Dufferin Hi-Land has hosted two successful planting events in September. The Dufferin Hi-Land Biodiversity Committee, in conjunction with staff from the Bruce Trail Conservancy and numerous public volunteers have created a Seed Orchard and planted American Chestnut trees (provided by the Canadian Chestnut Council).
The Seed Orchard was planted at two locations within the Split Rock Narrows property on September 13, 2024. Student and teacher volunteers from Orangeville District Secondary School (ODSS) planted approximately ninety trees and shrubs along with approximately eighty understory native species.
An area was cleared in an (pre-selected) open field and volunteers went to work planting a variety of trees and shrubs including White Pine, American Beech, American Basswood, Witch-hazel and Common Hickory. All species planted are native to the area and have seeds which are easy to collect (for future use within the club and Conservancy). A second location along the trail was identified as an ideal spot to plant understory plants. Species include Wild Bergamot, Bottle Brush Grass and Columbine.
The site will have information signage installed describing the plant species, how to determine when the seed is ripe, how to collect seeds and the best conditions for planting and growing.
As the fourth Seed Orchard within the Conservancy (and first in Dufferin Hi-Land), the goal is to grow indigenous species and eventually collect the seeds for use in future restoration projects (such as after an invasive species removal). The Seed Orchard will be designated for the collection of these seeds and will allow the Conservancy to track native species populations.
A second planting occurred on September 14, 2024, at the Russel property. An enthusiastic group of about fifteen volunteers and staff came together to plant ninety American Chestnut trees. As previously written, the American Chestnut Tree population was decimated in the early 1900’s due to a blight. To restore the population, the Canadian Chestnut Council (CCC) provided us with these trees to plant.
The pre-determined field had “paths” cut through it and our intrepid volunteers “dug-in” and planted the saplings. The trees were then staked and protected with guarding. We look forward to watching this new forest grow!
A special thank you to all the volunteers who took the time to come out and assist with these important projects. We couldn’t do it without all of you!
If you are looking for more events to participate in, we are hosting a “Buckthorn Busting” (removal of this invasive species) on Saturday October 26th. Check the website and/or social media for how to join us.
