulate the growth of the submergent plants. Draining the pond allows for more sunlight to reach the bottom to germinate the seed beds of these plants and allow them to flourish. This is part of the way that DU and the Friends of Hullett help to maintain and better the habitat at the HPWA. With the renewed germination of submergent plants, the waterfowl and marsh bird population which feed on them will have plenty of nourishment available. Keep tabs on this process and see how wildlife and habitat management is done.