Volunteers from Bayfield and area, working with planting crews from Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA), have been busy planting native-species shrubs at the Bayfield River Flats, a nature area preserved by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC).
The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association’s Trail Blazers works crew, led by Works Manager Peter Jeffers, and ABCA staff worked together to enhance the Bayfield River Flats through shrub planting on June 14, 2023. There were nine community members who helped with the June 14 planting.
The community members planted 445 pollinator plants and shrubs. Some of the wet-tolerant plants are nearer the Bayfield River and some species favouring drier conditions were planted on the flood plain flats.
Angela Van Niekerk is Wetlands Specialist with Ausable Bayfield Conservation. She said the plants planted at Bayfield River Flats will add habitat for species, help to filter water during flooding, and hold the soils in place.
Earlier, a tree planting crew in May of 2023 also planted 200 Sandbar Willow shrubs along the river embankment to help reduce bank erosion. The Sandbar Willow is a shrub willow that forms thickets, helping to hold together and protect the riverbank.
The planting is possible thanks to federal, provincial and county funding partners. The Government of Canada’s Canada Nature Fund (CNF), to protect species at risk, provided funding that supported the streambank planting. The Government of Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks provided funding in support of the streambank planting. The County of Huron’s Huron Clean Water Project also provided grant support that made the planting possible.
