| Habitat Creation & Preservation Projects
Egret Nesting Project
Lighthouse Island is the northern most nesting site in Lake Huron for the White Egret. The egret is a large heron like bird found in Ontario's wetlands. Nesting competition with the double-crested cormorant has reduced nesting opportunities for the egret. Phase One of the project set up an 80m x 10m nesting platform on Lighthouse Island for the egrets. Phase Two consisted of seedling trees planted which will in time replace the platforms.
Town Sign Landscaping
The Environment Network did the original landscaping and maintenance of all the Town signs prior to the creation of a municipal Green Space Department. These signs, which are placed strategically around Collingwood, are a tourist’s first view of Collingwood and what it has to offer. Wherever possible native species were planted in these gardens, to provide food for native wildlife, birds and insects. During summer months brightly coloured annuals are planted for human pleasure and to attract bees, butterflies and birds.
Erosion Control
The Habitat Department has a long history of bioengineering for erosion control along Black Ash Creek and Collingwood Harbour Shoreline. Harbourview Park, which was once a landfill, is the site of The Environment Network’s first Shoreline Rehabilitation Project. The wave action of the harbour was eroding the shoreline to the point that the landfill was being exposed. The Environment Network took on a small area as a test site for shoreline rehabilitation. To date the project has been successful.
Purple Loosestrife
With a donation received from the Senior League Endowment Society, the Environment Network was able to resurrect the Purple Loosestrife Control Project for a short time. Thus far, mechanical and manual removal efforts have not been highly successful. Biological control seems to be the most viable option at this point. The Environment Network would like to purchase beetles for a pilot project in an effort to control this wetland menace.
In 2000, The Environment Network purchased the Aquacide System with funding supplied by The Ontario Trillium Foundation. This equipment is an environmentally sound weed control system that uses extremely hot water to eliminate weeds. A test plot in the wetland has been staked out and we are currently monitoring the success of this system versus the other methods of purple loosestrife control.
Additional Habitat Projects
- Wetland Demonstration Project (Harbourview Park)
- Pond Planting
- Bears Den Erosion Project (Coldwater, Ontario)
- Willow Creek Streambank Rehabilitation
- GTAA / Pretty River Stream Rehabilitation
- Hidden Lake Carp Removal
- Tree Planting on Trails and in Parks
- Water Sampling in Collingwood Harbour
- Willow Harvesting
- Various Trail Projects
- Water Monitoring
Youth at Risk
Since 1997 the Environment Network has worked with over 108 young people between the ages of 17 and 29 in need of experience and training in our field. The youth are trained for 6 months on environmental impacts and other environmental issues within the area. They are given tools to complete required tasks; this provides them with transferable skills in addition to guidance in career planning.
Projects include:
- The Collingwood Trails Project
- 1999 Greenways Project in The Town of The Blue Mountains
- Wasaga Beach Trails 2000 Project
- 2001 Creemore Station on the Green Project.
- Collingwood Youth Project
These projects were all accomplished in partnership with Youth Services Canada (The Government of Canada), the municipalities mentioned above, local industry, several private businesses and caring individuals. |
