November 12, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
The Bruce Trail now routes past the Landscape of Nations Memorial! As a way to mark its Seventh Anniversary, an official and authoritative Landscape of Nations Facebook page has been launched by those who were actively involved in the early motivational, historical, conceptual, and artistic origins of this magnificent public artwork. Richard Merritt, Rick Hill,…
October 27, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
We are pleased to announce that a group of NBTC volunteers planted a seed orchard! You may wonder, how is it different from a cherry or peach orchard? Instead of harvesting fruit, seeds are harvested. These seeds are used for scattering in the areas where we pull out invasive species. More particularly, a seed…
August 22, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is Old World in origin. It is thought to have been introduced from Europe in the late 1800’s, after settler deforestation, for use in windbreaks, erosion control, and stream bank stabilization. Planted in many locations across Canada, it can now be found from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, including throughout southern Ontario. …
August 22, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is indigenous to Western Europe and can be found from England to Italy. Its introduction to North America dates from the 1800s, when it was brought by settlers to use for food and medicinal purposes. Since then, Garlic Mustard has spread throughout Southern Ontario and now presents a significant threat to…
August 18, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
As long as there is abundant greenery along the trail, why does it matter that it is introduced, non native plant matter? Native plants (including shrubs and trees) have coexisted for centuries providing the resources for a diverse ecosystem. A circle of life provides the resources for each plant and animal in balance. When non-native…
August 18, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
Niagara’s Most Unwanted #4: Japanese Stiltgrass Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is regulated as a pest in Canada and a newcomer to our country as an invasive species. Native to southeastern Asia, it arrived in North America in the 1900s when used as packing material. Since then, Japanese Stiltgrass has proliferated across large swaths of the United…
August 14, 2023
Tammy
No comments exist
Look up! Some of our native vines wind their way far up into the trees – wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy cohabiting peacefully with the trees. Unfortunately, other vines, including oriental bittersweet and honeysuckle, which are interlopers, wreak havoc in the upper reaches of the forest canopy. In the Niagara region, the honeysuckle…
November 11, 2022
Tammy
No comments exist
Update from the NBTC Biodiversity Committee: DID YOU KNOW? Dog-strangling vine is an invasive perennial herbaceous plant in the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae). It is spreading rapidly and causing damage to ecosystems in southern Ontario. Dog-strangling vine invasions can harm biodiversity in a number of ways. It forms dense stands that overwhelm and crowd out native…
November 11, 2022
Tammy
No comments exist
The day is fine, or not, and as we trudge toward our destination the woods and fields provide a welcome backdrop. Yet how aware are we of what plant matter is in the natural areas that we pass. Many of us are becoming more adept at recognizing massive stands of vegetative interlopers along the side…
June 16, 2022
Margaret
No comments exist
NBTC has had a busy year setting up a biodiversity committee, working on a Blue Bird Nesting Program, implementing invasive species pull parties, identifying native and invasive species and doing audits. The Biodiversity Committee meets quarterly. Their focus has been: Invasive Species – which to tackle and the best way to eradicate them. In…