Fall Phrag Fighters

By Chris Hart|2024-12-09T22:13:58-05:00December 8th, 2024|Environmental projects, The Egret Article|

By Aileen Petrozzi

Fall was a great for our Phrag fighters. Working with the city of Windsor we tackled Blue Heron Pond. The City of Windsor had sprayed the land Phragmites in September. Each time we came back we saw the poison work down to the roots. The plant usually dies back from the bottom up. Herbicide sprayed at the top causes the plant to die from top to down. Seeing this in action was great to see!

With the weather cooperating, the first three Saturdays in October and November 5^th. our members and City of Windsor guides waded into the ponds edge. Using cane cutters, we proceeded to cut phragmite as far we could go below the water level. This method is called “cut to drown.” Cutting beneath the waterline can drown the plant by inhibiting the supply of oxygen to the lower plant parts.

We circled the pond missing the areas around the big drains. It wasn’t easy, but we got the job done with the help of more volunteers we have ever had.

The City of Windsor is presently removing the land phragmites.

Heather Inksetter and I want to thank the best group of Volunteers and Guides!

Michelle Mastellotto       Megan Irwin              Roland Chaudat          Andrea Maclean
Bernard Cameron            Janice Boussey           Tim Shortridge           Nancy Cristofoli
Ellen Van Wageningen    Osa Asemota              Akash Nair                  Carolyn Brown
Ramandeep Kaur             Sarika Sharma           Rucha Petel                Lucas Hoshirs

The community of Blue Heron Pond should see cat tails and more wildlife return as we continue our fight against phragmites.

Thank you and Happy Holidays,
Aileen Petrozzi and Heather Inksetter

Phrag Fighting Volunteer Taskforce in Action

By Janice Boussey|2024-10-13T16:16:17-04:00October 13th, 2024|Environmental projects|

This October the Phragmites Committee is focused on East Riverside Park (Blue Heron Pond) in the City of Windsor. The group is 2 weeks in and progress is being made. The team of eager volunteers waded out into the water and tackled this pesky invasive nuisance. Plant by plant we are making a difference. Big thanks to those who have helped out so far. See the group in action below.

Get involved in creating the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3

By essexcountynature|2021-02-21T19:59:21-05:00February 21st, 2021|Environmental projects, The Egret Article|

Calling all birders

Two Eastern Screech-Owls look down from a tree. Photo by Paul Pratt

Wanted: birders and those keen to become better birders.

Data collection for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3 has begun and there is no better time to get involved. This is a five-year project aimed at mapping the distribution and abundance of the roughly 300 species of breeding birds in Ontario.

It is information collected by volunteers that will be used by researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals.

See club president Paul Pratt’s 10-minute presentation about the atlas on the Essex County Nature YouTube channel. He and Karen Cedar are the Essex regional co-ordinators for the atlas project. Jeremy Hatt is the co-ordinator for Chatham-Kent.

For more details go to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas website.