Since 1960, Long Point Bird Observatory has been operating a research station at the extreme eastern tip of Long Point, Ontario where scientists study bird migration. The tip itself is the longest (about 40 km) freshwater sand spit in the world and is the last remaining wilderness in southern Ontario. Long Point is also designated as a Globally Important Bird Area (395 species). Because of its remote location in the middle of Lake Erie, weather and waves are constantly shaping and reshaping this landscape.