Fly away Canada Goose
Did you know that the Canada Goose is not native to the Haliburton region? Even though you may see them at this point on our walking tour, historically their nesting grounds were limited to the Arctic tundra, to the Western Prairies and to the grasslands and wetlands of southwest Ontario. They were nearly extinct 100 years ago because of overhunting and the drainage of wetlands. In intervening years, conservation efforts and government wildlife laws have re-established their numbers in the millions. Human settlement has also rapidly changed the once forested Ontario landscape to one of vast expanses of manicured grass, suburban sprawl and fields of corn and grain. With few predators and abundant food supply, exploding populations of Canada Geese have taken over habitats, displacing other species of birds, overgrazing and despoiling the land and water. Geese leave large quantities of molted feathers and droppings - up to 2 kg per bird per day - which have health risks to humans and consequences for other species, land and water. Competition for feeding and nesting material can also spread diseases such as botulism, cholera, or avian flu among geese. The habitat in our region did not evolve to support such a large bird species with its populous brood and insatiable demand for food and space. The fragile ecosystem of the Canadian Shield is being negatively impacted by this honking, fearless creature.What steps can we take?Most animals are self-regulating and their population numbers will adjust to the habitat available. If you want to reduce the number of geese from the Highlands and restore species balance, you need to make your property unattractive to them. The kindest and most effective way to do that is to change the landscape. The geese you may see here are accessing the Minden Riverwalk from the grassy location at this tour stop near Bobcaygeon Road. The goal in deterrence is to create a habitat not to their liking. They like to eat grass and they like wide open spaces so that they can keep an eye on any advancing predators. They are also suspicious of any shrubs that might provide cover for predators. The first step is to plant a physical and visual barrier of shrubs along the water's edge. A cost effective solution here would be to use cuttings of Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) and Willow (Salix species) taken in the very early spring. Ten to twelve inch cuttings can simply be inserted into the ground to a depth of 6”/15 cm. The abundant rain and flooding of the riverbank will soon have them putting out roots. For a year or so while your shrubs are maturing you’ll need a line with flags or flashing tape to prevent the geese from coming up out of the water onto your lawn. This barrier will only work for the 6 weeks, during July and August, when the geese are molting and lose their flight feathers preventing them from flying. During the rest of the year they will simply fly over any barrier. The second step at this stage is to interrupt an expanse of grass with shrubs, trees and other plants, preferably native. A small grove of Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), a medium growing shrub with showy spring flowers and an open branch structure would be a good choice for this location. You could incorporate a sinuous path to the water. In this case, access to the river is not necessary. It may take 2-3 years to fully vegetate this section to deter the geese. Geese like to return to the same nesting location year after year so you’ll have to be vigilant if you have nesting geese on your property. The township of Minden made a conscious decision not to cut the grass down to the water’s edge. It took residents some time to adjust to the more natural look but everyone is rejoicing at the near elimination of the Canada Geese who were fouling the pathway and making it unpleasant for walking. In brief, to deter the Canada Goose:Deprive geese of the grass that they like to eat and obscure their line of sight with plants.Design a narrow zig zag shaped walking path to the water.Reduce grass, mow less often and add native plants.Plant a continuous 30” high band of dense native plants along the shoreline 20-30 feet deep to reduce site lines and provide a barrier.Erect a temporary barrier of two rows of line or reflective scare tape until the vegetation fills in.Encourage aquatic plants such as bulrushes and cattails that work to deter geese.Plant trees and understory shrubs to obstruct their overhead line of sight.https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/migratory-bird-conservation/publications/handbook-managing-cackling-geese-southern/chapter-3.html#_toc070102https://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1034.htmlIndiana State Park Service https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/lifehistory
Buzzing with Pollinators
While you stand and admire the Logger’s Statue, take a minute to look around you at the plants along the riverbank and the insects moving through and on the plants. Maybe the Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is in bloom, with its pink clusters of small flowers? Is it fall and the yellow Goldenrod (Solidago species) and White Panicle Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) are flowering? Do you see the bees, beetles, wasps and butterflies who are visiting these plants? Maybe you see a caterpillar, many of whom use these plants for shelter as well as food. Joe Pye Weed, for example, provides nectar and pollen for insects (like the honey bee and butterflies) and seeds for birds.Did you know that the plants in the Asteracea family (like White Panicle Asters, Sunflowers or Pale Purple Coneflowers) have specialized flowers? Each individual “petal” is actually a flower. So what looks like one flower to us is actually made up of a bunch of individual flowers. No wonder pollinators love them!If you’re passing by in the spring, stop by the flowering Crabapple trees to watch the bees harvesting nectar and pollen from the blossoms. As the bees buzz from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen they are, as nature would have it, also fertilizing the flowers so that fruit may grow. Without the bees there would be no fruiting and no crabapples for the birds, squirrels and rabbits to eat. Crabapple trees are not native to Haliburton County, but the bees don’t seem to care. They are attracted by the fragrance of the blossoms and the sweet promise of nectar and sticky pollen.Do you have apple trees on your property from which you can harvest apples? Maybe they’re Heritage Apples. Check out the Heritage apple project, a partnership of the Haliburton County Master Gardeners and scientists at the University of Guelph.
Riverbank trees and shrubs
The rainbow bench at this tour stop is in honour of Sinclair Russell who is remembered for his many contributions to Minden including co-founding Minden Pride. He is described as being a flamboyant and creative man. We can see many of these characteristics in the flora around this bench. If you are sitting here in late fall, the Tamarack (Larix laricina) tree will be a bright blazing yellow.Most conifer trees keep their needles all year round but Tamaracks are deciduous conifers, meaning they lose their needles in late fall and get new ones in spring. They are almost the last deciduous tree to change colour in the fall, turning a brilliant yellow.Tamaracks grow in a variety of soil types and can tolerate varying moisture levels but prefer moist soil. The trees have a high resin content that prevents rot and decay. They do not like shade, needing full sun and can reach about 20 m at maturity.The Tamarack provides shelter and shade for birds and small animals. The small yellow brown cones have seeds that are eaten by many small animals and birds including chipmunks, grouse and snowshoe hare.The name Tamarack comes from an Algonquin word, akemantak, meaning "wood used for snowshoes."Another fun fact about the Tamarack is that it can be found in every province and territory in CanadaPussy Willow (Salix discolor) and Narrow Leaved Willow (Salix exigua) can also be found along the river bank.The soft grey catkins of the Pussy Willow, popular for flower arranging, herald early spring. The thin tapered leaves are loved by birds for building nests and can also be used for making tea as they contain Vitamin C.Willows are very valuable for shoreline restoration because they have the unique ability to root from a cutting very easily. The commercial rooting hormone people buy for rooting plant cuttings was developed from the study of willows and can include the same hormone. Willows also contain salicylic acid which is found in Aspirin providing animals some pain relief when coming out of hibernation.Willows are also the larval hosts for many species of beetles and moths.Other plants at this tour stop include:Common rush Juncus effususWhite Meadowsweet Spiraea albaFor more information, you can download the document Native Plants for Your Property Including Shorelines from the Haliburton County Master Gardeners website.Ever heard of a singing insect? Look carefully in the grasses at this site and you might spot the Slender Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus fasciatus). Native to the area he looks a bit like a small grasshopper with wispy antennae and long slender legs that allow him to move quickly from plant to plant. His green colour acts as camouflage among the green grasses which also happen to be the favoured food of this species. What better way to court a female mate than to break out into a soft song of clicks and buzzes.U-Links Species Profile:Slender Meadow Katydid, Conocephalus fasciatus True to its name, the Ontario native Slender Meadow Katydid is a thin, long grasshopper-like insect that spans around 18 - 26mm in length. Conocephalus fasciatus has long wispy antennae that can stretch well beyond the length of their body as well as the iconic long slender legs that are commonly seen on Orthoptera species that allow them to move quickly from plant to plant. Another unique feature for the Slender Meadow katydid is the wingspan, which reaches beyond the tip of the abdomen. Although not depicted on the sign, the Slender Meadow Katydid is a vibrant green, matching the foliage and brush that it will commonly be found hiding in. The Slender meadow katydid is one of the different species of Orthoptera that can be found on the Minden Riverwalk. This species is known for typically being a herbivorous insect, however it has displayed predatory behaviour as it will sometimes hunt for moth larvae (Bland et al., 2003).A common behaviour amongst Orthoptera is to have songs to attract mates, and C. fasciatus is no exception to this ritual. During mating season, they will congregate around marshes and grassy areas, where the males will perform their calls, trying to attract a mate (Bland et al., 2003). The song consists of a long buzz from the males, followed by a series of short chirps. Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Not your average lawn grasses
Native grasses, sedges and rushesMinden is located in the Haliburton Highlands, a region of some of the last intact forests of Southern Ontario. As you move northward in this region, the grasslands of Southern Ontario slowly give way to the great temperate forests of the north with many lakes. The depth of natural soils thins and the granite of the Canadian Shield emerges. Grasses, rushes and sedges are important plants in prairie, or grassland ecosystems, but are also found in natural woodland and waterfront landscapes too.What’s the difference between a sedge, a grass and a rush? “Sedges have edges, rushes are round and grasses are hollow, right up from the ground.” Why are these kinds of plants important to the Haliburton Highlands?The varieties of native grasses are not as numerous as sedges in the Haliburton region but they can be found in woods and along shorelines and roadsides. Grasses generally like sunny open spaces and deep rich more alkaline soil. Sedges and rushes are far more numerous. The region is dominated by wetland habitat so it’s to be expected that edges of wetlands and shorelines are populated by moisture loving sedges and rushes.There is a current craze for grasses that is a little concerning for our region. Many ornamental grasses from Asia and Europe such as the Miscanthus varieties and Phragmites are invasive in all parts of Ontario. But even certain grasses native to Southern Ontario should not be planted in zone 4 Haliburton County. With a longer growing season due to climate change some grasses from southern Ontario can now mature and produce fertile seed in our more northern region. Grasses like Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) are now setting seed and expanding their habitat northward. The concern is that they may become invasive. There has been little study of the impact of these grasses in our region so we should plant with caution. Ornamental grasses native to Southern Ontario are readily available from garden centres and specialty nurseries, but they could be aggressive. The grasses native to our region are not aggressive. They aren’t easily available to purchase and would have to be started from locally sourced seed.What steps can you take on your property for grasses, sedges and rushes?In winter, birds feed on the seeds, so please don’t cut back your grasses or longer sedges until spring in order to leave the seed stalks for the birds. Like a few other plants, grasses provide interest in an otherwise empty winter garden. Native solitary bees are known to overwinter in the hollow stems of grasses and other plants so yet another reason to not over-tidy your garden in the fall.In summer, the leaf clumps of native grasses, sedges and rushes provide shelter for ground nesting bees and other important insects. Grasses rustle in the slightest breeze creating a full sensory garden experience. Grasses also look stunning in planters. Check out the article on container gardening on the Haliburton County Master Gardeners website https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/resource/container-gardening-2/Local horticulturist Belinda Gallagher happily discovered that growing grasses and tall stalked flowers together supported the flowers which on their own would topple over. The Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) found along the Riverwalk can grow to 6’ tall and like the False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) and Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliaum) are best planted with tall grasses to give support. She also advises not to fertilize these prairie plants. Excess fertilizer causes rapid growth and tall spindly plants prone to toppling and disease.Grasses and sedges are wind pollinated and not interesting to bees for pollen but they are host plants for the caterpillar of many butterflies and moths.Other plants at this tour stop include:Strict Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) is actually not a grass! It is a member of the Iris family. It is a common native in the highlands. It likes dry or moist sandy soil and lots of sun.Common Rush (Juncus effusus) is found at this tour stop. Rushes are wetland plants and must have their roots in very moist soil or in water. They are a key plant in wetlands, filtering and cleaning the water and helping to prevent soil erosion.SedgesSedges are cool season plants and one of the earliest arrivals in spring, browning up a bit in mid summer but greening up again and looking great late into the fall. They come in all heights from 10 cm to over a meter tall, with variations in colour and leaf shape. Many of our native sedges like moist soil and sun to partial shade, but there are varieties that thrive in drier soils and would make an interesting alternative to turfgrass in many areas wet or dry. They pair well with taller plants as their grass-like leaves hide the stark leafless bases of taller plants. Like grasses, the seed heads of sedges and rushes are an important food source for birds and other animals. Many sedges bloom early in the spring which is very critical to those emerging insects looking for food. Its seeds are dispersed by ants feeding on its oily outer base, releasing the seed to germinate. Grasses, sedges and rushes are superstars of soil conservation and restoration. Their various root systems and clumping growth habits allow them to filter water and help prevent erosion by retaining soil. They tolerate a range of soil conditions and return nutrients to the soil. Ask your local garden centre to stock sedges.Long-stalked Sedge(Carex pedunculata) is a common clump forming woodland sedge found in sunny wooded openings. It can grow in regular moist soil. Open areas around our homes are not the natural forested or wetland ecosystems of the highlands or its native soils. For practical and safety reasons large trees should be planted a minimum of 6 metres (20’) away from a building. So if it’s not practical or desirable to have a natural woodland close to the house, why not be creative and plant a sunny meadow made up of native plants from other naturally sunnier parts of Ontario and Canada. Start small, know your site conditions: light, soil type and depth and then set out to mimic one of the many prairie types. Nature North has some detailed information about various prairie types and how to establish a prairie or meadow suited to your conditions. Wildflower Farm in Coldwater ON sells seeds and will talk you through the growing process for optimal results. Another useful resource about the difference between a meadow and a grassland is available from Evergreen.http://www.naturenorth.com/RCNP/RCNP.pdfhttps://www.wildflowerfarm.com/https://www.evergreen.ca/downloads/pdfs/https://lorrainejohnson.ca/blog/suggested-sedges
Keystone trees - key to diversity
Do you see the White Pine, White Spruce and Red Maples at this tour stop? These trees are excellent representatives of some of the native trees that grow in the Haliburton Highlands. They are native because they evolved with the land and predate the first colonization of the area. They are also all likey “keystone” plants. The National Wildlife Federation defines “keystone” species as native plants critical to the food web and necessary for many wildlife species to complete their life cycle. Without keystone plants in the landscape, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive. 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants. All native species are important perhaps in ways that science has not yet discovered so we are not suggesting that there is a hierarchy among plants but just that “keystone" species are native to a region and always to be preferred over ornamental and specialty cultivars. Some other long established tree species in our area include Basswood (Tilia americana), Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), and White Birch (Betula papyrifera). For more information on keystone trees and plants, some of which are native to our region, visit: https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Garden-for-Wildlife/Keystone-Plants/NWF-GFW-keystone-plant-list-ecoregion-5-northern-forests.ashx?la=en&hash=8FE720499045857FA0C918B76CB1C42CC374083B Don’t be dismayed when you see caterpillars and other insects in the trees taking shelter or eating leaves but rather think of all the clutches of baby birds that will be fed and the moths and butterflies that will later emerge. It’s part of our nature, of the wonder that is the forest food web.Did you know that pine trees produce both male and female cones? Only the male cones produce pollen, which contributes to the yellow pollen we see floating on the surface of the water and in the air in spring. The large brown cones are the fertilized female cones and protect the seeds within them. All pine trees produce pine nuts or seeds, but the large ones that you eat come from pine trees that grow large cones in more southern regions of the world. At this tour stop, you’ll also see some excellent sedges (a type of grass commonly found along shorelines, wetlands and of course, riverbanks) and a native shrub called Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago). Nannyberry has beautiful white flowers in spring that attract butterflies and dark blue berries in the fall that are a valuable food source for birds. It tolerates a range of sun and soil conditions.
Milkweed is not a weed!
You can see some “pollination powerhouse plants” along the riverbank here. In addition to the yellow Goldenrod (Salidago species) and White Panicle Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) can also be seen in all its splendid glory.Why do we now love native Common Milkweed, while once we treated it as a noxious weed? For the monarch butterflies of course! We know that monarch butterflies lay eggs on milkweed plants in our region, grow into caterpillars, pupate and emerge as beautiful orange butterflies and then embark on a 4000km flight to Mexico where they overwinter. Monarchs are also a threatened species being significantly impacted by pesticide use and habitat loss. This news article from 2022 has some interesting information on the monarch butterfly: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/monarch-research-northern-ontario-1.6532496 What steps can you take to support pollinators like butterflies? Consider planting a “Haliburton County Pollinator Garden”, filled with the kinds of native plants you’ll find along the Minden Riverwalk. These include trees, shrubs, flowering plants and sedges/grasses. The Haliburton Master Gardener native plant guide will be a good reference resource for you. Avoid the use of herbicides or pesticides on your property and in your gardens and leave stems of grasses and flowers standing in your garden in the fall to give overwintering insects a place to shelter.Did you know that Common Milkweed leaves are eaten by both monarch caterpillars and butterflies? And those leaves contain a compound – glycosides – that make the monarch caterpillars and butterflies toxic to predators. Milkweed plants are the only food source for monarch caterpillars. Did you find some monarch eggs, caterpillars, pupae or butterflies on your walk today?U-Links Species Profile:Red Milkweed Beetle, Tetraopes tetrophthalmusA common association to milkweed plants is the monarch butterfly, due to its popularity and use as a food source for caterpillars (Rhodes, 2022), however another species with an even stronger reliance on milkweed is the Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetreophthalmus). Red Milkweed Beetles are a univoltine, specialist species (Erwin et al., 2014), specifically attracted to common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca.). Univoltine insects are species that only produce a single litter/brood of offspring, in a single year. This insect is a specialist to Common milkweed, relying entirely on the plant to host its entire life stage, but also to host the next clutch of red milkweed beetles in the next season.The Milkweed Beetle life cycle flows in tandem with the Milkweed plant, with peak colony size being reached at the height of the blooming period of the milkweed (Holdrege, 2010). Their life cycle is divided into four stages, which is known as holometabolous (Rhodes, 2022). The first of these stages is the egg stage. Female Red Milkweed beetles will lay their eggs at the base of the plant, or at a nearby plant stalk (Rhodes, 2022). Once hatched, the second phase begins, which is known as the larval stage. Newly hatched larvae have a wormlike morphology, burrowing into the ground to feed on the roots and rhizomes of the plants (Reagel et al., 2002). It is at this stage where the insect will consume the most food. The third stage is the pupae stage, where it spends time transforming into its final form, the adult phase. The adult phase is where the insect is the most recognizeable, as well as when the insect will feed at the top of the plant and reproduce (Rhodes, 2022). Adults feed on the flowers and foliage, with the larger plants being the most common grounds of congregation (Reagel et al., 2002). These beetles are also a pollinator species for milkweedAdults are typically 1.27cm in length, and can be longer due to the size of their antenna, males however are typically smaller than females (Rhodes, 2022). The red and black colouration is a signal to other animals that it contains a toxin known as cardenolide (Erwin et al., 2014), which it acquires through the consumption of common milkweed. The toxin that is transferred to the larvae during its mass feeding period does not affect the beetle, making it a resilient herbivore. Adults will still contain the toxin after its final development, making it an unpleasant meal to many other predators. Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent UniversityU-Links Species Profile:Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippusThe monarch butterfly is one of the most remarkable and most studied insects of all time. Dawning the infamous orange and black colouration, with white spots along its thorax, forewing and hindwing, this species has become renowned for its beauty as well as its use in educational settings. It is not uncommon for the monarch butterfly caterpillars and cocoons to be used for educational purposes in classrooms and in butterfly conservatories, allowing students and the citizens alike to enjoy their magnificence. The monarch butterfly is also renowned for its massive migration from Canada through the United States and Mexico annually to their overwintering grounds (Jones, 2004). This journey can be upwards of 4000 kms in length, an extensive flight for such a small insect. Monarch butterflies rely heavily on Milkweed plants. Adult monarchs will lay their eggs on milkweed leaves, which will provide a significant food source for the caterpillars once they have hatched. Milkweed plants are the only source of food for monarch caterpillars, making them specialist species in their early years. Of all the milkweed plant subspecies, the common milkweed is what hosts and feeds 90% of Monarch caterpillars. The reliance on milkweed has created an ability to digest a toxin within the milkweed plant, known as cardenolide (Jones et al., 2019). Caterpillars are able to ingest, and sequester the toxic substance produced by milkweed, making themselves toxic if ingested and can induce vomiting in some birds, making them an undesirable food source for most avian predators in Canada (Fink and Brower, 1981). The monarch butterfly is classified as endangered due to major losses in milkweed plants. Agricultural pesticides, urban development and roads have been attributed factors to the decline of this species (Pleasants, 2016). Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Red means “go” for Red Osier Dogwood
Just before you get to the entry to the marsh boardwalk, there’s a lovely stretch of riverbank with Wild Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), which has pale purple flowers in summer, Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum), Slender Leaf Willow and Iris. We have a beautiful native iris, Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolour) which can often be found at the water's edge, its feet in calm water and its blooms of purple petals with yellow throats open to the sun.Red Osier Dogwood is one of our “keystone” native shrubs, with prolific white flowers emerging in early spring providing nectar and pollen for bees and syrphid flies. The white berries in late summer and fall provide food for hundreds of species of birds and mammals. This species, when planted in a sunny location, is noted for its vibrant red stems. Favoured for its red colour in holiday decorating, this fast growing, suckering shrub can handle aggressive pruning. Tolerating a range of light levels and soil regimes, the roots of this shrub can help stabilize slopes since it forms a network of underground roots.Where there are caterpillars, flies and spiders, you will find the predacious Eastern Yellow Jacket who considers them lunch. Their job is not to sting you unless you get too close to their underground nest, but to keep nature in balance. The prey and predator relationship conjures up seat gripping episodes of National Geographic, but this wasp is playing an important role in a functioning ecosystem. If you see them along the Riverwalk please don’t disturb their nests or threaten them and they will leave you alone. For information on how to create a rain garden, which could include Red Osier Dogwood, check out this article from the Haliburton County Master Gardeners: https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/?s=dogwood In addition to the Wild Bee Balm which has mauve flowers, did you know that there is a species of bee balm with stunning bright red flowers? Monarda didyma, or Scarlet Bee Balm as it is commonly called. Bee Balm is also known as Bergamot because the leaves have a floral fragrance reminiscent of the bergamot orange tree (Citrus x aurantium) used to flavour Earl Grey Tea. Pollinators such as the syrphid fly are attracted to the scent of bee balm and the Ruby-throated hummingbird is attracted to the colour and tubular shape of its flowers. Taste a leaf of the bee balm. It’s hot and spicy and you probably won’t like it. Well, neither do the sucking and chewing insects who like to feed on plants!U-Links Species Profile:Eastern Yellowjacket, Vespula maculifronsThe Eastern Yellowjacket is a subterranean wasp species that has been identified at the Minden Garden walk. Subterranean because it builds its hives underground, in low-lying areas or inside of fallen woody debris, and stumps. This species has various patterns on its abdomen, depending on the role of the insect in the hive (i.e., Queen, Worker, Drone). One standout feature of the Eastern Yellowjacket is the triangulated black band at the top of the abdomen of the wasp, which will vary in size depending on the sex of the wasp and its role in the colony. Size can range from 1.25cm-1.8cm in length (Yoder, 2001). Females tend to be larger than males, a concept known as sexual dimorphism. It is considered a generalist species, because it can live in a large range of habitats including forests, meadowlands, urban, agricultural, and suburban regions across Eastern North America. It is also deemed a generalist because of the range of foods that it can exist on. It has been favoured with 2 compound mouthparts: mandibles used for catching and consuming prey, and a tongue that it uses to consume nectar from plants and fruits. The main prey sources for the Eastern Yellowjacket are arachnids (spiders) and caterpillars. Despite its unwarranted reputation the eastern yellow jacket is a peaceful wasp, using its stinger primarily for defence rather than for hunting, however, the wasp will sting multiple times if aggravated (Yoder, 2001). The Eastern Yellowjacket has seasonal spawning patterns, with only the queen surviving the winters. (Yoder, 2001). Males have the shortest lifespan, dying shortly after mating with a queen wasp. Weather and the length of the season will dramatically affect the size of individual hives and the overall population abundance of the Eastern Yellowjacket; If an early cold snap occurs, most of the wasps will die off, leaving a smaller population for that year, whereas if the warm season is prolonged, the spawning success rate of the wasp, as well as the abundance of the population in the area will increase (Yoder, 2001). The Eastern Yellowjacket is considered a large pest species due to its ability to make nests in suburban and urban areas. Although versatile, the wasp does prefer to nest in more natural habitats (DiTerlizzi, 2017). Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Biodiversity in the Wetland
Behind you are 400 meters of boardwalk that takes you through a marsh of Cattails (Typha latifolia), grasses and Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and brings you to the Cultural Centre on your left or the fair grounds on your right. If you have the good fortune to live close to a marsh you will be able to observe the comings and goings of the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. Wetlands are comparable to rainforests and coral reefs for the sheer number of plant and animal species that they support. Some people see swampy land as a breeding ground for mosquitoes with no inherent value. They itch to drain the land, fill in the low spots and use it for agriculture, housing or industry. Around the world such unrestrained uses have changed the climate, released tons of carbon into the air, extinguished untold animal species, created droughts, fouled the water, eroded shorelines and caused destructive and widespread flooding. The township of Minden has had the foresight to make this wetland into a park. And it’s a good thing because without this wetland, the damage to roads and properties from 3 significant flood events in a recent 6 year period could have been a whole lot worse. The Minden marsh absorbs a great quantity of water during a torrential rain storm. The water spreads out along low lying areas, but if there are no marshes to slow and filter the water then the banks will overflow and the flooding will be more severe. These and other marshes help to balance the level of water throughout the year within the Gull River watershed. The Minden Wetland also filters out pollutants and excess nutrients, reducing the algae growth in Gull Lake and others downstream. Too much algae growth robs the lake of oxygen which can result in the death of fish and is a sign of a system badly out of balance. No one wants to live on a dead lake. The forested hillsides and shorelands around Minden and its lakes also play a critical role in our health, safety and well-being. Forests filter and regulate the flow of water, namely their leaves capture and slow the fall of rain to the forest floor, which acts like an enormous sponge, absorbing up to 46 centimetres (15 in) of precipitation before gradually releasing it to streams and recharging ground water. On average an untouched forest floor can absorb two-thirds more rain than a cover of suburban turf.If you have a low spot on your property, think about making it an attractive feature instead of filling it in. If it’s in a sunny area, you might want to plant Blue-eyed Grass or the native bright red Cardinal Flower. If it receives shade, how about planting a fernery? There are any number of native ferns and other moisture loving plants for sun, shade and the in between. The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust created an informative booklet on protecting wetlands on your property: https://www.haliburtonlandtrust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HHLT_WetlandsBooklet-V4-2020-01-011.pdfCommon buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis L.) is found here and is a handsome spreading, multi-branched shrub or sometimes small tree with many branches having balls of showy white flowers resembling pincushions and button-like balls of fruit. Ducks and other water birds and shorebirds consume the seeds. It’s also called a honey plant because butterflies and bees are drawn to its sweet nectar and aromatic flowers. It is suited to very wet soils so consider planting it in a water garden, bog or pond area.
Colour for all seasons
Pause here to look at the varied collection of flowering plants along the riverbank. What colours do you see? Purple, red, white, yellow – depending on the time of year, flowers will have emerged: Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Goldenrod (Solidago species), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Bee Balm (Monarda species) and Yarrow (Achillae millefolium). You may see some colourful butterflies or moths, who rely on the pollen and nectar of these flowers and in turn help to fertilize the plants so that seeds and fruits will be created.What do you hear? Do you hear the buzzing of the Eastern Common Bumble bee? It makes quite a racket when it sticks its long tongue into a tubular flower and starts vibrating its wings and mid- body to shake out the pollen. In contrast, the honeybee is quite quiet as it goes about grazing on flower pollen. The syrphid or hoverfly is also a quiet forager, but buzzes when it hovers its wings in transit to the next flower. The native Eastern Common Bumblebee is quite common along the Riverwalk and is an important pollinator picking up large quantities of pollen on its fuzzy hairs and arriving early in the season looking for pollen and nectar to eat and take back to its nest in the ground. The other insects found in large numbers along the Riverbank are the Syrphid flies. You would be forgiven if you mistook the hoverfly for a wasp. It has the telltale black and yellow banding of a wasp or bee but it's a disguise that nature has given it for protection. You’re meant to give it respect and stay clear so it can do its important job of collecting pollen and fertilizing plants, particularly native plants. Without a stinger however, it can't sting you and without jaws it can’t bite you, but unless you look very carefully you wouldn’t know that. The Narrow-headed Marsh Fly (Helophilus fasciatus), is one of the many species of syrphid flies found on the riverwalk as early as April and active into October. The syrphid fly's maggot-like larvae devour aphids and thrips like they were popcorn which should also make them a gardener's friend.This tour stop has a terrific diversity of flowering perennials and is an excellent example of how to design a “three season flowerbed" that supports pollinating insects, birds and mammals throughout the entire growing season. Be sure to visit this section of the riverbank in spring, summer and fall to witness an ever changing parade of colourful blooms.You may also spot an invasive plant, Purple Loosestrife, close to the water's edge. If you have questions about invasive plants on your property, the Ontario Invasive Plant Council has a very informative website to help you identify (and report, if necessary) invasive plants. They also have developed a “Grow Me Instead” plant guide designed for our northern gardens, which suggests native plants suited to our region which can be planted instead of invasive ornamental plants such as Goutweed, Periwinkle, Lily of the Valley English Ivy. U-Links Species Profile:Eastern Common Bumble bee, Bombus impatiensAs aforementioned in its name, B. impatiens is the most common bumble bee to encounter while out and about in the spring and summer (Williams et al., 2014). Some bumblebees are difficult to distinguish from the naked eye, and the eastern common bumble bee can be confused with another species Bombus bimaculatus, which is also known as the Two spotted Bumble bee (Williams et al., 2014). The difference between the two Bumblebee’s lies with where the yellow hairs turn into black hairs on it;s abdomen, with the two spotted bumble bee having more yellow colouration towards the middle of its abdomen, compared the the Eastern common bumble bee whose yellow colouration ends closer to where the thorax and the abdomen connect. This however is difficult to tell when they are out and about due to how similar they are. colour shape and body size all change with the sex and the role of the bee in the colony. The Largest of all the bees is the queen, ranging roughly 21-23mm in body size, whereas the workers and drones are 9-14mm in body size (Williams et al., 2014). Drones will sometimes sport two yellow dots on the end of its abdomen, close to the stinger. The Eastern Common Bumble Bee, as are the majority of bee species, are a eusocial species, with roles as scavengers and nest dwellers. Scavengers are the bees you will see in your gardens, frantically roaming around various flowers and plants in search of nectar. The Eastern Common Bumble Bee scavengers are some of the most active feeders, consuming nectar a lot more than other species due to how deep into the flower their tongues can reach (MacKenzie, 1994). This also makes them significantly superior pollinators to other species, as they will vibrate heavily while feeding, resulting in more pollen to stick to them, which they transport at high rates to other flowers. The Eastern Common Bumble Bee, as a result of their effective pollinating, are great for gardens as they will pollinate plants that traditionally have a harder time releasing their pollen (Vaudo et al., 2016). This generalist species can be found on practically any flower or fruit tree, making them incredible helpers for gardening and native plantlife. Asters, goldenrod and thistles are some of their favourite native plants that they can feed on (Williams et al., 2014). Their nests are atypical to the traditional bees nest as this species will burrow underground (Williams et al., 2014). The Eastern Common Bumble Bee will set up nests in all sorts of environments, whether it be urban, forested, grasslands, farmlands, parks or wetlands. U-Links Species Profile:Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Helophilus fasciatus The black and yellow banding on insects is a strong indicator of a bee or wasp to both humans and animals alike.due to this predisposition, the infamous bandings of bees and wasp has caused many of us to become cautious around these insects, in hopes of avoiding being stung. Although there is reason to react in such a manner, one insect group has utilized this black and yellow warning as a disguise and that group is the syrphid. Despite their colouration, they do not possess a stinger and cannot bite either as they do not have the sharp mandible that are brandished by wasps, therefore making them harmless to humans.Syrphids are the largest fly family and have a range of approximately 6000 individual species that can be found around the world. Their range is extensive, populating all continents with the exception of the antarctic and some remote islands in the ocean (Doyle et al., 2020). Helophilus fasciatus is one of the most common syrphid species found along the east coast, but can be confused sometimes with its relative, Helophilus latifrons, also known as the Broad-headed Marsh fly (Skevignton et al., 2019), both of which can be found along the Minden Riverwalk. H. fasciatus is roughly 10.8-15.2mm in length, but is wider than some other species of syrphids found at the site, such as T. geminatus. The Narrow-headed Marsh Fly has one of the longest active flying times, being one of the first species to fly around in the early March months and will stay active until as late as October (Skevington et al., 2019). Syrphids, also known as hoverflies, are known pollinators and can carry pollen for greater distances than bees and wasps due to not having constraints to a hive or nest (Doyle et al., 2020). During spawning season, the females will look for plants overhanging ponds, where they will lay their eggs in the vegetation. Once hatched the larvae, known as rat tailed maggots, will dive into the water, where they will begin their development phase, eventually metamorphosing into their adult form (Skevington et al., 2019) that you commonly see on the walk.Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Basswood, a native Linden tree
Linden trees or rather their genus Tilia, have about 30 different species of trees or bushes native to most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as Linden for the European Species and Basswood for the North American species. You will often find American Basswood (Tilia americana) and Small-leaved Linden (Tilia cordata) in this region.Bicycling the backroads of Haliburton County in July when the basswood trees are in full bloom is a delightfully intoxicating experience. The trees come alive with the buzzing of millions of bees as they flit from blossom to blossom. You might be initially nervous foraging for the flowers for their nutritionally rich nectar, but you will quickly realize that the bees have no interest in you and that there are plenty of blossoms for all. You can steep the flowers and drink as tea or infuse with a sweetener to make a syrup. When young, the leaves can be used in salad. In fact the tree is sometimes called the "salad tree'. It's clumping or suckering behaviour makes it easy to collect leaves without having to scale the tree. Children and adults alike love to collect the large 6" leaves to use as compostable plates when serving food.The Basswood tree is one of the trees that will adjust to climate change in the county according to Peter Schlefenbaum, a forester and former owner of the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife. Some other survivors will be the red oak, cherry, ironwood and birch. Here is a tip for you. Instead of raking and disposing of the leaves in the fall, many tree species including basswood have very nutrient rich leaves. Shredding the leaves with a lawnmower can feed your lawn and your trees, and save you money on mulch and fertilizer.The large tree before you is the Small-leaved Linden.Differences between the American Basswood and a Small-leaved Linden:Origin - Basswood is native to North AmericaLeaf size - Basswood trees have much larger leaves than the European Lindens. Although all Lindens have heart shaped leaves.Hardiness Zone - Basswood trees can survive in zones 2 to 9 whereas the Small-leaved Linden thrives in a smaller range.Height - Basswood can grow taller than the Small-leaved Linden reaching up to 80 feet or 25m high compared to 70 feet or smaller for the other Linden varieties.Source https://treejourney.com/differences-between-basswood-and-linden-trees/Other plants at this tour stop include:Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)Culver root (Veronicastrum virginicum)Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Beavers - nature’s gardeners
Did you know that beavers like to eat the bark, buds, leaves, twigs and roots of alder trees? We’ve got a healthy, mature Speckled aka Tag Alder (Alnus incana) at this stop along the Minden Riverwalk – not unsurprising since Speckled Alder prefers moist areas along stream banks http://ontariotrees.com/main/species.php?id=2004. Beavers will also use Speckled Alder branches as building material for their dams.You can identify a Speckled Alder by the pores on its bark (called lenticels). A Speckled Alder will grow as a shrub or small tree. Speckled Alder roots have nodules that connect with specialized nitrogen fixing bacteria, so are considered “nitrogen fixing trees”. What does this mean? Just like legumes, the specialized alder bacteria change inorganic nitrogen into a form that can be easily taken up by plants. These specialized bacteria also perform “rock dissolution” to provide a wide range of nutrients to plants. Alder trees have a key role in enriching soil in forest ecosystems. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/alder-root-nodules https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1814782116 In addition to beavers, Speckled Alder buds, seeds and catkins are food for birds like redpoll, grouse and goldfinches. Moose and muskrats will also eat the twigs and leaves. Since Speckled Alder flowers early in spring, its pollen is an important food source.Did you know? Alder bark contains salicylic acid, similar to aspirin, just like willow bark. https://m.espacepourlavie.ca/en/biodome-flora/speckled-alder-alder Also found here is Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) . You will see its white blooms in late summer and early fall. It’s a nectar source for many butterflies and birds and supports native bees like sweat bees. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=eupe3 https://www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/common_boneset It prefers moist soil and will spread by both seed and rhizomes (specialized roots). It is a deer resistant plant! https://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Eupatorium-perfoliatum
Serviceberry serves our wildlife
There are a number of species of Serviceberry found in Ontario: Saskatoon Servicberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) near the Ontario-Manitoba border, Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) native to southwestern Ontario and Smooth Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) found from Southern Ontario north to Lake Superior. https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceberries?fbclid=IwAR0mFG1f5MGzhdN2xOQXXG_lxO_WuNQg2Wqqr-jnyCu1J5kEtAaU8BGPusc The small tree at this tour stop is a Smooth Serviceberry and is very adaptable to a range of growing conditions: moist (not water logged) to dry soil, tolerating full sun to partial shade. It can grow to 10 meters tall with smooth gray bark on multi stemmed trunks. The leaves are oval or round, less than 8cm long with fine teeth on the edges and they turn bright orange to dark red in the fall. Clouds of dainty white flowers cover this tree and are often the first blossoms you see in fields and at the edge of woodlands in the spring. Small red fruits turning to purple or black ripen by mid to late-summer. The fruits are sweet and delicious and can be used in baking or preserves. Serviceberry has a fibrous root system that provides good soil stabilization along shorelines and this feature also makes it easy to transplant. This small tree is considered a “keystone” species because it is a critical component of our local food web. The nectar rich flowers are an early food source for butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators. For more information on keystone species, see https://backyardsfornature.org by Doug Tallamy.The berries are eaten by orioles, robins, thrushes, woodpeckers and cedar waxwings as well as by squirrels and chipmunks. Some larger animals such as moose, deer and snowshoe hares may browse on leaves and twigs. The foliage is food for the larvae of the eastern tiger swallowtail, viceroy, red admirals and other butterflies. Cosmetic damage to the leaves can be done by the larva of pear sawfly and gypsy moth, but predatory insects and birds will control them. Please do not use pesticides!Where there are butterfly and moth larvae you’re sure to find carnivorous paper wasps. Caleb Brown, a student researcher working with U-Links, netted 2 species at this site. The more numerous of the two was the European Paper Wasp, (Polistes dominula) which came all the way from Europe. The other is a local - the native Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus). Both are yellow and black like the yellow jacket, but have much thinner waists. Unfortunately, the European wasp overwhelmed the native Northern Paper Wasp, reproducing at a higher rate and eating its way through nature’s buffet leaving nothing but scraps to the native wasp. Much diminished in numbers, the good news is that the Northern Paper Wasp is still to be found along the Riverwalk. Paper wasps build their fiber nests in cracks and crevices and will only sting you if they feel threatened. You might also see a beetle-like insect called a Boxelder Bug or Maplebug (Boisea trivitta). It’s a good name because this “true bug” likes to eat the seeds and suck on the leaves of Manitoba maple, other maples and ash trees. Because it is very particular about what it eats, scientists call it a specialist. This native bug has wings, 3 sets of legs, antennae and is black in colour with red markings. Birds and other animals won’t eat this bug because it releases a very nasty smell and tastes bad should they get too close. You might catch it sunbathing in large clusters on the ground or on a window ledge. If this bug gets into your home they don’t pose a health threat to you or your pets. They’re just looking for a warm place to overwinter.See the listing of regional native plants by the Haliburton County Master Gardeners at https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Native-Plants-for-your-Property-including-Shorelines-April-2021.pdf (Serviceberry is on page 28)U-Links Species Profile:European Paper Wasp, Polistes dominulaAlthough mistaken for a Yellowjacket, this insect is a part of the Polistes family, which is the Paper Wasp family. Its colouration gives it an aggressive black and yellow pattern, with jagged yellow bands painted across its abdomen and thorax (shoulder area). The Paper Wasp has a very thin waist typically much thinner than the yellowjacket. The European Paper Wasp also has a unique orange colouration on its antennae and legs. This species does not experience gender dimorphism, with both the males and the females looking fairly identical, with the sole exception being in the forewing size, where females are typically larger (Buck et al., 2008). This species was originally from Europe, and was brought over to Canada and has also spread to other places in the world. (Howse et al., 2020). The European Paper Wasp is a very competitive wasp and has managed unfortunately to outcompete other types of native paper wasps all around the world, including the Canadian native Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) (Howse et al., 2020). Prior to the introduction of the European Paper Wasp in the 1980’s, Polistes fuscatus, commonly known as the Northern Paper Wasp, was the most abundant of its kind in Eastern North America (Howse et al., 2020). The European wasp, an efficient nest builder, reproduces quickly and is thereby able to expand its territory consuming resources wherever it goes. (Howse et al., 2020). Although a formidable foe in territorial ambitions, the European paper wasp has not been able to drive out the Northern Paper Wasp, and both can be found here along the Minden Riverwalk. European Paper Wasps have unique nest formations, using plant and wood fibres that they have chewn, often collecting their building materials from old porches and fences (Cranshaw, 2008). These nests are open faced, and are not covered like other nests that are created by yellowjackets or bees. These insects overwinter differently, preferring to snuggle into holes, nooks and crevices in and around urban areas. They don’t necessarily build their nests in the same location as they overwinter and may leave once it is warmer (Cranshaw, 2008). Polistes dominula collects nectar for both brood reproduction and to sustain their thermoregulation. The wasp will also hunt for caterpillars to feed to their larvae. This wasp has also been known to eat fruit (Galvan et al., 2008; Hodgson & Roe, 2007). These species are not particular with their food, however they have a tendency to hunt moth and butterfly caterpillars, making them of benefit to the gardener looking for a natural way to control unwanted pests like aphids and plant eating caterpillars. (Cranshaw, 2008). Another unique characteristic of this species is their ability to regulate their activity. They can optimize their energy usage by conserving energy in their resting phase or through affecting their body’s metabolic rate. This is a response to the influence of the environment on their bodies which want to be in a state of balance (Kovac et al., 2019). These insects are not typically aggressive and may string only when their nest is disturbed (Cranshaw, 2008). U-Links Species Profile:Boxelder Bug, Boisea trivittataBoisea trivitta, also known as the Boxelder bug (sometimes called Maplebugs) is a flat, greyish black insect with red bandings along the edges of its elytra and thorax. It spans roughly 130mm in length and has a leathery pair of wings that are tucked underneath its black and red shell (Hodgeson & Roe, 2010). During its nymph phase (young Boxelder bug phase) it is a bright red colour and has not yet developed wings. Although its colouration resembles a ladybug or a milkweed beetle, the Boxelder bug is not a part of the Coleoptera order, but rather the Hemiptera order. The insect contains a straw-like mouth that it uses for feeding (Hodgeson & Roe, 2010). The Boxelderbug is classified as a specialist species, as it prefers to congregate in the boxelder maple (also known as the Manitoba maple) where they feed on the seeds, leaves, and the twigs of the tree. They also have other species that they can utilize for survival, such as other maples and ash trees, however the boxelder tree is the prime spot for this insect (Baxendale & Keith, 1975, revised 1992).. During the cooler seasons, the boxelder bug will hide in leaf debris and other dry areas it can find (Hodgeson & Roe, 2010). They also congregate near surfaces with good sun exposure, where they will sun themselves in large groups. Roofs, windows and walls are all common places for the boxelder bugs to congregate to sun (Hodgeson & Roe, 2010). The Boxelder bug can commonly be found congregating in masses all over various surfaces, both in natural and anthropogenic environments. Around the fall season, thousands of boxelder bugs will group up around warm areas to stay warm, making it seem as though a tree or your house has been infected with a tedious pest insect. Although it is not ideal to have these insects congregating in your house, they do not pose the caliber of threat to your home as a termite or an ant infestation might, as they do not devour at foundation or raid any of your food storage systems. Rather, the boxelder bug is looking for a place to stay warm for the upcoming cold season (Houseman and Barret, 2022). These insects also pose no harm to people or pets, but can be a nuisance species when they do breach your house. Be sure not to squish them, as they can stain surfaces if squished. Instead, using a vacuum, or hand removing individuals and putting them outside is a better alternative and will not stain walls, floors and carpets (Housemen & Barret, 2022). To avoid having these insects invade your home, sealing any cracks in the windowsill and replacing old screens will assist in ensuring they cannot enter your home. Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Plants can solve problems
Plants have roots that intertwine, roots that mat together, roots that penetrate deeply and anchor around rocks, and roots that prevent soil from washing away. Nature has done a pretty good job holding things together since the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Attached to these roots are a variety of remarkable plants, including shrubs and trees that have evolved over thousands of years with each other and with mammals, insects and avian species to create some pretty extraordinary ecosystems. More and more landscapers are turning to native plants and methods that mimic natural processes to restore degraded sites along shorelines and in upland areas as well. Before us we have an interesting situation. A small beach was created to allow people to enter the river to swim. Leading to this beach is a set of steps, cut from local granite rock. Now it would appear that someone has messed with the lower 2 steps and moved them about, but that’s not the case. The force of the river, particularly during spring breakup when the water is high, is very strong and it’s the water that has eroded the soil from under and around the rocks over time. The other sections of the riverbank are cloaked in plants – lots of Red Osier Dogwood, named for its red stems and Willow shrubs. It's these tenacious plant roots that are holding the bank in place. These particular plants have adapted to extreme conditions and will survive periods of flooding and then long periods of dryness. There are many other plants that can tolerate a range of conditions that make them ideally suited to shorelines and the vagaries of the weather. Place plants close to hard scape features like steps to hold the soil in place and plant them densely. Bearberry would be a good choice for planting around these steps. It is a hardy, low growing plant that thrives in poor soil and lots of sun. For other plant choices please go here: https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/resource/rain-gardens-and-berming-permaculture-solutions-for-erosion-due-to-torrential-rain/If you live on a waterfront you’ll want access to the water, to reach a dock or a beach. The ideal is to minimize the amount of native vegetation that you remove to create a path. For level sites, a soft path is kindest to the land. For steeper sites, steps or a snaking path may be necessary. A path will act as a water course during heavy rains so top the surface of your path with wood mulch to help slow and absorb water. If your slope is very steep and you’re using rock, make it local granite which is available nearby and will be more aesthetically pleasing. Don’t ignore the value of plants when you are putting in hardscapes like steps, patios and retaining walls and wherever practical, choose plants over hardscape to solve problems and create esthetically pleasing spaces. Shorelines cloaked in vegetation fare better than properties cleared of all vegetation. Steep banks do well planted in Willow shrubs, Speckled Alder, Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) and Red Osier Dogwood, named for its red stems.Hard surfaces like steps and retaining walls do nothing to slow the flow of water from the top of a slope or prevent the force of a river or wave action from slowly undermining these structures. Engineers have found that rip rap is not always effective in stabilizing the shore but merely armours it for a period of time. Rip rap does a poor job of absorbing the energy of water and merely deflects waves to the edges undermining neighbouring properties. Placing plants in rip rap to accumulate organic debris from roots can help.Restorationists are now opting to use vegetation and softer organic materials. In serious cases, a steep slope may need to be cut back to reduce the angle and then clothed in coco mat to hold the disturbed soil in place until plant roots spread enough to take over this function. Coconut fiber rolls and mats placed along a shoreline can absorb and redirect water and can be planted into so that plant roots can eventually take over.Ideally we want to take care of water before it reaches the shore. And to do that we need to assess the state of the landscape from the shoreline back to your property line. We would need to consider how many buildings and parking areas with impervious surfaces or turf grass there are compared to a many layered woodland. A landscape of different layers allows light to penetrate to all plants: low perennials, understory, upper canopy.Erosion has a lot to do with upland management. The ideal is to have the ground water from rainfall and runoff be absorbed, filtered and cleaned before it runs down the slope to the water body. Bioswales, rain gardens, and undulations in the landscape can all be used to hold water and give it time to absorb into the ground. Forests filter and regulate the flow of water. In particular, the leaves capture and slow the fall of rain to the forest floor, which itself acts like an enormous sponge, absorbing up to 46 centimetres (15 in) of precipitation before gradually releasing it to streams and recharging ground water. On average an untouched forest floor can absorb 2/3rd more rain than a cover of suburban turf.Well vegetated upland areas can still offer a view. Deciduous shrubs and trees can be thinned and branches removed with little effect on the vegetation. It’s called ‘vista pruning’ and looks more attractive than a clear-cut swath down to your lake. Use brush and other available organic matter to build soil to reclaim poor soil areas. It may take a few years for twigs and branches to break down in our temperate zone with our short summers and cool evenings, but you’ll eventually be rewarded with rich, moist soil ideal for planting natives. If you can’t wait, you can make a hole in the brush, add soil and plant. Brush piles also act as habitat for wildlife so you may want to have a succession of soil building projects on the go. Build swales or ditches and then plant them so that plant roots can take up excess water. A bioswale allows surface water to soak into the earth slowly, rather than flooding or shooting down to the lake. Use rocks, logs and any other natural debris to slow down the flow of water and arrest erosion. Place logs perpendicular to a compacted and steep path to direct water to the sides. Use wood chip mulch on the sloped pathways as it is absorbent and is a soil builder. As tempting as it may be, please avoid planting fast growing invasive ground covers like periwinkle (Vinca) and Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria). https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/resource/invasive-species/Plants, with their varied root systems, blanket and protect the soil from drying out and from blowing or eroding away. They also aerate the soil and provide nutrients to the soil from decaying foliage. Organic material has the additional benefit of providing texture and nutrients to your soil as it breaks down.An effective and affordable solution for any terrain but particularly steep slopes is the use of wattles. These are simply bundles of organic material, interwoven twigs and tree branches or possibly coco rolls. Live stakes and/or steel rods are used to hold the material in place. The live stakes are cuttings taken from shrubs such as willow and dogwood, that quickly set down roots. The use of live stakes can only be done in early spring and the stakes can be bought or cut from existing vegetation before leaf-out. Buttonbush, elderberry, viburnum, willow, dogwood are all sold as live stakes. Buy dormant and plant in April/May.How to obtain plants:The nursery trade has a very small inventory of native plants, so you’ll have to be creative. Celebrate what you have, prune, move and enhance.Transplant or divide from plants on your property.Collect seed from friends.Purchase sustainably grown plantsFor a list of local landscapers, arborists and nurseries please visit our Buy Local page
The big story of the understory
A forest is made up only of trees, right? Wrong! A forest has layers, including the understory. This stop has many examples of understory bushes, small trees and flowering plants, all critically important to the forest ecology.The herbaceous layer of the understory may be made up of small leafy, non woody plants but these play an outsized part in the health of a forest ecosystem. They represent less than 1% of the biomass of the forest, yet can contain 90% or more of the plant species of the forest and contribute up to 20% of the foliar litter to the forest floor. —litter that is generally of higher nutrient content than that of trees. You can read this article for more detailed scientific information about this “herbaceous” layer, or understory:https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/57/10/845/232416In the pine and spruce dominated forests of the northern part of the Haliburton Highlands, forests typically contain about 300 plant species. Only about 20 of those species are trees; the rest are understory plants. Typically, the large trees in the forest – the “overstory” – impact the amount of light getting to the forest floor and the nutrients that are available to the many small plants living at the feet of the trees.You’ve maybe heard about how forests are very good at storing carbon. Would you be surprised to learn that relative to their size, the herbaceous layer does a better job storing carbon and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus than large trees? So next time you walk through a forest, take note of the little plants underfoot. And on your own property don’t clear your woods of so-called “brush” but learn the names of these plants and tell their stories to all who will listen.There are quite a few understory herbaceous plants and native woody shrubs and small trees that can be viewed at this tour stop. They include:Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericae)Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba)Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus)Elderberry (Sambuca nigra)Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)Did you know another, mostly hidden part of healthy forests? Mushrooms! Underground, the fibers of fungi or mushrooms (which are really the fruiting bodies of fungi) form an amazing network or web. These fibers, or mycelia, have a unique connected relationship with trees, providing trees with vital nutrients. This underground connection is nicknamed the “wood wide web”. Read more about it here: https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/wood-wide-web/ . What can you do to support this? Provide fungi with the food they need and leave fallen logs, branches and leaves on the forest floor to slowly be broken down by fungi.If you’re out walking during the fall, you may see the distinctive white silk webbing of the Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea). At this stop they’ve created a nest at the furthest reach on the cherry tree branch extending over the water. Fall Webworms are unusual in that they build their webbed nests in the fall; they are often confused with Tent Caterpillars, who build their webbed nests at the crotch of branches in the spring. Since they emerge late in the growing season, Fall Webworms will rarely kill a tree by skeletonizing it. The fall webworm is a moth caterpillar native to southern Ontario and the United States.As unsightly as they are, populations of Fall Webworms will be kept under control by ladybugs and beetles like our native Twelve-spotted Lady Beetles (Coleomegilla maculata), as well as by ants, spiders, wasps and birds. The Haliburton Master Gardeners “Guide to Native Plants” has a full listing of native shrubs and other shade loving woodland plants that are part of a healthy, diverse forest ecosystem. The understory plants also serve as food and shelter for forest creatures and pollinating insects.U-Links Species Profile:Fall Webworm, Hyphantria cuneaWhile you walk along the river, there is a slight chance that you may collect a hitchhiker when you wander under a tree. A tiny fuzzy worm may have created a silk thread to propel itself down towards your shoulder if there is enough rustling of the top tree leaves. They however, are harmless to you and are only in search of food or hiding from predators. The fall webworm is a native moth caterpillar that ranges all around southern Ontario and the United States, and has since spread to Europe and Asia (Edosa et al., 2018). These small worms are uncommon for their interesting caterpillar (larval) phase, which occurs around the fall season. As previously mentioned, it can be confused with the Tent caterpillar, however a distinction between the two of them is where they set up their ‘tents’, as the tent caterpillar will spin its silk at the connecting point of the large branches and the tree trunk, whereas the fall webworm will spin its silk webs at the ends of branches (Showalter & Ring, 2017). Even though the fall webworm has a large appetite and can skeletonize the branches and leaves that they consume (Edosa et al., 2018), the location of their silk casings as well as the season in which they are active, their destructive feeding habits do not cause major damage or losses to their host plant. They can however leave the plant more susceptible to damage from other trees if there are a large number of webworms at a specific site. The morphology (physical makeup) of the fall webworm will change slightly as they grow. They begin their life cycle as tiny greenish yellowish worms with tufts of patchy hair along their bodies. The fall webworm will spin its web and gorge on leaves and fruits, growing and changing from its original colour to a darker grey pattern (Showalter & Ring, 2017). Their heads will change from a black colour to a reddish colour prior to going into its pupa phase, cocooning itself until it develops into a full grown moth (Showalter & Ring, 2017). They will then change into a vibrant white moth that will roam around at night looking for mates (Edosa et al., 2018). Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Goldenrod is “golden” for pollinators
There are more than 25 different species of Goldenrod found in Ontario with varieties that grow in almost any conditions. They have bright yellow showy flowers from August to September and are prized as ornamentals by European gardeners.Species found around the Minden Riverwalk include the Rough-stem or Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod, (Solidago rugosa), Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and Grass-Leaved Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia) found in moist soils and in full sun.Goldenrod are some of the most important fall blooming native plants for pollinators. Now why would that be? First of all they bloom in the fall when little else is blooming. The bright yellow flowers are attractive and the sweet nectar acts to lure the insect pollinators with the promise of a feast. Along with the fall flowering asters, the Goldenrod provides food for the monarch butterfly in preparation for its long migratory flight south to its winter home in Mexico. The monarch consumes plant nectar and the plant is happy because its pollen gets spread as the butterfly moves from flower to flower. It may be hard to believe, but the Goldenrod is food for over 100 species of moths and butterflies. Some butterflies drink nectar but many do not. You can be sure however, that all caterpillars (which is another stage in the life cycle of butterflies) are voracious eaters. When they hatch out into caterpillars they grow quickly by eating the leaves of the Goldenrod, asters or milkweed plants, whatever is their preferred food. Some of the caterpillars live to pupate into butterflies, but some get picked up by birds and are carried to their nests to feed their babies. This food web is what makes the Goldenrod a “Keystone” species. It’s too aggressive for a little garden but please leave it to grow in other parts of your property. If you went by Stop 12 by the Serviceberry shrub you may have learned about the Northern Paper Wasp. It’s the black and yellow wasp with a super thin waist. Look carefully on the goldenrod and you might see it going after a butterfly caterpillar or a grasshopper. It eats other insects that might otherwise get out of control and leave little for others to eat. Don’t disturb it and it won’t bother you. These wasps are a generalist pollinator species, who begin their cycles as carnivores during their larval form and remain as nectar feeders as adults (Buck et al., 2008) The adults are known for hunting caterpillars, which they will butcher and feed to their larvae, as well as grasshopper species (orthoptera), They are incredibly effective at removing pest species from gardens and can enhance plants by removing problematic species. Once the Northern Paper wasp reaches its adult form, the wasp then forages for nectar, making this species effective for plant growth and development through pollination and protecting it from harmful invaders. Unfortunately, Goldenrod has an undeserved reputation for causing hay fever and allergies. This is NOT CORRECT. The culprit for this is in fact Ragweed which happens to flower at the same time. Ragweed has little inconsequential green flowers that produce pollen that is very light in weight and therefore easily carried by the wind. The pollen from Goldenrod flowers is heavy and sticky so cannot be carried by the wind but is moved by insects. Honey producers make a Goldenrod honey which when consumed may help people to naturally develop resistance to allergies caused by ragweed pollen.Other plants at this tour stop include:Heart leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)White Panicle Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)Bog Aster (Oclemena nemoralis)Reed Canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)U-Links Species Profile:Northern paper wasp, Polistes fuscatusThe northern paper wasp is one of the biggest head scratchers in the taxonomic world, due to its massive range in colour variation and patterning (Buck et al., 2008). The patterns are heavily influenced by their geographical region, with a massive range of colours over different parts of the body, although the abdomen has the most variation within the samples found in Minden. The patterns seen along the Minden Riverwalk include soft yellow/brown spots, yellow bandings across the abdomen, and yellow patterning on their heads. If this isn’t confusing enough, the female wasps can look identical to two other wasp species, Polistes metricus and Polistes bellicous (Buck et al., 2008), and have also been recorded to integrate with these two species, making the boundaries of identification within these three species very difficult. Males however, are easily distinguishable. Workers and queens in colonies have a unique ability of facial recognition within their group, and can remember individual insects by their faces. Remarkable! (Tibbets et al., 2021) The Northern paper wasp has a four stage cycle of nest creation and colony behaviour. These stages are: founding, worker, reproductive, and intermediate phases (Sumana & Stark, 2004). The most intriguing of the four stages is the founding stage, where females will fly to new locations, preferring wooded areas, or areas around human development, where they will either create a new nest, or take over an abandoned one (Sumana & Stark, 2004). Although there are displays of aggressiveness between two foundress wasps (females starting a new colony) they typically will work together in raising the first generation of workers and have even displayed signs of working together to forage for food to minimize the time the nest is left unguarded. (Gamboa & Stump, 1996). These insects are generalist pollinator species, who begin their cycles as carnivores during their larval form and remain as nectar feeders as adults (Buck et al., 2008) The adults are known for hunting caterpillars, which they will butcher and feed to their larvae, as well as grasshopper species (orthoptera), They are incredibly effective at removing pest species from gardens and can enhance plants by removing problematic species. Once the Northern Paper wasp reaches its adult form, the wasp then forages for nectar, making this species effective for plant growth and development through pollination and protecting it from harmful invaders. Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Cardinal Flower heralds fall
If you are lucky enough to be sitting on this bench in late July through September, you will see brilliant red flowers growing along the shoreline. These are the native Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) that grow best in consistently moist soil, in full sun or part shade, and are most frequently seen along riverbanks, streams and swamps. They grow 2’ to 4’ tall with a spire of crimson, tubular flowers that open gradually from the bottom up over a period of weeks. Look closely and you might see a Ruby-throated hummingbird feasting on the nectar in the flowers. The hummingbird has a long narrow bill and tongue that matches the tubular shape of this flower. The opening of the flower is too narrow for most other insects to enter so the hummingbird has less competition for the nectar. Learn more about this relationship here: https://the-natural-web.org/2012/07/23/ruby-throated-hummingbirds-and-cardinal-flower-a-perfect-partnership/Cultivars of the Cardinal Flower like Fan Scarlet can look beautiful in the garden and attract hummingbirds, but it only has 20% of the nectar production of the native species (see https://pollinatorgardens.org/2013/02/08/my-research/). Given the long migration hummingbirds have to undertake in the fall we want to provide as much natural nectar to them from our gardens as possible. If you are planting Cardinal Flowers in your garden look for the native species Lobelia cardinalis. In the wild, Cardinal Flowers spread by seed and also by growing rosettes at the base of the plant that can be divided and replanted in the spring. Also, bending the Cardinal Flower stem and securing it under the mud with stones or sticks can result in a new plant.The Ruby-throated hummingbird is also attracted to Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), and native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) so plant some of those as well to keep the hummingbirds lingering in your garden.See the Native Plants directory on the Haliburton County Master Gardener website for more detailed information on Cardinal Flower and other native flowering perennials for your garden https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Native-Plants-for-your-Property-including-Shorelines-April-2021.pdf
Pollinators prefer native roses
The small flower of this Native Rose (Rosa blanda) has a simple, wide open shape with five pink petals and upright stamens loaded with pollen and nectar. This feature allows bees and other pollinators to land easily. Many of the hybrid varieties of roses have so many showy petals that the pollinators cannot access the centre of the flower to get the pollen. This is not good on many levels: the bee doesn't get food and the plant doesn't get pollinated and it may not produce rose hips, which is another source of food for wildlife. “They are all show and no go” says entomologist Stephen Bachman of the U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/1999/Grow-Native-RosesAfter rose blossoms have dropped, rose hips will appear and ripen in the fall throughout early winter. Rose hips are a winter food for birds and mammals such as waxwings, pine grosbeaks, grouse, rabbits, coyotes and skunks. Rose hips have high Vitamin C content and were used to treat scurvy when citrus fruits were not available. They are also used to make tea, in baked goods and puddings and their pectin can be used as a thickener. Rose petals can be sprinkled into salads, candied for cake decoration, made into jams, jellies, vinegars and syrups. The Native Rose is resistant to pests and diseases and requires little care. It grows in thickets, open woods, meadows, roadsides, rocky slopes and shores in full or partial sun and dry to moist soil. https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/flora/wild-roses.html#speciesDo you love roses, but are worried about caring for them? The Haliburton County Master Gardeners have some tips for caring for roses on our website at: https://www.haliburtonmastergardener.ca/resource/pruning-and-maintenance-of-rose-bushes/ Other plants at this stop:Weeping spruce Have you heard and been confused by terms such as hybrid, cultivar, nativar and variety? Don’t despair, experienced gardeners have been as well. When it comes to introducing native plants to the fragile and pristine environment of the Highlands, here is what you need to know. First, the research is ongoing so it’s best to err on the side of caution. Grow straight species because they are the plant that you would find in the wild. Seeds are gathered from various wild varieties of plants and planted by nurseries or you can do it yourself. A cultivar is a plant that has been bred to bring out a particular colour, shape etc. A nativar is a cultivar from a straight species/wild-type of native plant. There are 2 reasons why you want to avoid planting cultivars and nativars. The first is that a cultivar can cross pollinate with the native species and negatively alter the genetics of the native plant and its attractiveness to wildlife. This is the case in areas of pristine nature where native species still exist. If you want to plant a cultivar or nativar make sure it is sterile.The second reason is that we don’t have enough data to know if the changes to create a cultivar attractive to people are beneficial to wildlife. In some cases it may make no difference, in others the pollen may be less nutritional, the double petaled flowers inaccessible or the altered colour may not be attractive to a bee. Native plant species have evolved very slowly over thousands of years in tandem with the native bees and other insects so that both plant and insect benefit from this long association. Cultivars sometimes called Nativars have been manipulated in such a way that their leaf colour, for example, is purple instead of green. The native Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) has green leaves that the caterpillars like to eat. There is a cultivar called Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ with attractive purple leaves but they are distasteful to the caterpillar. And if you want to support songbird populations you’ll want to provide them with food. Caterpillars are some birds' favourite food so you’ll want to, for example, grow lots of the green coloured native ninebark and only a couple or maybe none of the fancy purple leaved ‘Diabolo’ cultivar.
These cranberries are for the birds
Standing on the path at the Clergy House on Water Street, you will notice a couple of beautiful native shrubs: Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) and Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum). You will undoubtedly also notice the highly invasive Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica), busily feeding on the leaves of these shrubs.Even though the berries of a Highbush Cranberry look like cranberries and are tolerably edible, they are very different from the bog cranberries we love to feast on at Thanksgiving. With showy white flowers in spring and berries in the fall and winter, these highbush shrubs are native in every province in Canada and are a “must have” for even the smallest property. They will tolerate partial shade but will flower and fruit more readily the more sun that is provided. They like moist soil but will adapt to drier conditions. Other Viburnum species native to our region include Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) and Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides) whose berries provide food for the birds and are some of those important understory plants.A favourite native vine for birds and pollinators, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is also found at this location on our walking tour. An aggressive plant in Southern Ontario, Virginia Creeper is a welcome addition to our native landscapes, useful as a climbing vine and as ground cover particularly in those hard to cover shady areas. How can we distinguish it from Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), an uncommon native in our region? Learn this little ditty and you’ll never be left wondering again:“Leaves of three, let it be. Leaves of five, let it thrive” (but never eat the berries – they’re toxic to humans). Virginia Creeper will attract pollinators to its flowers in spring and many birds to its berries in fall and winter. It’s also a host plant for the larval form of many moths.If you happen to be on the Riverwalk during July and August you’re going to see groups of metallic green and copper coloured beetles. They’re pretty big, about ½” (10mm) large. They emerge from the soil and fly from rose bush to highbush cranberry bush skeletonizing the leaves and leaving not so much as a crumb for the beleaguered local native insects. They aren’t fussy eaters and will consume over 300 species of plants although they prefer fruit trees and fruit bearing shrubs. As a gardener what can you do at home to stop this infestation? There's not a lot you can do to halt the Japanese beetle since it has few native predators but understanding their life cycle will help to implement the right strategies at the right time. Daily hand pickling has been proven to be effective at reducing populations on small properties and a study has shown that the ideal time is at 7 pm. It likes to eat during the day and is particularly active in hot sunny weather. You can’t miss its large size and flashy colour and you should be able to easily flick it into a bucket of soapy water. Stop watering your lawn and shrubs during the month of August to let the soil dry out. The dry conditions will cause the eggs of the next generation to wither and die. The larval form of the beetle is the same white grub that is found consuming grass roots in lawns. Reduce or eliminate your lawn/turf areas. Japanese beetles don’t like tall grass, so let your lawn grow to 8 cm during July and August at the height of egg laying season. Learn to make friends with parasitic wasps as they lay their eggs in the bodies of beetle larvae causing the larvae to die. Mulching under shrubs with wood chips can reduce the larval form of the beetle and consequent damage to roots. Japanese Beetle traps are commercially available but OMAFRA writes that most authorities on the topic discourage their use. Their reasoning is that the traps effectively attract beetles from far and wide, too many to be caught by the traps and you end up with more plant damage and more adults laying eggs in the soil around the traps. For more information consult the OMAFRA U-Links Species Profile:Japanese beetle, Popillia japonicaNative to the island of Japan, the Japanese beetle has been a pest species in Canada, United States, Portugal and Korea for many years (Government of Canada, 2017). This coleoptera (beetle family) was accidentally introduced to North America in 1916, when it was detected in New Jersey during a routine inspection of commercial goods (Potter & Held, 2002). It was then later discovered in Canada around 1939, with its first known location being in Nova Scotia (Government of Canada, 2017). From there, the insect has spread all across Eastern Canada and can now be found across Ontario and will be a populus species along the River walk. This species is a versatile generalist species when regarding feeding behaviours and host plants. Although they do prefer fruit trees and shrubs which also bear fruit, the Japanese Beetle can select over 300 species of plants to feed upon (Potter & Held, 2002), making this insect a very competitive species against many native species. Both Larval stage and Adult stage feed on the plants, with the larvae starting their destructive eating habits underground, feasting on the rhizomes of the plants they are under (Potter & Held, 2002). Once they grow from their larval grub phase, they transition into the iridescent green-brown beetle commonly seen on the plant leaves. The japanese beetle will eat the fruits, leaves and flowers of the host plant, leaving skeletal-like remains, before flying to the next host plant. These insects are mobile, and can jump from plant to plant with their flight ability (Potter and Held, 2002) creating a difficult task in species removal. Due to the destructive nature of this insect, it is common to find commercially available traps around common feeding/nesting grounds of the Japanese Beetle. As a result of trap placement it is common for by-catch of other species, especially pollinators, to occur. According to a study conducted by Sipolski et al., (2019) it is possible to avoid catching our natural pollinators and native insects by selecting the correct luring component and coloured trap. The best combination was found to be using all green traps and the floral lure combination of 7 parts Eugenol and 3 parts phenethyl propionate [PEP] (Sipolski et al., 2019). Finding that exact concentration may prove difficult, however there are common insect traps with these components listed in the ingredients list that can be found in local hardware stores. Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Everlasting love from Yarrow
You’re almost at Bobcaygeon Road! Take a moment at this bench on Water Street and admire the large patch of White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). With fern-like leaves and lots of clusters of white flowers, this native perennial also has several cultivars with different coloured flowers. It will bloom consistently from late spring into the fall, making it a nice addition to a garden. Take a small piece of a leaf stem and smell it – what do you think? Do you see any butterflies, moths or bees on these umbel-shaped flowers? This shape of flower is preferred by many insects – no wonder the “flower meaning” for yarrow is “everlasting love”.A large number of Syrphid or hoverflies were found at this location. The Eastern Calligrapher (Toxomerus geminatus), is just one of dozens of different species of syrphid flies found along the Riverwalk. They have a long season from April to October so you should be able to spot some. You might mistake them for a bee or a wasp. They’ve evolved the look of a wasp as a clever way to ward off predators but they’re really quite harmless. They like Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and Meadow sweet (Spiraea alba), two flowering plants that are found here in addition to that large patch of white flowered yarrow we spoke about already. They feed on the nectar and pollen found in the flowers. The female fly will lay eggs on the leaves. The maggots that emerge from the eggs love to feed on aphids and other soft bodied insects. They keep the numbers of aphids in check thereby preventing them from stripping the plant of all its leaves. So next time you see a Syrphid fly remember all the good things it is doing in all its life stages to benefit the environment and ultimately you.U-Links Species Profile:Eastern Calligrapher, Toxomerus geminatusThis Syrphid fly will be a difficult species to find while you walk along the riverwalk, but if you look carefully, you may notice the Eastern Calligrapher flying to and from various plants, feeding on nectar and pollen and also looking for ideal plants to lay their eggs. Toxomerus geminatus is one of the smaller species of syrphid, ranging from 6.1-7.6mm in length (Skevington et al., 2019). An up close look displays large, bright red eyes, and a small mouth piece that they use for gathering nectar. They will commonly be seen out flying in April to October. The Eastern Calligrapher however, has an even larger impact in the ecosystem beyond pollination as it is an avid hunter in its larval stage (Sampson et al., 2002). Aphids are one of the most common prey for many syrphid species and the Eastern calligrapher is no exception. The larvae will hunt for aphids that are present on their host plant, providing protection to the plants that they host (Sampson et al, 2002). It has been noted however that the larvae of T. geminatus are a more opportunistic hunter, attacking aphids that come within its proximity, rather than proactively hunting, however, despite there sluggish hunting techniques, they are thorough when consuming their prey, leaving almost not remains of anything they catch (Sampson et al., 2002).The range of habitats of this insect is very diverse, as they can be found in forests, savannas, bogs, fens marshes, meadows and fields (Skevington et al., 2019). They also have a range of plants that they will host and feed from, varying with both fruit producers and flowering plants alike. The common plants to find them on are brambles (raspberries, blackberries etc.), Bonesets, goldenrods, hogweeds, cranberry, and many more (Skevington et al., 2019).Researcher: Caleb Brown, Trent University
Groundcovers are not just turf grass
What can you do on your property for groundcovers?While turf grass is used in many places along the riverbank as a ground cover, we can see the native Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) at this stop. This is an excellent groundcover for sunny spaces, with spring flowers that will be used by many pollinating insects and berries that are important food sources for birds and small mammals. You can even make tea from the leaves of Wild Strawberry, which are loaded with vitamin C.If we have a diversity of plants on our properties we can support a healthy population of animals, birds, reptiles and insects. Turf grass has few benefits to nature so one of the things we can do to attract more wildlife is to replace some of our turf grass with native groundcovers. Ground covers can be 1/2" to 24" tall so we have to think about how we use our turfed spaces. Undeniably, turf grass can be a very practical option, but most of us have far too much of it.You're not going to set up a tent or play ball on a groundcover of Canada Anemone, Bearberry or Bracken Fern yet all of these are native ground covers that can thrive in sun. Any low growing plants from the Winterberry family can take sun but do need moisture to thrive. Here are some suggestions: 1. Plant a wildflower and grass meadow (native to the tallgrass prairie region of Southern Ontario) https://www.wildflowerfarm.com/ A good seed mix will include grasses, bee balm, goldenrod and asters.2. Plant slow growing eco lawn seed formulated by Wildflower Farm in Cold Water ON and sold at Home Hardware https://www.wildflowerfarm.com/.3. Plant the native Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), which is a 4" tall evergreen creeping plant with red berries in the fall. It can tolerate some drought and does best in dappled sun. Consider the native Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) as well. The native Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis) is a great spreader and prolific in the sun with long flowering white blossoms. It can reach 12" high, but could be mowed periodically.Are you looking to cover a woodland edge? What about Wild Ginger, Foam Flower, Wintergreen, Ferns, Plantain-Leaf Sedge and Canada Anenome? See the Haliburton Master Gardener native plant guide for detailed information on these and other plants, trees & shrubs for the woodland garden.Never plant non-native invasive or aggressive ground covers, like Goutweed, Lily of the Valley or Periwinkle. They have no place in our natural landscapes and will smother native plants. The Ontario Invasive Plant Council has an excellent brochure called Grow Me Instead with other plant ideas for our northern gardens and a list of the plants you need to stay away from.Other plants at this stop:Silver Poplar (Populus alba)While the Silver Poplar is a tree that is not native to North America, there are several native poplar trees commonly called “Aspens” that are native and are better suited for our region. These include the Trembling Aspen. Aspens are used for shelter and food by large and small mammals and birds. In eastern North America, over 350 species of butterflies & moths use Aspens as a caterpillar host plant.Other trees at this tour stop include:Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)Native to some parts of North America & found along river banks, this fast growing but short lived tree is considered an invasive plant in Ontario. Weedy and weak, it should never be planted on your property.https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/873085White ash (Fraxinus americana)Producing wood that is valued for its strength, White Ash trees support deer and beaver. Seeds are eaten by ducks, turkey, grouse, finches & many other birds & mammals. The trunks will form cavities, which support owls and wood ducks.https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_fram2.pdf
