CONTENTS
February 1997
W.A. Porter: An Environmental School
A Pond at William Tredway P.S.
Berner Trail P.S. Naturalizes
How To Participate in Adopt-A-Pond in Urban Environments
Purple Loosestrife: Trouble for Wetlands
Why Are Wetlands Important?
A Pond Blessing
W.A. PORTER C.I.: AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOOL
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
On a HOT day in July 1996 the Adopt-A-Pond programme paid a visit to WA Porter C.I. in Scarborough to see its famous constructed wildlife habitat. As we drove up to the school it looked just like any other, but our opinions soon changed with the discovery of a beautiful garden in an open courtyard, and a sign reading "United Nations Peace Garden - Picov's Water Gardens and Canada Trust". One area of the garden is filled with native trees, shrubs and grasses, and the other area is home to a lush pond and bog. The pond water is covered with water lilies and the bog with duckweed. Cattails and sedges line the edges of the water, along with flagstones and rocks. Frogs must be leaping with joy because this garden is ideal for amphibians!
We headed back to the car and noticed another sign reading "Naturalized Area - Planted by Staff and Students - Supported by Environment Canada". The area contains many trees and flowers, and is very aesthetically pleasing. It was wonderful to see a school so dedicated to helping the environment!
The Metro Toronto Zoo and W.A. Porter C.I. have formed a partnership to achieve goals that the school outlined for itself. These goals are "a curriculum that focuses on global and local environmental concerns, academic excellence, personal commitment and responsibility in a changing Canadian society, and co-operation between school and community." W.A. Porter C.I. also has an Environmental Club and cafeteria composting. The school has become involved in a number of community events including food drives, tree planting, a neighbourhood clean-up, and an environmental art exhibition.
It is encouraging to see that schools teach their students and staff the meaning of co-operation, teamwork, and community pride. Aside from the usual Math, English and Science courses, these students are learning about environmental issues (such as wetland conservation). Students are taught to take pride in their accomplishments, and make positive changes in their communities.
On that hot July day we saw one more sign describing W.A. Porter C.I. perfectly: "An Environmental School". This school is NOT like any other!
A POND AT WILliAM trEDWAY P.S.
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
Last year William Tredway Jr. PS built a pond at the front of the school. We paid a visit to the pond in July of 1996. Donna Simpson and Vince Otto, two superintendents at the school, were happy to let us interview them about the pond.
The pond is situated in a "natural" area, complete with bird houses and bat boxes. The pond is approximately 2m in diameter and 1m deep. Water in the pond is circulated through a pump, creating a small water fountain.
Donna and Vince informed us that citizens from the neighbourhood come by to visit the pond. The school has left the original tags on some of the trees so that people who use the area as a resource will know what types of plants to purchase for their own pond or garden.
William Tredway Jr. PS should be very proud of the newly-built pond. Dragonflies have already visited the site, and hopefully amphibians will follow!
The schoolyard of Berner Trail Public School was transformed from a paved FdseFd to a wetland ecosystem. The area in front of Berner Trail was once a play area for the kindergarten class. With the help of the Scarborough Board of Education, a new kindergarten play area was created on the other side of the school. Several large berms were created in front of the proposed pond to create a sense of seclusion and minimize disturbance. Trees were planted and bird and bat boxes were installed.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN ADOPT-A-POND IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
There are many ways to take part in the Adopt-A-Pond programme, even if you live in the middle of the city! Here are a few suggestions:
- Visit local wetlands (Don River, Humber River, Rouge Valley, or smaller wetlands in your community).
- Classroom activities. The Adopt-A-Pond programme has published a cross-curricular guide helping teachers integrate wetland and amphibian biology into classroom education. In addition there are activities found in the "The Urban Outback" and "For the Love of Frogs" books.
- Outdoor Education Centre. Visit your schoolboard Outdoor Education Centre.
- Come to the Metro Toronto Zoo! The Zoo has a man-made wetland demonstration area as well as other wetlands throughout the site. Visit the Americas Pavilion for an underwater viewing of an Ontario wetland and its inhabiting wildlife. Please make reference to the "Wetland Zoo Tour" at the back of the Adopt-A-Pond programme's cross-curricular guide.
- Build a schoolyard pond. Our book "The Urban Outback" outlines how to build a pond.
- Adopt an acre of wetland. Contact:
Nature Conservancy of Canada
110 Eglinton Ave. W.
Suite 400 Toronto, ON
M4R 2G5
(416) 932-3202
website??
- Contact your local Conservation Authority. Many conservation authorities have wetland field courses available to students.
As you can see, there are many ways for urban schools to get involved in the Adopt-A-Pond programme. All participants that write and tell us about their experiences will receive a certificate of appreciation and a frog decal for their efforts. Feel free to contact the Adopt-A-Pond programme with any questions or suggestions.
PURPLE LOOSEStrIFE: trOUBLE FOR WETLANDS
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
Purple loosestrife is a herbaceous, perennial plant native to Eurasia. This plant came to North America in the 1800's, and by the 1900's it had spread to wetlands across the continent. Purple loosestrife is now present in 40 US states and all the Canadian border provinces. This species invades wetlands and chokes out the native vegetation. Proliferation of Purple loosestrife is inevitable since it has no native predators in North America. In many areas, the biomass of emergent vegetation is over 50% Purple loosestrife.
One known effect of invasive Purple loosestrife is the decreased productivity of wildlife that depend on wetland habitat. For example, nesting birds cannot use Purple loosestrife for nest construction because its stalk is too stiff, and muskrats find the stems and roots inedible. As well, as loosestrife "fills in" the wetland, there is a loss of fish spawning habitat and animal shelter. Amphibians and reptiles are also affected by loosestrife. Purple loosestrife has a thick, tough stalk which changes the invaded landscape from a thriving wetland into a silent field.
Each adult Purple loosestrife plant can produce over 2 million seeds annually. Purple loosestrife has many seed dispersal mechanisms. The flat, thin-walled seeds can be carried in feathers of migrating birds, fur of aquatic mammals, or mud-caked feet of shorebirds. The two most common local seed transporters are flowing water and wind. Purple loosestrife is sold as horticultural stock in the northern US and southern Canada. Most are infertile hybrids, but some local sources are fertile. In addition, more than 150 private seed companies sell mixes of "wildflowers". Ten percent of these mixes are known to contain Purple loosestrife.
It is virtually impossible to eliminate Purple loosestrife once it has invaded wetland. There are a number of methods of controlling the invasion of loosestrife including hand pulling, cutting, chemical control, and biological control. These methods are discussed further in the following pages. Planting native species also controls loosestrife, as their seedlings cannot survive in areas shaded by willow and alder thickets, or in areas with wetland hardwoods (Red maple, Red mulberry, Swamp white oak, Red osier dogwood).
PURPLE LOOSEStrIFE SUBSTITUTES
There are those who admire the beauty of Purple loosestrife and plant it in their gardens. Some alternatives to this plant are: Sage, Siberian iris, Butterfly bush, and Lupine. These plants share many of the same characteristics as Purple loosestrife but are not harmful to wetland habitats. For more alternatives, write to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (see address below).
1) Inform local conservation authorities of any sightings of the plant (Invading Species Hotline: 1-800-563-7711). Sometimes attempted removals will only cause further spread of the seeds. 2) Document infested areas. The Canadian Wildlife Federation has a "Purple Loosestrife Report Form" which enables citizens to record density and location of Purple loosestrife (1-800-565-6305). 3) Get involved in community projects which focus on control of Purple loosestrife. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is conducting a programme called "Project Purple", directed towards research and greater public awareness of Purple loosestrife. Project Purple's guidelines for Purple loosestrife control are found on the following pages. 4) Learn more about Purple loosestrife. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters have many pamphlets, brochures, manuals, slide presentations, and videos available upon request. Contact the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters or the Invading Species Hotline.
Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters
PO Box 2800
Peterborough, ON
K9J 8L5
Telephone: 705-748-6324
Fax: 705-748-9577
E-mail: ?
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
Watch out for that puddle....ooohh! As you all know, wetlands are places where frogs call, ducks quack, and mosquitos bite! However, maybe you did not know that approximately 75% of Canada's wetlands have been destroyed, mainly for agricultural uses. This statistic is staggering because about one quarter of global wetlands are in Canada.
Wetlands are areas of land covered with shallow water or have water at, or near, the surface for all or part of the year. Wetlands soils contain low levels of oxygen. Wetland plants have adapted to flooding and lack of oxygen around their roots. Emergent wetland plants have have special air pockets in their stems, enabling them to carry oxygen from above the water to the roots.
Many wildlife species reside in wetlands for at least one part of their life cycle. Without wetland habitat, many of these species become extinct. Here are a few endangered species in Ontario which depend on wetlands:
- Lake Erie water snake
- Blanchard's cricket frog
- Small white lady's slipper
- Eastern softshell turtle
- Fowler's toad
- Spotted turtle (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, 1993)
Wetlands decrease flooding and drought by absorbing surface runoff and releasing the water slowly. Wetlands improve water quality by trapping sediments and absorbing excess nutrients and heavy metals. These habitats "clean" water as it passes through them, helping to restore the quality of the Great Lakes!
Wetlands connect local watersheds to one another. Amphibians can use wetlands as "stepping stones" for colonizing new areas and even your own backyard! Some watersheds depend on one another; the loss of one wetland greatly affects another. Each wetland is unique and has its own characteristics and communities. These unique wetlands are difficult to create and the species which depend on them become endangered when the habitats are destroyed.
Amphibians are a good indicator of how a wetland is progressing. If wetlands disappear so will amphibians. Amphibians have very sensitive, porous skin which absorbs any toxins present in a wetland. In central and northern Ontario, acid rain decreases the pH of the water, making it acidic. The result is underdeveloped amphibian eggs and deformed larvae. Usually nature changes slowly and species can adapt at the same rate. If an environment changes too quickly, species cannot adapt and cannot survive.
1: Participate in one of the Canadian Wildlife Service's Amphibian Monitoring programmes: a) Backyard Frog Surveys: For people who live by a wetland and do not want the bother of driving to a separate location and counting frogs. b) Road Call Counts: For people who want to participate but don't live near a large marsh. c) Marsh Monitoring: For people living near marshes, especially shoreline wetlands of the Great Lakes which are Areas of Concern; to attempt to involve "birders" who do marsh bird monitoring surveys in marshes.
For more information please contact the Canadian Wildlife Service at the address below:
Canada Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
Canada Centre for Inland Waters
867 Lakeshore Rd. PO Box 5050
Burlington, ON
L7R 4A6
(905) 336-4968
http://www.cciw.ca
2: Become aware of amphibian populations in your area and tell property owners or local industries of your interest in their survival. 3: Adopt a pond! Visit and observe existing wetlands. Contact the Amphibian Interest Group to receive an adoption certificate. 4: Build a pond in your schoolyard/backyard. During dry seasons, small water bodies dry up, amphibians have nowhere to breed, and tadpoles have insufficient time to develop. Your pond provides a breeding site for amphibians, and helps connect existing watersheds. 5: Community green plans. Landowners can adopt, restore, or create their own wetland. Many companies have large, unused pieces of property that can be rehabilitated. Develop a community green plan and present to community groups in order to get funding and municipal planning staff who can help. Municipal works and planning departments, and Ministry of Natural Resources offices are all experts on the greening of communities. 6: Field trips. Use a local wetland as an "outdoor classroom" and teach children about the importance of wetlands. There are many wetland activities in The Urban Outback and look for more in the Cross-Curricular Guide new this year. 7: Adopt an acre of wetland. Contact:
Nature Conservancy of Canada
110 Eglinton Ave. W.
Suite 400 Toronto, ON
M4R 2G5
(416) 932-3202
POND BLESSING
by: Anna Collier
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
Christ the King Public School in Windsor, Ontario, recently constructed a schoolyard pond. Staff and students had a lot of fun working together, transforming their schoolyard into a wetland habitat. The pond was funded by the Environmental Partner's Fund and Friends of the Environment (Canada Trust). All the school children blessed the pond together at the opening day celebration.
"Bless this Crusader's pond
Make it a source of life, refreshment, cleanliness
And joy to all the life that may dwell therein
Bless those who work with the pond
And protect them in their work always"