The Egret Article

By Aileen Petrozzi

We have lots to discuss!!

We got our grant of $2500.00 from Invasive Species Center.  

We got our Consent to enter agreement from the City of Windsor. (finally after 3yrs of trying) .

Heather and I talked with Karen Alexander, Windsor Head Naturalist to find out a plan to assist Windsor in their future Phrag control.  Windsor will be spraying East Riverside Park around the pond in September. We will then go in and get rid of the dead phragmite.  Using a brush cutter, which we will be purchasing and our cane cutters.   Windsor doesn’t yet have a permit to spray over the water, only water edge.  

We want to get the community involved and will be doing a mailing to the area postal codes.   

Dates for clearing the phragmites in East Riverside Park: 
October 5th 8:30- 12:30p
October 12th 8:30a- 12:30p
October 19th 8:30a- 12:30p

We will decide if further work will be needed.  If you would like to help , let me know.

Bryerswood Optimist Park will be getting sprayed in September also.  Will need to go back and take out the dead phragmites.  Date TBA

Heather and I will be going out to assess one of our members ‘ properties this week.  It’s off 8th concession and the pond is getting out of control with Phragmites.    We will be advising her and hopefully will be able to assist her in this project.  date TBA

We are always looking for more manpower. Willing to give community hours for any high school kids.  Will be posting at High schools nearby. But if you have someone that maybe interested let us know

Going to be a busy year
Aileen Petrozzi

Below is a letter of appreciation from the Society for Ecological Restoration for our participation in this year’s Make a Difference Week!

By Sheila Laurin

The meeting started off with a presentation by Jennifer Nantais, a program specialist with Carolinian Canada about “In the Zone” ITZ Gardens that Help Wildlife Thrive.  The aim is to grow Canada’s biggest wildlife garden network from Windsor to Toronto. The scientific reasons for growing native plant habitats are numerous.  A diverse landscape attracts bees, butterflies, moths, birds, rabbits and more. The In the Zone program has lots of information about ways to get started, and track your progress. The website link is here::  | Carolinian Canada.

Kiera McManus, an intern, introduced the guest panel of gardeners and asked them some questions.  The panel included: Brenda Taggart, Karla Comartin and Lorraine Chambers.  Each native plant gardener explained how they got started, and where they are now in their fascinating gardening journey.  They also expressed some of their challenges, future plans and tips for other gardeners.  

A couple ideas mentioned during the meeting to stay inspired are: There are several Facebook groups on this subject,  for example, Windsor-Essex Native Plant Gardening There are some good books on this topic, such as the latest one from Rick Gray & Shaun Booth “Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region”  Winter time is ideal for winter sowing and formulating plans for springtime.

By Jennifer Nantais:

The August monthly meeting featured a panel of native plant gardeners who shared unique insights into their experiences growing native plants at home. They highlighted how native plant gardening varies depending on location, lifestyle, and priorities creating habitat at home. Each panelist recounted their unique journey into native plant gardening, including inspirations and invaluable resources that guided them along the way.

We extend our sincere appreciation to our panelists Brenda Taggart, Karla Comartin, and Lorraine Chambers for generously sharing their time and experience with us.

The meeting also hosted a native plant swap where native plant lovers shared plants from their gardens, accompanied by personalized care sheets providing background information and maintenance instructions.

At this meeting, there was interest in establishing a native plant sub-committee, with several attendees expressing readiness to join. If you are interested in participating in this committee, please let us know. We will soon meet to discuss the committee’s focus areas which could include advocacy, guest speakers, resource dissemination, and future plant exchanges.

By Jennifer Nantais

On August 3^rd, club members Jen and Carolyn hosted a group of nature lovers of all ages at an outing called Bug Buddies Insect Investigation. The club guides led a walk through the forest and prairie habitats of Ojibway Park to explore the amazing world of insects, discover unique species, and learn about their fascinating lives and the interconnected ecosystems around us. During the walk, Carl Maiolani was able to photograph some of the specimens that we encountered, check out the photos! After the walk, Jen and Carolyn had a special treat in store, a creature feature for all to enjoy, two large spiders that were kind enough to let us pet and handle them and get up close and personal with some amazing invertebrates.

This outing marked the first Jr. Egrets event in some time, but not the last! This kids club is operated by the Essex County Nature club and will be planning to hold another event this year and planning future activities.

Please keep an eye out for upcoming Jr. Egret events and help spread the word! Jen and Carolyn are excited to share our passion for nature and inspire a new generation of explorers to learn about the wild things and wild places that make this region so rich in biodiversity. Your little nature lover might just grow up to help support the protection and preservation of our beautiful natural areas.