CONTENTS
June 1995
Toad Mania: St. Anne Restores Ditch
St. Matthew the Evangelist School Restoers a Habitat
Greening a Wetland: The Coves
The Pond (A Poem)
There's A Lizard Behind You!
The Brewery Pond Club Investigates a Wetland
Successful Pond Construction
Introduction of Amphibians: Is it the Only Solution?
TOAD MANIA - ST. ANNE RESTORES DITCH
by Denise Ryan
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
St. Anne Catholic Elementary School of Richmond Hill has completed a major restoration project within their schoolyard. The project involved the construction of three small ponds within a silt filled ditch. Although toads were breeding in the ditch, there was a low survival rate due to the quick drying of the water source.
Kelly Todesco, a teacher at the school, contacted "Adopt-A-Pond" in the fall of 1994. Together with Heather Gosselin, Adopt-A-Pond Coordinator, John Ambrose, the Curator of Botany, and Gina Oliver, a teacher at St. Anne, a plan was devised to create three small ponds within the drainage site. With the aid of Jim Tettmar, Supervisor of the Richmond Hill Parks Department, and backhoe operator, Gee Young, the ponds were scooped out in early winter. Mr. Young was careful to dig around existing trees and shrubs. In addition, a narrow strip of cattails was left around each pond. Early winter is the time to conduct a restoration project because it limits the disturbance to the area. Toads are not harmed because they hibernate in sandy sites away from the water.
The opening ceremony took place on April 25, 1995. The day was marked with songs, a play, tree plantings, and the unveiling of a sign. The sign, created by Adopt-A-Pond, explained the project and the adoption of the wetland by St. Anne Elementary School. A more appropriate home for the toads was created through community cooperation. Excellent work!!
NEWS FLASH
St. Anne has just notified us that the toads started calling today (May 5, 1995)!! We congratulate the principal, Anthony Macaluso, Kelly Todesco, Gina Oliver and the students of St. Anne Catholic school for restoring this habitat, and for their concern for toads.
ST. MATTHEW THE EVANGEliST SCHOOL RESTORES A HABITAT
by Heather Gosselin
Adopt-A-Pond Coordinator
St. Matthew the Evangelist School in Whitby, Ontario joined forces with the local Rotary Club and the Municipality for tree planting along a stream bordered by a new housing development. Judy Pellerin's grade six class was assisted by the grade two's in creating and implementing a management plan for the area.
The grade six class broke the park down into five areas. Different groups of students were responsible for the planning of each area. The following recommendations were made by the students.
Group 1
Group one recommended that three Highbush Cranberry bushes be planted in this
area to provide food for native animals. In addition, seven Red Twig Dogwoods
should be planted to create habitat for bugs and thus providing food for
amphibians. Three 1.5 ft by 1.0 ft boulders and a 3 ft. by 1.0 ft. log
should be placed in the pond to provide a route to cross the water. It was
also recommended that the depth of the pond be increased by digging 6 inches
down.
Group 2
Group two decided to enhance the area by planting wildflowers, shrubs and
bushes common to the area. The following plants were selected: Highbush
cranberry and Beach hazel to provide food for wildlife, Virginia meadow beauty
which provides food for insects and is aesthetically pleasing, Red Twig
Dogwood, Pickerel weed, Arrowhead and Cattails.
Group 3
Group three also became involved in planting for wildlife. In addition to the
plants listed above they selected: Bladderwort which catches small animals
for larger animals to eat, Arrowhead which provides food for animals, and
Marsh marigold. This group also recommends that wild grasses should be left
to grow around the far side of the pond.
Group 4
Group four had noted fallen trees and broken tree branches on a hill near the
stream after a heavy snowfall. It was recommended to the town of Whitby that
these broken trees be pruned or cut down to create a safe park area, and that
the branches be left in an accessible area for use in creating the pond. This
group wishes to dig the southern end of the stream 12 cm deeper, and the
eastern end of the stream 8 cm deeper and 50 cm wider. Group four added
Virginia creeper, Button bush, fragrant White Water lily and Water crest to
the list of plantings.
Group 5
Group five added Amphibious smartweed, Water Shield lily and Wild celery to
the list of plantings. Water Shield lily has a gelatinous coating in its stem
and underside which is often eaten by ducks. Wild celery plants have a thick
fleshy stems which are a favourite waterfowl food.
In addition many of the groups decided to add rocks and stones to create passages across the pond as well as shelter and refuges for amphibians.
Mrs. Pellerin's class should be proud of their efforts in protecting, conserving and creating wetland habitats.
After two years, St.Matthew The Evangelist school is continuing with their park/pond project. Last year, they grew native plants in their classroom and transplanted them into their pond area. Frogs have been seen and heard by students visiting the pond areas. The Rotarians have plans to continue this project into an area just north of where St. Matthews worked and planted two years ago. St. Matthews plans to be involved in this project as well. Excellent work!!
GREENING A WETLAND: THE COVES
by Allan Ralph
During the past three years, the students of Manor and Highland Park Public School in London have been working with their teachers and others to protect three neighbourhood ponds. The ponds are adjacent to our school and more accurately are oxbow lakes of the Thames River, created decades ago when a railroad trestle was built, cutting off a river meander, thus forming the three pouch shaped lagoon ponds.
In time, industrial, commercial and residential development contributed to an increasing deterioration of the water, the meadows, banks and uplands which form the area known as the Coves. The situation worsened considerably in the 1940s, 50s and 60s when a sewage treatment facility, factories, a recreational club and residential expansion became established nearby. Just in the last fifteen to twenty years has it been recognized, by a few, that this wetland system is in serious trouble.
The population of Manor and Highland Park has made the Coves a place for recreation, where adults and children love to walk and play along it banks, trails, and in the surrounding Carolinian forests. Children play hide and go seek, and watch for fish, frogs, deer, herons and turtles. Senior citizens visiting the school wistfully speak of yesterday when they swam, skated, cut ice for summer, gathered watercress for salads and sang around bonfires to the abundant joy of all who lived "in the park". Today, of course, these are only memories. But the school children still play here, climb trees here and hide from their parents here.
In the spring of 1991 London artist/environmentalist Tom Benner became a working guest in our school. Every day during April he taught our students and teachers to paint, linoprint, sculpt, and create a huge twenty-four foot mural of the Coves. Under Benner's superb direction our students studied the flora and fauna of the Coves, learned of the historical land uses for the region, and replicated Native gardens (corn, squash and beans) similar perhaps to those of the first Coves residents. (Note: Mr. Benner's position was funded by the Ontario Arts Council's "Artists In The Schools" programme.) The crowning culmination to this whole project was an artists' exhibition of our students' work, held with a proper opening night gala at the London Historical Museum and Art Gallery. Guests met the young artists, viewed their work, and heard about our efforts to save the Coves. Tom Benner helped us succeed in raising the public awareness about The Coves, in a most emphatic manner, thanks to, lavish local and provincial media coverage.
The years 1992 and 1993 brought a slightly different focus to our wetland "greening" project. Natural science classes were more structured and regular. On-going clean-up of litter, old tires, bicycles frames, grocery carts, and car engines was daily fare. Whether in grade one, special education class or grade six, the young people counted, tallied, wrote, read and discovered. Amphibians, reptiles, birds, wildflowers, Carolinian trees, sedges and grasses became increasingly known to students and teachers alike. Green frogs and turtles, we learned, indicated that the Coves and the streams flowing into them were healthier than we may have thought. To our surprise, one of our expert volunteers pointed out that old tires made excellent nesting places for certain birds. Through it all, the Green frog emerged as the children's favorite and when we discovered Amphibian Voice and the good folks at the Metro Zoo we were thrilled. The Green frog, one might say, has become the unofficial animal symbol of the students of Manor and Highland Park Public School. And in helping us to adopt the Coves as our ponds, the Metro Toronto Zoo has given great encouragement to these young people.
The Manor and Highland Park Community is committed to the preservation and conservation of the Coves as a natural area, minimizing ecological disruptions of any kind, including discouraging further development. The group continues to remove litter, post signs, investigate water conditions, and maintain a vigil over all life in the region.
In the Spring of 1993 the staff at Manor and Highland Park P.S. initiated attempts to develop and implement a long-term plan for the Coves. Meetings and in-service sessions ensued and will continue. Our goal is to remove the word "project" from the school's Coves work, in other words to make it a way of life. Environmental responsibility does not begin or stop. It is on-going - always there. Students who attend our school will study, in an integrated, connected approach, various aspects of the Coves from the ebb and flow of life there to the questions of political action and ethics.
Assisting, with tremendous expertise and enthusiasm, are botanists, naturalists, biologists, water management people, ecologists and natural historians. An array of environmental and Ontario Ministry organizations are represented on the planning and facilitating team. Our school is very fortunate and recognizes the tremendous good fortune to have such support. The excitement generated by our formidable group of teachers is growing as a new school year looms ahead. An afternoon nature walk with a biologist and a naturalist is among the first activities to occur when our school bell rings in September. Teachers and administrators have a great deal to learn too!
The community of Manor and Highland Park in southwest London where our school occupies will work hard in the future to ensure that this natural jewel known as the Coves is preserved for generations to come.
In the spring oh, what a
thing the trees they reached the
Sky. We set out that day to
work and play when the day
had just begun.
Stepping stones all in a row,
across the pond for us to go.
Grasses blowing in the wind,
Children knowing they can win.
Shovels, plants we're almost through
Now lets look upon the beautiful view.
Amanda Fawcett
St. Matthew The Evangelist Catholic School
Grade 8
"THERE'S A liZARD BEHIND YOU"
by: Brenda Hachey
Claremont Environmental Education Center
Until October 25th of 1994, the only salamanders I had seen were illustrations in books. But at approximately 1:00 p.m. on that cool Tuesday afternoon, Tommy Young of College Hill Public School changed all that. Tommy and the rest of Sue Rogers' grade three class were hiking back through the conservation area after a morning of being 'pioneer kids' in a cabin at the north end of the property. I was leading the line of young hikers, but as usual, the students were the ones pointing out all the wildlife.
"There's a bird" cried a student, "and another one!" I looked, squinted, looked again, then saw what was obvious to most of the students: chickadees maybe five or six of them, eating berries right next to the path. "Look at all those bugs!" they squealed, as a poplar tree seemed to move with hundreds of metallic green beetles.
We continued our hike up though a stand of cedar, pausing to look down at
Duffin's creek from the slope above it. I stopped, as I often did on this
path after an enormous cedar, waiting for the back of the line to stop before
I asked ...
"So, you nature watchers, what are some of the things that you have seen so
far?"
"I saw mushrooms!"
"I heard a Blue Jay by the creek."
"I saw the creek"
"apples!"
"fungus!"
"chipmunks" came the replies.
Tommy Young quietly raised his hand and calmly said to me
"There's a lizard behind you."
"Pardon me," I said, not sure what to think.
"A lizard," Tommy said again, "behind you, on the leaves."
I turned and looked, squinted, looked again, and saw what was obvious to many
of the students now ...
"There it is!" they cried, "on the leaves! It's black!"
And black it was. A beautiful spotted salamander, about 18 to 20 cm long, its
yellow spots blending in with the fallen leaves. We all gathered carefully
and quietly around this beautiful creature, and the hushed conversation turned
to camouflage, animals reaction to fear, amphibians, and relationships between
habitat and wildlife. Tommy and his classmates seemed to sense what a rare
moment this was, and they answered their own question of
"Brenda, why don't you pick it up?"
"Shh, it's scared." someone said. "Yeah, if she picked it up, it would be
really scared - leave it there - this is its home".
Wow. What else could I say? Truly a "teachable moment" that I will always treasure, thanks to the spotted salamander and Tommy Young.
So if you are ever walking with kids and they quietly say "There's a lizard behind you." I suggest that you slowly turn around, and prepare yourself for a special amphibian encounter.
THE BREWERY POND CLUB INVESTIGATES A WETLAND
by Denise Ryan
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
The Brewery Pond Club is a group of students and parent helpers who are learning more about the ecology of Brewery Pond. The pond under study is located in Port Hope, Ontario, and empties into the Ganaraska River. The students have investigated the wildlife in the area and have discovered bullfrogs, kingfishers, hawks, owls, blue herons, turtles and foxes. The group has also noted some problems in the area. The two beavers in the pond have been plugging up the drainage pipe, and the group is searching for a possible solution. The organization "Ducks Unlimited" has a Beaver Pond Management Programme which may be able to provide some suggestions. This summer, the club members are interested in learning more about the history and wildlife of the wetland system. Good luck Brewery Pond Club!!
SUCCESSFUL POND CONStrUCTION
by Denise Ryan
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
A recent pond construction success story took place in the backyard of Adrian Keet, a resident of Bluevale, Ontario. With the aid of the book, "For the Love of Frogs", Adrian constructed two backyard ponds. The first pond, which he dug out by hand, measured 6 m by 9 m, and over 0.5 m deep. Native species were planted in the vicinity, and soon hundreds of tadpoles were thriving. As the tadpoles grew into frogs, they moved into the nearby wetlands. The second pond was much smaller and was not inhabited by frogs. Congratulations on providing a home for amphibians!!
THE INtrODUCTION OF AMPHIBIANS...IS IT THE ONLY SOLUTION?
by Denise Ryan
Environmental Youth Corps
Adopt-A-Pond Assistant
A thriving amphibian population within a pond is a goal many would like to achieve. However, this process should not be accelerated by introducing amphibian eggs, tadpoles or adults. Although the movement of frogs or toads into your pond may seem like a good idea, it can have detrimental ecological effects. In some cases, the amphibian population of a nearby wetland is already struggling to survive, and the removal of a large number of tadpoles can produce an unnecessary stress. In addition, it is difficult to determine the species of tadpoles which are present in the wetland. Different species have specific requirements for food, shelter, and hibernation sites. For example, the green frog and bullfrog have tadpoles which take two to three years to develop and are unable to survive in shallow ponds which freeze in the winter. If your pond does not contain the specific environmental conditions required by the species, then they will not survive. Adult frogs or toads when moved from their surroundings, can become disorientated, and unable to find appropriate food, shelter, and hibernation sites.
The purchasing of tadpoles for a pond is not a good alternative. The species must be native to the specific area of introduction. If species are introduced from another area, they may be adapted to completely different ecological conditions or carry an unknown virus or bacteria which can have a devastating effect on native amphibian populations.
If you would like frogs and other amphibians to inhabit your pond or garden, a diversity of breeding, feeding and overwintering habitats are required. A balanced wetland environment is the best encouragement. Be patient--build a pond, and if the habitat is suitable they will come!