riparian rangers mississauga final report

Transcription

Association for Canadian Educational Resources
(ACER)
92 Lakeshore Road East, Suite 219
Mississauga, ON L5G 4S2
Phone: 905-891-6004
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.acer-acre.ca
RIPARIAN
RANGERS
FINAL REPORT
MISSISSAUGA
FOR GREAT LAKES GUARDIAN COMMUNITY FUND
November 2015
Riparian Rangers
Report
Mississauga
Final
Prepared by:
Mike McMillan
Riparian Rangers Mississauga Project and Data Manager
Association for Canadian Educational Resources
November 2015
RIPARIAN RANGERS MISSISSAUGA – FINAL REPORT
2
Table of Contents
List of Figures................................................................................................................................... 4
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... 5
Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 6
Riparian Rangers Mississauga Program ........................................................................................... 7
Restoration Areas ............................................................................................................................ 8
White Willow Common Restoration Area ....................................................................................... 9
Cloud condition: ........................................................................................................................ 17
Partially cloudy .......................................................................................................................... 17
Cloud condition: ........................................................................................................................ 18
Partially cloudy .......................................................................................................................... 18
Iceland Arena Restoration Area .................................................................................................... 20
Cloud condition: ........................................................................................................................ 28
Cloudy and overcast .................................................................................................................. 28
Birchwood Park Restoration Area ................................................................................................. 30
Cloud condition: ........................................................................................................................ 38
Planting in the morning – some clouds, mainly clear ............................................................... 38
Performance Measures ................................................................................................................. 40
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS .......................................................................................................... 40
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS ..................................................................................................... 40
SPECIES AND HABITAT ............................................................................................................... 40
SHORELINE AND TRAILS............................................................................................................. 41
WATER QUALITY ........................................................................................................................ 41
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................. 41
CLEAN-UP .................................................................................................................................. 42
MONITORING AND CONSERVATION ......................................................................................... 42
EDUCATIONAL MEASURES ........................................................................................................ 42
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ............................................................ 43
Tracking Plant Growth ................................................................................................................... 45
White Willow Common Restoration Area: ................................................................................ 45
Iceland Arena Restoration Area ................................................................................................ 46
Birchwood Park Restoration Area ............................................................................................. 47
Conclusions.................................................................................................................................... 48
Recommendations......................................................................................................................... 48
Appendix 1: Educational Materials…………………………………..………………..........................................47
3
Information poster of native species……………………………………….......................................48
Information poster on invasive species……………………………………......................................50
Information poster on the Riparian Rangers Mississauga program…….........................................51
Safety briefings for event days……………………………………………….....................................................52
List of Figures
Figure 1: Map of Riparian Rangers Mississauga Restoration Areas ................................................ 8
Figure 2: Sketch map for White Willow Common Restoration Area............................................. 14
Figure 3: GPS map of White Willow Common Restoration Area .................................................. 15
Figure 4: White Willow commons before ..................................................................................... 19
Figure 5: White willow commons after ......................................................................................... 19
Figure 6: White Willow Common Before – middle of restoration area ........................................ 19
Figure 7: White Willow Common After – middle of restoration area ........................................... 19
Figure 8: Sketch Map for Iceland Arena Restoration Area ............................................................ 25
Figure 9: GPS Map for Iceland Arena Restoration Area ................................................................ 26
Figure 10: Iceland Arena Restoration Area Before – North side ................................................... 29
Figure 11: Iceland Arena Restoration Area After – North side ..................................................... 29
Figure 12: Arena Restoration Area Before – East side .................................................................. 29
Figure 13: Iceland Arena Restoration Area After – East side ........................................................ 29
Figure 14: Arena Restoration Area After – Amount of invasive buckthorn removed ................... 29
Figure 15: Sketch map for Birchwood Park Restoration Area ....................................................... 35
Figure 16: GPS Map for Birchwood Park Restoration Area ........................................................... 36
Figure 17: Birchwood Park Restoration Area – Before (a) ............................................................ 39
Figure 18: Birchwood Park Restoration Area – After (a) ............................................................... 39
Figure 19: Birchwood Park Restoration Area – Before (b) ............................................................ 39
Figure 20: Birchwood Park Restoration Area – After (b) ............................................................... 39
Figure 21: Species Survival Rate at white willow Commons ......................................................... 45
Figure 22: Intraspecies Mortality Rate at white willow Commons ............................................... 45
Figure 23: Species Survival rate at Iceland Arena Restoration Area ............................................. 46
Figure 24: intraspecies Mortality rate at Iceland Arena Restoration Area ................................... 46
Figure 25: Species survival rate at Birchwood park....................................................................... 47
Figure 26: Intraspecies Mortality Rate at Birchwood park............................................................ 47
4
List of Tables
Table 1:Planting and monitoring list for White Willow Common Restoration Area ..................... 10
Table 2:White Willow Common Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers ................................. 11
Table 3:White Willow Common Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER .......................................... 12
Table 4: White Willow Commons Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data - ACER ................. 13
Table 5: GPS coordinates for White Willow Common Restoration Area ...................................... 16
Table 6: Anecdotal Report for White Willow Common Restoration Area – Planting Day ............ 17
Table 7: Anecdotal Report for White Willow Common Restoration Area – Monitoring Day ....... 18
Table 8: Planting and monitoring list for Iceland Arena Restoration Area ................................... 21
Table 9: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers................................................ 22
Table 10: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER ....................................................... 23
Table 11: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data - ACER ................................ 24
Table 12: GPS coordinates for Iceland Arena Restoration Area.................................................... 27
Table 13: Anecdotal Report for Iceland Arena Restoration Area .................................................. 28
Table 14: Planting and monitoring list for Birchwood Park Restoration Area .............................. 31
Table 15: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers .......................................... 32
Table 16: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER.................................................... 33
Table 17: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data - ACER ............................. 34
Table 18: GPS coordinates for Birchwood Park Restoration Area ................................................ 37
Table 19: Anecdotal Report for Birchwood Park Restoration Area............................................... 38
5
Executive Summary
As a partnership between the Association for Canadian Educational Resources (ACER) and the
City of Mississauga, the Riparian Rangers Mississauga program adds to an ongoing strategy to
restore and naturalize the northern part of the Lake Ontario Watershed. Riparian Rangers
Mississauga aims to improve and protect the habitat of native species in the urbanized Lake
Ontario Watershed, to enhance riparian buffer zones in order to mitigate flood risks, and to
engage community members in long-term environmental restoration and monitoring. The
program will restore and monitor three at risk riparian areas for a year by involving community
volunteers and participants as citizen scientists:



White Willow Common, buffer to Fletchers Creek in Mississauga
Iceland Arena, buffer to Birchwood Creek in Mississauga
Birchwood Park, buffer to Little Etobicoke Creek in Mississauga
Riparian Rangers Mississauga has three steps. The first step is to remove invasive species and
plant native trees and shrubs. The second step is to begin to collect data by engaging
community members to monitor 10% of each tree species planted and to make this data
accessible to the public. The third step is to collect cumulative data by engaging more
community members to study climate change impacts over a long-term period. This report
documents all the three steps and discusses the outcome and provide recommendations.
Overall three invasive species (approximately 16 garbage bags in total) were managed between
the restoration areas: dog-strangling vine, glossy buckthorn, and common reed. In terms of
litter, a total of 5 bags were removed. White Willow Common had the highest density in terms
of both invasive species and litter.
A total of 60 from the 390 native trees planted (approximately 15%) across the restoration sites
were monitored. Overall the trees were healthy when planted, with only mild seasonal insect
damage. Once ACER performed Quality Assurance (Q.A.), volunteers had on average an 87.53%
accuracy in their measurements and were more accurate measuring root collar and total height
/ Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) than crown width.
While the program is a success thus far, it is recommended to focus on invasive species
management in all restoration areas to improve the overall health of the White Willow Common
Restoration Area to continue to develop new and interesting educational materials, and to
engage more students and schools in the restoration program.
6
Riparian Rangers Mississauga Program
The Riparian Rangers Mississauga program adds to an ongoing strategy to restore and naturalize
the northern part of the Lake Ontario Watershed. Riparian Rangers Mississauga aims to improve
and protect the habitat of native species in the urbanized Lake Ontario Watershed, to enhance
riparian buffer zones in order to mitigate flood risks, and to engage community members over
the long term in environmental restoration and monitoring. The program will restore three at
risk riparian areas by involving community volunteers and participants as citizen scientists.
Riparian Rangers Mississauga presents opportunities for community members to be involved in
hands-on activities concerning restoration and long-term monitoring within sensitive
ecosystems. Riparian zones are valuable areas, as water flowing from land into waterways often
eventually flows into sources of drinking water. Vegetation along these areas will act to slow the
flow of water, allowing for increased infiltration and less erosion. Extending vegetative buffer
zones will help stabilize riverbanks, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and reduce water
temperatures thus improving the overall health of the ecosystem.
The program is comprised of three steps, the first two of which have already been
accomplished. The first step was to remove invasive species and plant native trees and shrubs.
For each restoration area trained youth volunteers, ACER staff, and the staff of the City of
Mississauga planted 200-300 native trees and shrubs as well as managed invasive species. In the
second step, ACER staff trained volunteers and community members is to begin to collect data
and monitor at least 10% of each tree species planted are accessible to the public. The third step
is to collect cumulative tree data. Volunteers will re-measure tree species in terms of growth
and health to study climate change impacts over a long-term period.
Baseline data from Riparian Rangers Mississauga collected by youth, students, and other
community members acting as citizen scientists contributes to climate change research and will
help to determine the overall health and success of the restoration areas. The results may aid
other ecological restoration projects in selecting species that are best suited to restore at risk
riparian areas in similar ecosystems. Through the program community members learn the
importance and vulnerability of riparian areas, which native tree and shrubs species should be
planted for environmental restoration, how to measure tree growth, as well as how invasive
species can threaten ecologically sensitive areas and how to remove them.
7
Restoration Areas
Three locations were selected for the program due to their vulnerability and current ecosystem
health status.
1
2
3
Legend:



Figure 1: Map of Riparian Rangers Mississauga Restoration Areas
White Willow Common, buffer to Fletchers Creek in Mississauga
Iceland Arena, buffer to Birchwood Creek in Mississauga
Birchwood Park, buffer to Little Etobicoke Creek in Mississauga
8
White Willow Common Restoration Area
Planting at the White Willow Common Restoration Area occurred on October 7th, 2014.
Approximately 50 employees from Bond Brand Loyalty, 4 City of Mississauga staff members, and
4 ACER volunteers and staff members planted more than 175 native trees and 75 native shrubs
species (see Table 1). This location has been part of an ongoing restoration project run by the
City of Mississauga since the mid 1990s. On October 22nd, 2014, 19 youth Grade 10 and 11
students from St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga along with 4 ACER
volunteers and staff removed invasive species, cleaned up litter surrounding the site, and
monitored at least 10% of each tree species planted.
This restoration site had the greatest amount of invasive species and litter. Behind and
surrounding the planting area was a significant amount of Cynanchum rossicum & Cynanchum
nigrum (dog-strangling vine) and Rhamnus frangula (glossy buckthorn). Acer negundo (Manitoba
Maple) and Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) were also present along trails and on the west side
of the planting site. Due to their larger presence, closer proximity, and greater threat to the
restoration area, volunteers focused on managing the dog-strangling vine and glossy buckthorn.
There was also a significant amount of litter, mostly composed of disposable beverage and food
containers, empty alcohol bottles, as well as random trash items. The volunteers really enjoyed
removing invasive species and looking for interesting litter items. Approximately 4 garbage bags
each of invasive species and litter were removed from the site. The large amount of litter
present could be due to the location being frequented by youth; Mississauga Secondary School
and St. Marcillinus Secondary School are in walking distance to the restoration area and is off of
a public park.
Volunteers also monitored approximately 14% of trees planted according to root collar, total
height or Diameter at Breast Height (DBH), crown width, and overall health (see Table 2). ACER
staff then performed Quality Assurance (Q.A.) by re-measuring at least one specimen of each
tree species. This Q.A. was compared to the measurements that volunteers took to ensure
accuracy; volunteers had an average of 87.77% accuracy on their measurements (see Table 3).
The volunteer teacher expressed interest in returning to re-measure trees next year.
Finally, a sketch map was created to show the distance between trees to be measured (see
Figure 2), and their GPS locations were also recorded and entered into a GIS program (see Figure
3 and Table 4). Soil samples were also taken at three locations within the restoration area and
will be sent for analysis. See Table 5 and Table 6 for the anecdotal reports of planting and
monitoring days. See Figures 4-8 for before and after photos.
9
Table 1: Planting and monitoring list for White Willow Common Restoration Area
Species
Silver Maple
Amount planted
25
Common Hackberry
25
Eastern Cottonwood
25
Ironwood
25
Black Cherry
25
Peach-leaf Willow
25
White Pine
25
Trees monitored
2014-WWC-3
2014-WWC-9
2014-WWC-20
2014-WWC-25
2014-WWC-1
2014-WWC-18
2014-WWC-21
2014-WWC-7
2014-WWC-13
2014-WWC-16
2014-WWC-23
2014-WWC-2
2014-WWC-6
2014-WWC-19
2014-WWC-8
2014-WWC-10
2014-WWC-14
2014-WWC-24
2014-WWC-4
2014-WWC-11
2014-WWC-15
2014-WWC-5
2014-WWC-12
2014-WWC-17
2014-WWC-22
Total number of trees planted: 175
Total number of trees to be monitored: 25 (~14%)
Tags: 2014-WWC-01 – 2014-WWC-25
Common Elderberry
30
0
Meadowsweet
30
0
Chokeberry
15
0
Total number of shrubs planted: 75
Total number of shrubs monitored: 0
RIPARIAN RANGERS MISSISSAUGA – FINAL REPORT 10
Table 2: White Willow Common Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers
Planting
Season / Year
Fall/2014
Tree #
1
2
3
4
5
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Peach-leaf willow
White Pine
9
13
15
15
14
81
63
3
8
6
-
Crown Width
(cm)
2014
W1
W2
17
0
58
64
17
7
40
32
34
17
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Ironwood
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf willow
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf willow
Eastern Cottonwood
White Pine
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Common Hackberry
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
15
10
10
18
10
15
11
9
4
13
13
10
11
17
17
9
10
10
118
97
50
58
55
97.5
-
5
5
8
6
6
8
6
7
7
4
2
5
45
28
36
26
25
18
30
28
14
60
26
29
22
84
38
21
28
22
16
19
24
12
15
16
26
3
6.8
37
18
16
20
64
31
13
24
18
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A
A, NB
A, NB
A, LB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
10
17
99
-
9
28
20
0
13
A, NB
A, NB
25
Tree Species
Root Collar
(mm)
2014
Total Height*
(cm)
2014
DBH
(mm)
2014
Health
Comments
2014
2014
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
A, NB
-
-
-
-
Leaning
-
No branches on
one side
Insect, blight
Table 3: White Willow Common Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER
Planting
Season /
Year
Tree #
Tree Species
Fall/2014
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Peach-leaf willow
White Pine
Ironwood
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf willow
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf willow
Eastern Cottonwood
White Pine
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Root
Collar
(mm)
QA
(%)
Total
Height*
(cm)
DBH
(mm)
2014
2014
2014
2014
DBH and
Total
Height
QA (%)
2014
Crown
Width (cm)
QA
(%)
Health
Comments
2014
W1
W2
15.5
7
2014
2014
2014
9
100
79.5
-
98.11
75.56
A, NB
-
13
84.62
-
6
100
50
21
98.59
A, NB
-
11
90.91
-
4
75
28
15.5
91.95
A, NB
-
11
90.91
95
-
97.89
25
12.5
93.33
A, NB
-
11
100
56
-
89.29
35
25
93.33
A, NB
15
86.67
-
6
83.33
80
55
90.37
A, NB
Height
diameter
1.3m
Height
diameter
1.3m
Common Hackberry
22
23
24
25
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Volunteers Average
Accuracy (%)
-
12
58.33
87.35
-
8
87.50
90.16
25
17
78.57
A, NB
not
recorded,
not measured at
not
recorded,
not measured at
-
88.81
Table 4: White Willow Commons Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data - ACER
Remeasuring Day
Tree #
Tree Species
Root
(mm)
Collar Total Height DBH
(cm)
(mm)
Fall 2015
Crown Width
CW1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Peach-leaf Willow
White Pine
Ironwood
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf Willow
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf Willow
Eastern Cottonwood
White Pine
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Common Hackberry
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
9
12.3
17.5
10.5
14.4
12
12.4
19.6
11
14.6
12.5
15
11.4
14
7
10.5
13
15.5
79.5
65.5
90
74.5
129.5
65
59.5
70.5
80.1
68.5
72.5
-
3
7
5.6
8
3.5
6.4
8
25
53
40.5
4
4
13
20
47
0
20
6.5
29.5
8.5
44.5
12
44
-
CW2
19
45
16.5
0
0
7.5
19
38
0
7.5
0
29.5
0
26
0
26
-
Health
Comments
A
A
Tree M
A, HB
Tree M
A, HB
Tree M
Tree M
A, HB
A, HB
A, HB
A
Tree M
A, HB
A, HB
A, HB
A
A, LB
A, HB
Tree M
A, LB
Tree M
A
A
A, HB
Note: Map not to scale
7
5
16
22
13
12
Figure 2: Sketch map for White Willow Common Restoration Area
Figure 3: GPS map of White Willow Common Restoration Area
Fletchers Creek
Mavis Road
Planting Date: October 7th, 2014
Monitoring Date: October 22nd, 2014
Intersection: Mavis Road and Courtneypark Drive West,
Mississauga
ACER Staff: Victoria Binko, Kathryn Chin, Vijendra Adhikari
ACER Volunteer: Nimesha Basnayaka
Table 5: GPS coordinates for White Willow Common Restoration Area
Tag
2014-WWC-01
2014-WWC-02
2014-WWC-03
2014-WWC-04
2014-WWC-05
2014-WWC-06
2014-WWC-07
2014-WWC-08
2014-WWC-09
2014-WWC-10
2014-WWC-11
2014-WWC-12
2014-WWC-13
2014-WWC-14
2014-WWC-15
2014-WWC-16
2014-WWC-17
2014-WWC-18
2014-WWC-19
2014-WWC-20
2014-WWC-21
2014-WWC-22
2014-WWC-23
2014-WWC-24
2014-WWC-25
Tag #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Species
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Peach-leaf Willow
White Pine
Ironwood
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf Willow
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Peach-leaf Willow
Eastern Cottonwood
White Pine
Common Hackberry
Ironwood
Silver Maple
Common Hackberry
White Pine
Eastern Cottonwood
Black Cherry
Silver Maple
Latitude Longitude
43.62673
-79.7132
43.62673
-79.7133
43.62682
-79.7135
43.62693
-79.7132
43.62691
-79.7134
43.62704
-79.7134
43.62703
-79.7133
43.62713
-79.7133
43.62693
-79.7132
43.62691
-79.7131
43.6269
-79.713
43.62682
-79.7132
43.62692
-79.7133
43.62694
-79.7134
43.62692
-79.7134
43.62705
-79.7132
43.62701
-79.7131
43.62698
-79.7132
43.62696
-79.7131
43.62702
-79.7131
43.627
-79.7131
43.62685
-79.7133
43.62672
-79.7135
43.62673
-79.7135
43.6267
-79.7132
Table 6: Anecdotal Report for White Willow Common Restoration Area – Planting Day
Site: White Willow Common Restoration Area
Date: October 7, 2014
GPS (NW corner of site) or address: Mavis
Rd and Courtneypark Drive West; 43.627012, 79.713074
Planting done by: Bond Brand Loyalty and the City of Mississauga
# of participants: ~50 from Bond Brand Loyalty; 4 from the City of Mississauga
ACER Staff: Vickie Binko, Vijendra Adhikari, Kathryn Chin Volunteers: Nimesha Basnayaka
Cloud condition:
Partially cloudy
Temperature:
17° C
Animal sightings:
N/A
Site condition:
Lots of invasive species: dog-strangling vine behind planting area,
glossy buckthorn behind planting area as well as along trail and river,
Manitoba Maple on trail leading to planting site, garlic mustard on west
side of planting site. Lots of litter. High river and flowing fast. Previous
plantings from restoration projects starting in the mid 1990s; mix of
mature and semi-mature trees.
Notable weather
conditions:
N/A
Tree/Shrub status:
Healthy, mild insect damage, Ironwoods are losing leaves
Ground flora condition:
Shrubby (mainly Goldenrod) with long grasses and sedges.
Ecosystem indicators:
Riparian area, meadow like, walking trail, located between two high
schools off of public park, appears to be a local hang out spot, lots of
invasive species and litter. Has been restored since the 1990s by the
City of Mississauga.
Planting techniques:
City of Mississauga planting protocols
Psycho-social group
dynamics:
Adults, corporate planting, planted ~300 trees and shrubs (planted extra
trees not planted in another location)
Other factors that may
influence the data:
Monitoring team from St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS (19 students from
grades 10-11) coming Oct 22
Notes:
N/A
Table 7: Anecdotal Report for White Willow Common Restoration Area – Monitoring Day
Site: White Willow Common Restoration Area
GPS (NW corner of site) or address: Mavis
Rd and Courtneypark Drive West; 43.627012, 79.713074
School Staff: Roy Gucciardi, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School
# of students: 19 students (Grades 10 and 11)
ACER Staff: Vickie Binko, Vijendra Adhikari, Kathryn Chin Volunteers: Nimesha Basnayaka
Cloud condition:
Partially cloudy
Temperature:
12°C
Animal sightings:
Birds
Site condition:
Lots of invasive species: dog-strangling vine behind planting area,
glossy buckthorn behind planting area and along trail and river,
Manitoba Maple on trail leading to planting site, garlic mustard on west
side of planting site. Dog-strangling vine and glossy buckthorn was
removed. Lots of litter: water bottles, alcohol bottles, tire, couch, and
random trash. Removed approximately 8 bags of littler and invasive
species.
Notable weather
conditions:
Sunny, warm, 16km/hour winds
Tree/Shrub status:
Healthy, leaves fallen, at least one has been browsed and one shrub
missing since Oct 7 planting.
Shrubby (mainly Goldenrod) with long grasses and sedges.
Riparian area, meadow like, walking trail, located between two high
schools off of public park, local hang out spot, lots of invasive species
and litter. Has been restored since the 1990s by the City of Mississauga.
Psycho-social group
dynamics:
High school students (grades 10 and 11); 2 special education students
influence the data:
Heights not taken on trees 21 and 22; diameter measured but not at
1.3m
Notes:
Lots of trash, removed invasive species
Figure 5: White willow commons after
Figure 4: White Willow commons before
Figure 6: White Willow Common Before –
middle of restoration area
Figure 7: White Willow Common After –
middle of restoration area
Iceland Arena Restoration Area
A community planting and monitoring event was held at the Iceland Arena Restoration Area on
October 18th, 2014 hosted by the City of Mississauga, ACER, and EcoSource. Approximately 75
youth and adult volunteers from the Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church, 20 youth volunteers
from the Peel Environmental Youth Organization (PEYA), 3 City of Mississauga staff, 2 EcoSource
staff, and 3 ACER staff planted more than 125 native trees and 175 native shrubs species (see
Table 7), removed invasive species, cleaned up litter surrounding the site, and monitored at
least 10% of each tree species planted.
This restoration site had a great deal of mature glossy buckthorns, therefore volunteers focused
on removing manageable buckthorn due to its large and established presence in close proximity
to the restoration area. Smaller amounts of Phragmites australis (common reed) and garlic
mustard were also present but were not managed due to time constraints. Since the restoration
site was next to a well-managed trail, a limited amount of litter was removed and composed
mainly of disposable food and beverage containers. Approximately 4.5 garbage bags worth of
invasive species and 0.5 bags of litter were removed from the restoration site.
Volunteers also monitored 12% of trees planted according to root collar, total height or DBH,
crown width, and overall health (see Table 8). ACER staff then performed Q.A. by re-measuring
at least one sample of each tree species. This Q.A. was compared to the measurements to
volunteers took to ensure accuracy; volunteers had an average of 84.77% accuracy on their
measurements and had less accuracy measuring crown width (76.19% accuracy) than root collar
(94.83% accuracy) and total height / DBH (83.3% accuracy) (see Table 9).
Finally, two types of mapping were used. A sketch map was created to show the distance
between trees to be measured (see Figure 9 and Table 10), and their GPS locations were
recorded and entered into a GIS program (see Figure 10). Soil samples were also taken at three
locations within the restoration area and will be sent for analysis. See Table 11 for the anecdotal
report of the event day. See Figures 11-15 for before and after photos.
Table 8: Planting and monitoring list for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
Species
Eastern White Cedar
Amount planted
25
Peach-leaf Willow
25
Trembling Aspen
25
Silver Maple
25
Tulip Tree
25
Trees monitored
2014-ICE-02
2014-ICE-05
2014-ICE-09
2014-ICE-03
2014-ICE-04
2014-ICE-08
2014-ICE-01
2014-ICE-06
2014-ICE-07
2014-ICE-11
2014-ICE-12
2014-ICE-15
2014-ICE-10
2014-ICE-13
2014-ICE-14
Total number of trees planted: 125
Total number of trees to be monitored: 15 (12%)
Tags: 2014-ICE-01 – 2014-ICE-15
Staghorn Sumac
25
0
Red Osier Dogwood
25
0
Roundleaf Dogwood
25
0
Serviceberry
25
0
Highbush Cranberry
25
0
Smooth Rose
25
0
Flowering Raspberry
25
0
Table 9: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers
Planting
Season /
Year
Fall/2014
Tree #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Tree Species
Trembling Aspen
Eastern White Cedar
Peach-lead Willow
Peach-lead Willow
Eastern White Cedar
Trembling Aspen
Trembling Aspen
Peach-lead Willow
Eastern White Cedar
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Silver Maple
Tulip Tree
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Root Collar
(mm)
Total Height*
(cm)
DBH
(mm)
2014
2014
2014
17
17
14
14
24
17
19
14
16
23
15
20
17
20
14
108
86
98
-
9
5
4
10
10
5
12
7
6
7
9
7
Crown Width
(cm)
W1
71
102
65
60
38
79
86
42
78
78
31
34
32
50
28
2014
W2
52
43
63
50
35
51
52
42
57
72
0
14
22
32
6
Health
Comments
2014
2014
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Table 10: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER
Planting
Season /
Year
Tree #
Tree Species
Root
Collar
(mm)
QA
(%)
Total
Height*
(cm)
DBH
(mm)
2014
2014
2014
2014
DBH and
Total
Height QA
(%)
2014
Trembling Aspen
Eastern White
Cedar
Peach-lead Willow
17
100
-
8
87.50
Peach-lead Willow
Eastern White
Cedar
Trembling Aspen
Trembling Aspen
Peach-lead Willow
Eastern
White
Cedar
Tulip Tree
14
100
-
2
79.31
99
-
10
Fall/2014
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Silver Maple
Silver Maple
Tulip Tree
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Volunteers
Average Accuracy
(%)
14
29
Crown
Width
(cm)
QA
(%)
Health
Comments
2014
W1 W2
63
40
2014
2014
2014
80.58
A
50
51
46
86.56
A
98.99
80
78
57
47
44
92
51.49
A
A
Measured
tallest stem
No branches
perpendicula
r to W1
20
100
94.83
-
6
100
83.3
29
8
70.27
A
76.19
Table 11: Iceland Arena Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data – ACER
Remeasuring Day
Tree #
Tree Species
Root Collar Total Height DBH
(mm)
(cm)
(mm)
Crown Width
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Trembling Aspen
Eastern White Cedar
Peach-leaf Willow
Peach-leaf Willow
Eastern White Cedar
Trembling Aspen
Trembling Aspen
Peach-leaf Willow
17
18
16
21.5
16
18
18
84
107.5
-
10
4
5
11
6
9
Eastern White Cedar
16.6
103.5
-
75
54
A
10
11
12
13
14
15
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Silver Maple
Tulip Tree
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
29
23
19
24
19
-
14
12
10
11.5
8
39
50
36.5
31
45.5
34.5
47
27.5
43
21.5
A
Tree M
A
A
A
A
Fall 2015
CW1
CW2
69
37.5
55
46
38
16
31.5
20.4
51
64
86
76
38
37.5
Health
A
A
A
A
A
A
Tree M
A
Comments
Bare branches
Bare branches
Bare branches
Yellow scales
Bare branches
Some yellow
scales
Broken terminal
bud
Bare branches
11
12
15
Figure 8: Sketch Map for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
Figure 9: GPS Map for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
Tennis Court
Little Etobicoke Creek
Indian Summer Trail
Date: October 18th, 2014
Intersection: Kennedy Raid and Matheson Boulevard East,
Mississauga
ACER Staff: Victoria Binko, Kathryn Chin, Vijendra Adhikari
Table 12: GPS coordinates for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
Tag Number
2014-ICE-01
2014-ICE-02
2014-ICE-03
2014-ICE-04
2014-ICE-05
2014-ICE-06
2014-ICE-07
2014-ICE-08
2014-ICE-09
2014-ICE-10
2014-ICE-11
2014-ICE-12
2014-ICE-13
2014-ICE-14
2014-ICE-15
Tag #
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
Species
Trembling Aspen
Eastern White Cedar
Peach-leaf Willow
Peach-leaf Willow
Eastern White Cedar
Trembling Aspen
Trembling Aspen
Peach-leaf Willow
Eastern White Cedar
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Silver Maple
Tulip Tree
Tulip Tree
Silver Maple
Latitude
43.626187
43.62616
43.626173
43.626164
43.626145
43.626141
43.626131
43.626131
43.62609
43.62597
43.62591
43.625854
43.625842
43.625692
43.625585
Longitude
-79.6474
-79.647315
-79.647189
-79.647109
-79.647158
-79.646919
-79.646812
-79.646732
-79.646709
-79.646682
-79.646771
-79.646854
-79.6468
-79.646961
-79.647005
Table 13: Anecdotal Report for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
Site: Iceland Arena Restoration Area
GPS (NW corner of site) or address:
Kennedy Rd and Matheson Blvd E; 43.625261, 79.646845
Planting done by: Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church, Peel Environmental Youth Alliance
(PEYA); organized by the City of Mississauga, EcoSource, and ACER (community event)
# of participants: ~75 youth and adults from the Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church; 20
from PEYA; 3 from the City of Mississauga; 2 EcoSource staff
ACER Staff: Vickie Binko, Vijendra Adhikari, Kathryn Chin
Volunteers: N/A
Cloud condition:
Cloudy and overcast
Temperature:
10°C
Animal sightings:
Green frog, birds
Site condition:
River along maintained trail (paved, mowed grass). Planted in three
areas: along riverside, along forested edge, along meadow section (only
shrubs). Lots of mature glossy buckthorn along riverside and forested
edge; patch of garlic mustard in northeast area of planting; common reed
in northwest area. Mature trees and meadow conditions. EcoSource
community garden in center of planting area.
Notable weather
conditions:
Warm with cool breeze
Tree/Shrub status:
Healthy
Mowed along planting areas, grasses and shrubs.
Riparian zone, forested edge, meadow section (mixed environment)
Psycho-social group
dynamics:
Operated in 3 groups with ~35 participants in each (~3-5 youth per group
from the Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church), 20 youth from PEYA:
~30 youth in total
influence the data:
Less accurate measuring DBH and crown width than root collar and total
height
Notes:
N/A
Figure 10: Iceland Arena Restoration Area Before – North
Figure 11: Iceland Arena Restoration Area After – North
side
side
Figure 12: Arena Restoration Area Before – East side
Figure 13: Iceland Arena Restoration Area After – East side
Figure 14: Arena Restoration Area After – Amount of
invasive buckthorn removed
Birchwood Park Restoration Area
A planting and monitoring event was held at Birchwood Park Restoration Area, a fly ash deposit
and ongoing restoration site for the City of Mississauga since the 1980s, on October 28th, 2014.
Approximately 40 City of Mississauga Forestry staff, 16 youth Grade 9 students from St. Joan of
Arc Catholic Secondary School, and 3 ACER volunteers and staff planted more than 90 native
trees and 110 native shrubs species (see Table 12), removed invasive species, cleaned up litter
surrounding the site, and monitored at least 10% of each tree species planted. Planting occurred
in the morning by the City of Mississauga staff and the student volunteers arrived in the
afternoon to complete the invasive removal, clean-up, and monitoring.
Volunteers removed a large amount, approximately 7.5 garbage bags, of common reed due to
its large and established presence in close proximity to the restoration area. Although not an
invasive species, volunteers also removed Arctium (burdock) as many community members
complain of its presence. Although this site did not have a significant amount of litter,
volunteers managed to remove approximately half a bag of litter composed mainly of
disposable food and beverage containers.
Volunteers also monitored 22% of trees planted according to root collar, total height or DBH,
crown width, and overall health (see Table 13). ACER staff then performed Q.A. by re-measuring
at least one sample of each tree species. This Q.A. was compared to the measurements
volunteers took to ensure accuracy; volunteers had an average of 90.05% accuracy on their
measurements (see Table 14). The volunteer teacher expressed interest in returning to the
restoration area to re-measure trees next year.
Finally, two types of mapping were used. A sketch map was created to show the distance
between trees to be measured (see Figure 16 and Table 15), and their GPS locations were
recorded and entered into a GIS program (see Figure 17). Soil samples were also taken at three
locations within the restoration area and will be sent for analysis. See Table 16 for the anecdotal
report of the event day. See Figures 18-22 for before and after photos.
Table 14: Planting and monitoring list for Birchwood Park Restoration Area
Species
Common Hackberry
Amount planted
25
Sugar Maple
25
White Spruce
20
Basswood
20
Total number of trees planted: 90 (22%)
Total number of trees to be monitored: 20
Tags: 2014-BIR-01 – 2014-BIR-20
Staghorn Sumac
25
Chokeberry
20
Grey Dogwood
20
Ninebark
20
Fragrant Sumac
25
Trees monitored
2014-BIR-02
2014-BIR-07
2014-BIR-09
2014-BIR-10
2014-BIR-15
2014-BIR-17
2014-BIR-03
2014-BIR-05
2014-BIR-06
2014-BIR-12
2014-BIR-19
2014-BIR-20
2014-BIR-08
2014-BIR-11
2014-BIR-14
2014-BIR-16
2014-BIR-01
2014-BIR-04
2014-BIR-13
2014-BIR-18
0
0
0
0
0
Table 15: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2014 Data – Volunteers
Planting
Season / Year
Fall/2014
Tree #
Tree Species
Root Collar
(mm)
2014
Total Height*
(cm)
2014
DBH
(mm)
2014
1
2
3
4
5
Basswood
Common Hackberry
Sugar Maple
Basswood
Sugar Maple
25
7.5
29
19
22
117
86
115
-
5
6
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sugar Maple
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Sugar Maple
Basswood
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
24
9
15
11
18
15
19
20
22
9
15
11
16
15
17
76
55
92
100
55
110
47
85
45
81
96
-
3
12
7
17
Crown Width
(cm)
2014
W1
W2
46
44
27
14
24
20
16
1
31.5
30.5
40
25.6
32
24
24
37
34
30
24
27
31
16
7
14
27
16
9
27
20.5
18
25
28
10
23
13
26
3
3.3
8
3
Health
Comments
2014
2014
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Table 16: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2014 Data – ACER
Planting
Season /
Year
Tree #
Tree Species
Fall/2014
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Basswood
Common Hackberry
Sugar Maple
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Common Hackberry
Root
Collar
(mm)
QA
(%)
Total
Height*
(cm)
DBH
(mm)
2014
2014
2014
2014
DBH and
Total
Height
QA (%)
2014
Crown
Width (cm)
QA
(%)
Health
Comments
2014
W1
W2
2014
2014
2014
10
75
87
-
98.85
27
13
97.50
A
17.5
85.71
57
-
96.49
32
30
95.16
A
White Spruce
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sugar Maple
Basswood
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Volunteers Average
Accuracy (%)
20
95
-
8
50
35
27
100
A
15
100
46.5
-
96.77
23.5
20.5
70.45
A
15
93.33
96.5
-
99.48
7
3
97
A
89.81
88.32
Wrote Height
under DBH
Different DBH
measurements
92.02
Table 17: Birchwood Park Restoration Area 2015 Re-measuring Data - ACER
Remeasuring
Day
Fall 2015
Tree
#
Tree Species
1
Basswood
2
Common
Hackberry
Sugar Maple
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Common
Hackberry
White Spruce
Common
Hackberry
Common
Hackberry
White Spruce
Sugar Maple
Basswood
White Spruce
Common
Hackberry
White Spruce
Common
Hackberry
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Root
Collar
(mm)
Total
Height
(cm)
DBH
(mm)
Crown
Width
Health
CW1 CW2
40.5 11.5
A
Comments
25
115
-
Broken branches and terminal bud, no
leaves
-
-
-
-
-
Tree M
24
-
5
29
24.5
A, HB
19
28
30
10
108
83
7
4
-
4
55
31.5
7.5
1.2
46
25
4.5
A, HB
A
A, I, HB
A
Leaves stripped of bark, broken branches
and terminal bud
Broken terminal bud, top stripped
Insect damage
Leaning, stripped, bare branches
Restricted by tree guard
16
11
66.5
87
-
44
15
40.5
10
A
A, LB
Insect damage, broken branches
15
91.5
-
20
13.5
A, LB
Broken branches, insect holes
25
24
17
11
72
98
67
85
-
46.5
20
36
25
38
21
34
18
A
Tree M
A
A
A
Broken terminal bud
16
12
63
81
-
30.5
29.5
34.5
23
A
A
15
15
-
98
-
6
-
14.5
30
-
7.5
15.5
-
A
A
Tree M
Broken branches
Insect holes
Insect holes, broken branches
Insect holes, browning leaves
Figure 15: Sketch map for Birchwood Park Restoration Area
Figure 16: GPS Map for Birchwood Park Restoration Area
Railway
Basketball Court
Date: October 28th, 2014
Intersection: Lakeshore Road West and Clarkson Road
North, Mississauga
ACER Staff: Victoria Binko, Kathryn Chin
ACER Volunteer: Yie Juan Wu Wu
Table 18: GPS coordinates for Birchwood Park Restoration Area
Tag
2014-BIR-01
2014-BIR-02
2014-BIR-03
2014-BIR-04
2014-BIR-05
2014-BIR-06
2014-BIR-07
2014-BIR-08
2014-BIR-09
2014-BIR-10
2014-BIR-11
2014-BIR-12
2014-BIR-13
2014-BIR-14
2014-BIR-15
2014-BIR-16
2014-BIR-17
2014-BIR-18
2014-BIR-19
2014-BIR-20
Tree #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Species
Basswood
Common Hackberry
Sugar Maple
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Sugar Maple
Basswood
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
White Spruce
Common Hackberry
Basswood
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Latitude
43.523651
43.523731
43.523836
43.523836
43.523867
43.523859
43.52392
43.523907
43.523868
43.523816
43.523818
43.52371
43.523724
43.523771
43.523811
43.523853
43.52382
43.52379
43.523802
43.523744
Longitude
-79.621502
-79.621411
-79.621353
-79.621287
-79.621239
-79.621127
-79.621086
-79.621018
-79.620992
-79.620929
-79.621014
-79.621104
-79.621264
-79.621336
-79.621227
-79.621195
-79.621217
-79.621082
-79.621084
-79.621219
Table 19: Anecdotal Report for Birchwood Park Restoration Area
Site: Birchwood Park Restoration Area
GPS (NW corner of site) or address:
Lakeshore Road West and Clarkson Road North,
43.524464, -79.620736
Planting done by: City of Mississauga Forestry Staff
School Staff: Roy Gucciardi, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School
# of participants: ~40 from the City of Mississauga; 16 Grade 9s from St. Joan of Arc
ACER Staff: Vickie Binko, Kathryn Chin
Volunteers: Yie Juan WuWu
Cloud condition:
Planting in the morning – some clouds, mainly clear
Monitoring in the afternoon – overcast, dark sky
Temperature:
15°C; warmer in the morning, cooler breeze in the afternoon
Animal sightings:
Praying mantis, lots of snails, birds (robins), crickets
Site condition:
Rocky soil (over fly ash deposit), located by trail / basketball court / train
tracks, invasive species Phragmites austalis, nuisance species included
burdock, planting area mowed ~3 weeks prior – previously dense with
burdock, some immature burdock leaves present in planting area
Notable weather
conditions:
Morning – light breeze, warm, chance of thunderstorms
Afternoon – cooler but still warm, more wind, darker sky
Tree/Shrub status:
Healthy
Mowed to reduce burdock, some immature leaves still present
Riparian, by trail and train tracks, on restored fly ash site, ongoing
restoration since the 1980s
City of Mississauga
Psycho-social group
dynamics:
Planting done by the Forestry staff – were smooth and efficient
Monitoring done by Grade 9s who have monitored their Planting for
Change plots 2 weeks prior (somewhat experienced)
influence the data:
Students who monitored have previous experience; #11 height was
recorded under DBH; #12 DBH was not accurate; all other
measurements 90%+ accuracy
Notes:
N/A
Figure 17: Birchwood Park Restoration Area –
Before (a)
After (a)
Before (b)
After (b)
Performance Measures
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS
1. Value of in-kind contributions of supplies and material: $9745.00 amount worth of Supplies and
materials were provided by ACER during the entire project to restock materials / provide materials for
future event days.
2. Value of in-kind contribution of personnel time: $10,402.00
- Recipient provided in-kind contributions to cover the cost to the support team: met targeted amount
of $2,688.00
- Recipient provided provide in-kind contributions to cover the cost of two labourers for the restoration
projects: met the targeted amount of $560.00
- Recipient provided volunteers to help with clean-up, planting, and monitoring: surpassed the targeted
amount of $2,640.00 (60 volunteers, 4 hours per volunteer); actual figure $7154.00 (220 volunteers, 2
hours per volunteer, 2 ACER staff for 80 Hours)
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
3. Value of financial contributions received from other sources for the project: No financial contributions
were received from other sources.
SPECIES AND HABITAT
4. Number of trees planted: The target for number of trees planted was 600, however 390 trees were
actually planted.
5. Number of shrubs planted: The target for number of shrubs planted was 150, however 360 shrubs
were actually planted.
6. Number of plants planted: The Project met the targeted amount of 750 trees and shrubs.
7. Kg of seeds planted: N/A
8. Area of land /wetland restored, protected, controlled or created: The target was 3000 square metres
naturalized (1000 square metres/site), however 42,580 square meters of land was actually restored,
which is over 14x greater than the targeted amount.
- Iceland Arena Restoration Area: 29,750 square metres
- White Willow Common Restoration Area: 12,200 square metres
- Birchwood Park Restoration Area: 630 square metres
9. Number of types of invasive species managed: Three types of invasive species were managed: glossy
buckthorn, dog-strangling vine, and common reed. Burdock was also removed as it was reported to be a
nuisance species by residents. Other invasive species were also identified but were not managed due to
a lack of time or higher priority species being managed. Invasive species present but not managed
include garlic mustard at the White Willow Common and Birchwood Park Restoration Areas and
common reed at Iceland Arena Restoration Area.
- Iceland Arena Restoration Area: 4.5 bags removed
- White Willow Common Restoration Area: 4 bags removed
- Birchwood Park Restoration Area: 7.5 bags removed
10. Number of fish habitats/spawning grounds created/protected: N/A
11. Number of fish released: N/A
12. Number of species protected: N/A
SHORELINE AND TRAILS
13. Metres of trails created/enhanced: Although no target was outlined, approximately 530 metres of
trails were created/enhanced.
- Iceland Arena Restoration Area: 235 metres
- White Willow Common Restoration Area: 295 metres
14. Metres of bridges enhanced or restored: N/A
15. Metres of shoreline restored: Although no target was outlined, approximately 235 metres of
shoreline were restored at Iceland Arena Restoration Area.
WATER QUALITY
16. Metres of fence installed: N/A
17. Amount of toxics reduced/diverted (in kilograms): N/A
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
18. Square metres of land created/enhanced for improved stormwater retention/management: While
the target was 3000 square metres naturalized (1000 square metres/site), 42,580 square meters of land
was actually improved for stormwater retention/management, which is over 14x greater than then
targeted amount.
19. Litres of stormwater diverted: N/A
CLEAN-UP
20. Area cleaned: While the target was 3000 square metres naturalized (1000 square metres/site),
42,580 square meters of land was actually cleaned from litter which is over 14x greater than then
targeted amount.
21. Garbage bags of trash collected: Overall 5 bags of trash were removed.
- Iceland Arena Restoration Area: 0.5 bags removed
- White Willow Common Restoration Area: 4 bags removed
- Birchwood Park Restoration Area: 0.5 bags removed
MONITORING AND CONSERVATION
22. Litres of water conserved: N/A
23. Number of data samples collected to monitor water quality or quantity: Although no target was
outlined, 3 soil samples were taken, each containing 3 samples from areas within the restoration area.
24. Number of data samples collected on wildlife (e.g. fish species, plants): Although no target was
outlined, 3 invasive species inspections were performed and 3 anecdotal reports were created during
event days which describe wildlife sightings, if any.
EDUCATIONAL MEASURES
25. Number of educational signs installed or demarcations made (e.g. painted markings): The targeted
amount of 60 metal tree tags was met. This allowed for 15% of all trees planted to be monitored, which
surpassed the goal to monitor 10%.
26. Number of educational materials distributed/downloaded (e.g. kits, brochures or pamphlets): 150
pieces were created to date, which surpassed the targeted 110+ pieces of educational material. This
included:



Information posters on native tree species: 1 sign per species at each location, totalling 16 (see
Appendix 1 for example);
Information posters on invasive species: 1 sign per species at each location, totalling 6 (see
Information poster on the Riparian Rangers Mississauga program: 1 per location, totalling 3 (see




Maps and directions to restoration areas 1 per location, totalling 3
Safety briefings for event days: 1 per site, totalling 3 (see Appendix 1 for example);
Small tree measuring training videos: 3 watched per person in preparation for White Willow
Common Restoration Area (19 students), 3 watched in preparation for Birchwood Park
Restoration Area (16 students), totalling 105; and
Small tree measuring kits: 5 per location, totalling 15.
27. Number of websites created or posts on project: While the target was 3 webpages, 4 webpages were
actually created (1 on the program in general which mapped all restoration sites and 1 per restoration
site). Also, 24 posts were created through social media outlets Facebook and Twitter as well as news
posts on ACER’s website.
28. Number of events and activities hosted: The goal of 3 events hosted was met.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
29. Number of volunteer hours: While the target was 240 volunteer hours (4 hours/ volunteer), 440
volunteers hours (2 hours/volunteer) were actually used which was nearly double the targeted amount.
30. Number of volunteers involved: While the target was 60 volunteers, 220 volunteers were involved in
planting and monitoring the restoration areas, which more than tripled the targeted amount.
31. Number of youth involved: While the target was 40 youth volunteers, 65 youth volunteers were
involved in planting and monitoring the restoration areas which nearly doubled the targeted amount.
32. Number of students involved: 55 students were involved to date (35 from St. Joan of Arc Catholic
Secondary School and 20 from PEYA), which surpassed the targeted amount of 40 students.
33. Number of schools involved: While the target was to involve 2 schools, 1 school was directly involved
to date, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School. However, two different groups spanning three grade
levels from this school attended the events.
34. Number of organizations/groups involved in project: While the target was to involve 4
organizations/groups, the Project actually involved 8 groups/organizations: ACER, the City of
Mississauga, EcoSource, the Mississauga Chinese Alliance Church, PEYA, Bond Brand Loyalty, and 2
groups from St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School.
35. Number of participants at events/workshops: Although there was no target, a total of 241
volunteers and staff participated at Project events.
OTHER – Add any quantitative or qualitative measures for your Project not
included above
Number of units of data entered: The target of 60 units was met.
Number of returning volunteers to re-measure trees: While the target was to have 3 returning
volunteers, the volunteer teacher Roy Gucciardi and his student volunteers expressed interest to return
with volunteers next year to re-measure trees at the White Willow Common and Birchwood Park
Restoration Areas, which will be approximately 30-40 additional student volunteers.
Before and after photos of site: See Figures 4-8, 11-15, and 18-22 for the 5 best before and after photos
of each restoration site.
Tracking Plant Growth
After a year of plantation of trees and shrubs at different sites, we re-measure and monitor their growth
and survival rate of all the trees and shrubs tagged at different sites to represent the overall growth of
the entire plantation. The re-measure analysis of different sites is as follows:
White Willow Common Restoration Area:
The data analysis for White Willow park indicates that
overall all the tree species planted on the site are not
doing well. According to the data, Silver maple (Acer
saccharinum) (50%), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus
deltoides) (50%), Black cherry (Prunus serotina) (25%),
and White pine (Pinus strobus) (50%) have the highest
mortality rate within species. In addition, Silver maple
(8%), Eastern Cottonwood (8%), Black cherry (4%), and
White pine (8%) also have the highest mortality
compared to all species planted on the site. Tree
mortality at White Willow park is predominantly due to
deer browsing, however it can also be due to poor or
unsuitable soil conditions, as well as climate change.
The remaining tree, Common hackberry (Celtis
occidentalis),Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana), and Peach
Species Survival (%)
White Pine
10%
Common
Hackberry
19%
Peach leaf
Willow
19%
Silver Maple
9%
East Cottonwood
10%
Black Cherry
14%
Ironwood
19%
leaf willow (Salix amygdaloides), all have a 100% Figure 21: Species Survival Rate at white willow Commons
survivability rate.
Interspecies Mortality (%)
Common
Hackberry
0%
White Pine
29%
Peach leaf
Willow
0%
Black Cherry
14%
Silver Maple
28%
East Cottonwood
29%
Ironwood
0%
Figure 22: Intraspecies Mortality Rate at white willow Commons
Iceland Arena Restoration Area
The data analysis for Iceland Arena Restoration Area
indicates that overall all the tree species planted on the
site are doing well. However, according to the data both
Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and the Silver
maple (Acer saccharinum) have the highest mortality
rate of 33 % within species, and 7% compared to all
species planted on the site. Tree mortality can be
affected by various factors, such as mammal and insect
predation, unsuitable soil conditions, as well as climate
change. The remaining trees, Eastern white cedar (Thuja
occidentalis), Peach-leafwillow (Salix amygdaloides),
Tulip tree (Liriodendron), all have a 100% survivability
rate.
Silver
maple
15%
Trembling
aspen
16%
Eastern
white
cedar
23%
Tulip tree
23%
Peach-leaf
willow
23%
Figure 23: Species Survival rate at Iceland Arena
Restoration Area
Eastern
white cedar
0%
Silver maple
50%
Trembling
aspen
50%
Tulip tree Peach-leaf
0%
willow
0%
Figure 24: intraspecies Mortality rate at Iceland Arena
Restoration Area
Birchwood Park Restoration Area
The data analysis for Birchwood park indicates that
overall all the tree species planted on the site are
doing well. However, according to the data both
Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) and the
Suger maple (Acer saccharum) have the highest
mortality rate of 17% and 33% amongst itself, and 5%
and 10 % compared to all species planted on the site.
Tree mortality at Birchwood park is predominantly
due to deer browsing, however it can also be due to
unsuitable soil conditions, as well as climate change.
The remaining trees, Basswood (Tilia americana) and
White spruce (Picea glauca), both have a 100%
survivability rate.
White
spruce
29%
Sugar
maple
19%
Basswood
28%
Common
hackberry
24%
Figure 25: Species survival rate at Birchwood park
White spruce Basswood
0%
0%
Common
hackberry
33%
Sugar maple
67%
Figure 26: Intraspecies Mortality Rate at Birchwood park
Conclusions





The Riparian Rangers Mississauga program has proven so far to be successful. Youth, students,
community members, and other program participants enjoyed the restoration and monitoring
process and have expressed interest in returning in future years.
A total 60 of the 390 native trees planted across the restoration sites were monitored, which is
approximately 15%. Overall the trees were healthy when planted, with only mild seasonal insect
damage. Volunteers had on average 87.53% accuracy in their measurements and were more
accurate measuring root collar and total height / DBH than crown width.
Significant amounts of invasive species are present at each restoration area. This may pose as a
threat to the future health and wellbeing of the restoration areas, if not continually managed.
Deer browsing is one of the predominant cause of tree mortality in all the three sites.
Interspecies Mortality is the least when multiple species are planted at the same site. Mortality
is the primary concern at this stage as it shows, what species survive the first stage of growth
and browsing.

Annual monitoring of the trees and shrubs would provide data to effectively analyze the
difference in growth of trees and shrubs depending on the soil conditions and climate change.

In conclusion, the 10% analysis of the planted sites in White Willow, Birchwood, and Iceland
Arena Restoration area indicates that all of the tree species planted in each site were successful
except for the Maple species, specifically Silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Contrary to this
general overall trend, the trees in White Willow showed the highest tree mortality with five out
of seven (71% of all tree species) having a mortality rate 25% or higher. Tree mortality in all the
Mississauga sites are predominantly caused by deer or other mammalian predation. However,
other causes to tree mortality could be due to poor soil condition and improper planting
techniques. It is highly recommended that soil samples be taken before the species are chosen
for the sites to optimize tree survival into the subsequent years.
Recommendations
1. Focus on invasive species management: While the program has managed three invasive species
so far, several invasive species were not managed due to time constraints or the presence of
higher priority invasive species. It is recommended that future event days focus on managing all
invasive species present through multitasking or splitting up volunteer groups on event days, or
holding multiple / longer event days based on volunteer availability.
2. Focus on White Willow Common Restoration Area: This location has the highest amount of
invasive species and litter, and is the only area where dog-strangling vine is present. It is
recommended that future event days expressly focus on managing invasive species and litter
through multitasking or splitting up volunteer groups on event days, or holding multiple / longer
event days based on volunteer availability.
3. Develop more educational materials: To date the program has created and/or distributed more
than the targeted amount of educational material under the performance measures. However it
is recommended that the program continue to distribute existing material while striving to
create new material. Educational materials that could be developed include training videos on
planting procedures or curriculum connections and resources for teachers concerning riparian
areas, environmental restoration, and invasive species.
4. Engage more schools to meet performance measure targets: It is greatly appreciated that St.
Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School has expressed interest to return to the White Willow
Common and Birchwood Park Restoration Areas. In order to meet the target of two schools set
out in the performance measures, it is recommended to focus on engaging other schools and
students. This can be useful as students are more likely to have knowledge and respect for their
local green spaces. This can be especially helpful for White Willow Common Restoration Area as
it is in the most need of restoration efforts and is frequented by students from the two
surrounding high schools, Mississauga Secondary School and St. Marcellinus Secondary School.
Appendix 1:
Educational Materials
Native Species in Riparian Rangers
Native = indigenous species are those species that are found in their historical range due to
only natural processes (i.e. present without human intervention).
Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Native to: North America
Impacts: Eastern cottonwoods are a principle species in riverfront forests as they depend on
periodic flooding to survive. This species is often used to restore riparian areas because its
extensive root system is excellent at holding soil together which prevents erosion.
Identification: Eastern cottonwood can be identified through its roughly triangular (hence the
Latin name deltoid) toothed leaves that flutter in the breeze. This species also has distinctive
large deep V’s that run along its brown-grey bark.
References:
1. Association for Canadian Educational Resources. (2014a). Treepedia: Eastern cottonwood
(Populus deltoides). Retrieved 2014, from Association for Canadian Educational Resources:
http://www.acer-acre.ca/s?Populusdeltoides
2. USDA Forest Service. (n.d.). Eastern cottonwood. Retrieved 2014, from USDA Forest Service:
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/populus/deltoides.htm
Invasive Species
Is it a native, exotic, or invasive species?
Native = indigenous. These are species that are found in their historical range due to only
natural processes (i.e. present without human intervention). Every species has a native area.
However, outside this range the same species may be considered non-native. For example
Acer asaccharum, better known as Sugar Maples, are native to North America because they
have been found here without human intervention.
Exotic = alien = non-indigenous = non-native = introduced. These are species that are
found outside their native range, brought there deliberately or accidentally. For example Acer
platanoides, or Norway Maple, is a European species of maple that was purposely introduced
to North America for its high tolerance of poor quality soils and urban pollution that Sugar
Maples cannot tolerate.
Invasive = nuisance. These are those exotic species that threaten or have a negative effect
on the existence, abundance, or diversity of native species or environments. These species
spread widely across an area and can quickly outcompete native species and alter native
environments. For example, in southern Ontario Norway Maple is considered an invasive
species since it is both exotic and outcompetes native maples leading to negative
consequences for ecosystems.
Therefore, not all exotic species are invasive. Some exotic species may have a positive
impact on an environment. For example even though Aesculus hippocastanum also called
Horsechestnut originated in South East Europe, it is not considered invasive because it can
co-exist peacefully with native species.
Invasive species are particularly troublesome in riparian areas due to frequent
habitat destruction and how rivers are effective corridors for species dispersal. Replacing
invasive species with native vegetation will slow the flow of water allowing for increased
infiltration and less erosion, stabilize riverbanks, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and reduce
water temperatures thus improving the overall health of the ecosystem.
References:
1. Ontario’s Invasive Species Awareness Program. (n.d.a.). Invaders: Terrestrial invasive
plants. Retrieved 2014 from Ontario’s Invasive Species Awareness Program:
http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants-terrestrial/
Invasive Species: Glossy and Common buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula and
Rhamnus cathartica) – High Priority
Native to: Eurasia and North Africa, but grows wild in many parts of Southern Ontario
especially close to cities.
Introduced by: Was introduced in the 1880s as an ornamental shrub, and also widely
used in agricultural fields as fencerows, windbreaks, and wildlife habitat.
Range: Is present in wet areas in Canada from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia and
through to the north eastern and north central United States. Buckthorn can survive in a
variety of soil types and environments, however glossy buckthorn is typically more
common in wetter areas.
Impacts: Buckthorn is a serious and aggressive invader because it forms dense
thickets through dispersing a large amount of seeds. These dense populations shade
out and crowd native plants while altering soil nitrogen levels to encourage its own
growth. It is also a host to the soybean aphid in winter, which can seriously negatively
impact agricultural crops.
Identification: Buckthorn is usually 2 to 3 metres tall, but can reach heights up to 6
metres. Common buckthorn has leaves paired almost opposite, while glossy
buckthorn’s leaves are alternate. Both varieties have shiny, dark green leaves (with
glossy buckthorn being more smooth and slender) and produce clusters of berry-like
black fruit in the late summer and fall.
Removal process: Smaller seedlings and their root systems can be removed by hand.
Seedlings larger than 1cm in diameter should be removed with an extractigator to
ensure their entire root system is removed. Once removed, place in the garbage bags
provided.
References:
1. Ontario’s Invasive Species Awareness Program. (n.d.b.). Terrestrial invasive plants: Common
buckthorn. Retrieved 2014 from Ontario’s Invasive Species Awareness Program:
http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/plants-terrestrial/common-buckthorn/
Riparian Rangers Mississauga Program
Riparian Rangers Mississauga is a program
developed to improve and protect native habitats
along areas that link land and water environments.
Its goal is threefold: to restore and defend habitats
for native species in the highly urbanized Lake
Ontario Watershed, to enhance buffer zones in
Mississauga to mitigate the risk of flooding, and to
engage community members to perform long-term
monitoring and reporting.
This program presents opportunities for community members to
be involved in hands-on activities concerning restoration and
long-term monitoring within sensitive ecosystems. Riparian
zones are valuable areas, as water flowing from land into
waterways often eventually flows into sources of drinking water.
Vegetation along these areas will act to slow the flow of water,
allowing for increased infiltration and less erosion. Extending
vegetative buffer zones will help stabilize riverbanks, provide
fish and wildlife habitat, and reduce water temperatures thus
improving the overall health of the ecosystem.
For the fall of 2014, ACER has partnered with the City of
Mississauga to restore three priority sites. For each site trained
youth volunteers, ACER staff, and the staff of the City of
Mississauga will plant 200-300 native trees and shrubs. Each
year after planting, volunteers will measure 10% of each tree
species planted in terms of tree growth and health. Project
photos, maps, and tree growth data are posted on our website:
http://www.acer-acre.ca.
ACER funding for this program includes hands-on training, implementation and
technical resources, equipment, and support until one year’s growth has been
measured.
Here is a sample of data collected by citizens for newly planted trees. Our Quality
Assurance (QA) protocol allows data to be graded for accuracy. This protocol can be
completed with the help of trained ACER participants. Equipment for measuring both
young and mature trees is provided in ACER’s monitoring equipment bag.
Tool that may be found on our website include:
-
New training videos and Planting for Change Manuals that outline ACER’s planting
and measuring protocols
Role Cards: Download a set of ACER instructions for teams to measure your trees
Common Tree Species in GTA and Niagara and Common Invasive Species
Trees in Winter Playing Cards
Additional tools available under our Resources page such as our Treepedia and
information about the City of Mississauga’s plan to plant one million trees can be found
at:
http://www.acer-acre.ca/resources
http://www.onemilliontrees.ca
Riparian Rangers Mississauga: Safety Briefing
First of all, thank you for volunteering to take part in Riparian Rangers Mississauga!
With the work of dedicated volunteers, you are helping ACER and the City of
Mississauga in restoring at-risk natural areas and are that much closer to the goal of
planting One Million Trees! Everyone is here to have fun and learn about ecological
restoration and monitoring. But first we have to go over important safety information:
1. Use it right, or don’t use it! You will be using several different types of equipment.
It is essential that you LISTEN to all safety warnings and precautions that you will
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR throughout the day. Any misuse of equipment or unsafe
behaviour will result in your removal from that activity:
 Carrying equipment. When moving equipment, always be aware of your
surroundings, people and other things you may run into.
 Using equipment. When using equipment, make sure you keep your fingers
out of any moving or sharp parts. If you’re pulling invasive species or
measuring trees, make sure your face is clear from any branches.
 Gathering equipment. When finished with the equipment, make sure you
gather everything in one place so someone does not trip on a misplaced item.
 Weed wrenches. These are large extracting devices we will use to remove
bigger unwanted plant species. Make sure you watch out behind you, if you fall
backwards make sure it is in a safe area like a patch of grass and not into a
river. Do not try to carry a weed wrench by yourself – ask an adult to help to
move it to where it is needed.
 Shovels. When not using a shovel, stick the blade in the ground so the shovel
is standing straight up. This way someone will notice the shovel and not
accidently stepping on it and hurting themselves or others.
2. Dress appropriately. You will be spending most of your time in bushy and woodsy
areas. Be sure you are dressed appropriately for your activities and the weather:
 Footwear. Hiking or walking boots with thick socks will make sure your feet are
warm and dry all day. Extra socks and running shoes would be a good idea to
bring after the day is done.
 Long sleeved shirt, pants, and an extra layer. Wearing clothes that fully
covers your skin will ensure you are warm, dry, and free of bug bites or
scratches. Tuck your pants into your boots – its not going to get you on the cover
of a magazine but it will make sure ticks and other bugs don’t find their way up
your legs. Bring an extra sweater or jacket since it gets cooler in the fall.
 Check the weather before you leave. If the day is supposed to be sunny bring
a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. If it is supposed to be windy bring an extra
sweater or jacket. You will be outside for several hours so make sure you will be
comfortable.
3. Water, water, water! Make sure you bring your reusable water bottle and stay
hydrated throughout the day.
4. You will be by a river, so be cautious! Riparian areas are places where land
meets water. Therefore any place that is near water you must watch your footing
– rocks and logs will be slippery so make sure you don’t fall. There may also be
steep slopes and other obstacles on your path, so be careful where you step.
5. Watch out for other people (and animals)! We may not be the only people by
the river that day. You might encounter other people riding their bikes on trails,
going for a jog, or walking their dogs. Make sure you make space for other
people on trails, and don’t forget to give a friendly Hello! If you see any wildlife,
admire it and take a mental (or real if you have a camera) picture. Remember,
we are visitors in their home.
6. Be careful you don’t bring anything home with you! As a Riparian Ranger,
one of the things you are responsible for is removing invasive plant species that
threaten our newly planted trees. When you are finished for the day, make sure
you wipe your shoes and give your clothing a shake to remove any unwanted
seeds that may have attached themselves to you. This way unwanted plants
won’t spread to your backyard.
Now that you are safety experts, you are almost ready to become a Riparian Ranger!
Make sure you visit our website and view our training videos on how to measure trees
at
http://www.acer-acre.ca/resources/training-videos.
You
can
also
visit
http://www.onemilliontrees.ca to learn more about the City of Mississauga’s initiative to
plant one million trees. Be sure to LISTEN to the safety briefing and instructions on your
volunteer day, and have fun!
See you then!

riparian rangers mississauga final report

Transcription

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