Page 23 - Suncor 360 - January 2015

SAY WHAT?! Fens
Fens are peat-forming wetlands that receive nutrients from sources other than precipitation: usually fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens
are perpetually wet, storing water and releasing it slowly during dry periods. Fens are usually dominated by grasses, sedges, rushes and typically have brown mosses and sometimes carnivorous plants.
Water sedges
In general, sedges are perennial plants that resemble grasses, grow in shallow water or moist soils, and can reach
1.2 metres (four feet) in height.
Nikanotee
Pronounced Nee-ga-no-tee, Nikanotee is a Cree word for future. It was the brainchild of Emma Curtis, a Fort McMurray student, who won Suncor’s Name the Fen contest in 2013.
These water sedges were planted in plots in 2013. They have since begun to spread naturally.
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