Environmental awareness & stewardship summary · 2019-12-05 · Environmental awareness & stewardship summary 2019 Promoting citizen involvement in Waterloo’s public greenspaces

City of Waterloo, Community Services, Environment & Parks Services – Stewardship summary 2019

1

Environmental awareness & stewardship summary 2019 Promoting citizen involvement in Waterloo’s public greenspaces

The City of Waterloo’s Official Plan identifies the value of generating public appreciation and stewardship of the natural environment (urban forest, waterways) and encourages public education and involvement. Environmental awareness and stewardship is fostered through the provision of local environmental events and community stewardship programs in neighbourhood parks.

The City of Waterloo’s Neighbourhood Strategy (2018) focuses on building community through supporting resident-led initiatives. The City is committed to empowering residents to lead and deliver neighbourhood initiatives that improve their neighbourhood park with support through our existing environmental stewardship programs.

Below is an outline of community stewardship achievements that took place within Waterloo’s greenspaces in 2019. Neighbourhoods, schools and corporate teams volunteered to improve public parkland through various stewardship programs offered by the City of Waterloo, while hundreds of individuals and families attended the City’s annual Earth Day® events and new Pollinator Festival, creating environmental awareness and action.


2


Environmenta l events

When the snow melts, a number of opportunities exist for the community to lend a helping hand to remove litter from Waterloo’s greenspaces. The majority of litter clean-ups in Waterloo take place during the month of April in celebration of Earth Day® (April 22) during the City events listed below. These programs are made possible by collaboration and support from the Litter Reduction Task Force, City of Kitchener and City of Waterloo. An Earth Day celebration involving hands-on activities such as tree planting and themes relating to water, nature and pollinators generally takes place the last weekend in April.

K-W Earth Day

In 2019, the City of Waterloo and City of Kitchener joined forces to offer a joint Earth Day event. Due to high winds, the hands-on activities under tents were cancelled, however, the tree planting component was rescheduled to Saturday, May 11. Approximately 80 volunteer participants dug in and planted 275 native trees and shrubs at Bechtel Park to create a healthy woodland edge and expand the urban forest.

20 Minute Makeover

Since 2008, the 20 Minute Makeover has encouraged businesses and schools to spend 20 minutes at 2 p.m. on the Friday near Earth Day® (April 22) to pick up litter on private property.

In 2019, 27 teams from local businesses and schools registered to be involved in the 12th annual 20 Minute Makeover in Waterloo. Over 3,500 people hit the streets around their business or school yard to give their property a makeover through this program!

Bring some Earth Day

into your work day!


3


20 Minute Makeover event Thank you to the following organizations and schools who registered their team and gave their property a makeover during the 20 Minute Makeover event in 2019! Businesses and schools involved in Waterloo’s 20 Minute Makeover event in 2019:

Atlas Property Group / Urbanistyc KW Bilingual School Bluevale Collegiate Institute l’Harmonie Cedarbrae Public School Lester B. Pearson Public School Centennial Public School MCAP Service Corporation Centre for International Governance Innovation OpenText City of Waterloo City Centre & Service Centre Quadro Engineering Corp Client Outlook Inc SAP Canada Dejero Stantec Consulting Delta Waterloo University of Waterloo DigitalEd Virtek Vision International Edna Staebler Public School Waterloo Fire Rescue Stations 1 - 4 Elizabeth Ziegler Public School Waterloo North Chiropractic and Massage GDH Limited (photo below) Keatsway Public School


4



Earth Day Community Clean-up

In celebration of Earth Day, community groups and neighbours organize their own litter clean-up activity in their neighbourhood park through the City of Waterloo’s Earth Day Community Clean-up initiative. During April 26-28, approximately 550 participants from 20 community groups removed litter from neighbourhood parks and trails, making Waterloo a more beautiful place to live!

Thank you for helping to keep Waterloo clean and green!

16th Waterloo Guides Helping Hands of Kitchener - Waterloo

16th Waterloo Pathfinders KWCG PoGO – Blue Reign

1st Waterloo Scouts Lakeshore North Neighbourhood Association

21st Waterloo Scouts Laurelwood SWM pond cleanup crew

AFKW – KW Francophone Community Mary Allen Neighbourhood Association

BlackBerry EHS team Mary Johnston Public School

BlackBerry FSS team Perimeter Institute

Community Christian Reformed Church School of Public Health and Health Systems GSA

Constituency Youth Council Starbucks Coffee Company

Fat Sparrow Group Vista Hills Community Association


5



Providing educational experiences at local environmental events

As a “Bee City”, our goal is to inspire our community to take stewardship action towards creating healthy native pollinator habitat and to develop a greater awareness and appreciation for native pollinators in the community.

As part of this initiative, a new Pollinator Working Group of community volunteers was established in May 2018. The Pollinator Working Group plans their involvement in local community events where they offer educational displays and pollinator crafts to educate youth and adults about native pollinator species. They also plan community stewardship activities in public parks in Waterloo to remove invasive plant species and create pollinator habitat.

For more information on how to get involved, visit: www.waterloo.ca/BeeCity

2019 stewardship and education at local events:

Pollinator Working Group members carried out community stewardship activities listed below to help create pollinator habitat on municipal parkland:

● K-W Earth Day tree planting (May 9) ● Invasive plant species management of Common Buckthorn (June 6) ● Pollinator patch creation in University Downs Park (September 14)

Pollinator Working Group members also provided hands-on learning at local events listed below. Event participants learned about native pollinators through fun, hands-on activities including face-painting, a bee/flower craft and a display with insects and a large Bald-hornet nest.

● City of Waterloo’s 27th annual Service Centre Open House (June 8) ● Bees in the City – Pollinator Film Night (June 18) ● Waterloo Public Library Pollinator Expo (July 17) ● The EcoMarket’s Pollinator Panel at Waterloo Public Library (July 18) ● Cambridge Pollinator Preserve tour (July 24) ● Pollinator Festival (August 17)

Bees in the City – Pollinator Film Night (June 18, 2019)

The evening consisted of the showing of a trio of short documentaries on pollinators, followed by a facilitated discussion with local pollinator experts. Films included Pollinators Under Pressure, A Ghost in the Making, and Solitary Bees.

http://www.waterloo.ca/BeeCity


6



Bees in the City – Pollinator Film Night (June 18, 2019)

Approximately 90 people signed up on the library web site and 75 were in attendance. Three short pollinator films were shown and participants enjoyed the Bee City Working Group displays highlighting insects and handout materials.

This evening was jointly hosted by Bee City Kitchener and Bee City Waterloo in celebration of International Pollinator Week.

Author: Anne Morgan, Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group

Waterloo Public Library Pollinator Expo (July 17)

The Pollinator Working Group joined many other pollinator-focused groups at the Waterloo Public Library to engage with members of the public, young and old, and share information about pollinators. Over 40 children sat down to create pollinator themed crafts and to talk about how helpful pollinators are to our daily lives and our ecosystems, as well as get pollinator face paint! Adults had an opportunity to peek inside a bald faced hornet nest.

Author: Martha Hamre, Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group

https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week


7



Providing educational experiences at local environmental events

The Laurel Creek Citizens' working group is a volunteer group that works with the City of Waterloo to provide educational experiences and stream stewardship activities in our community. In 2019, this working group provided hands-on learning at these local events: UW ENVigorate Festival, Waterloo-Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival, City of Waterloo Service Centre Open House, and the 1st annual Pollinator Festival.

Event participants learned about local streams through fun, hands-on activities including a fishing game, enviroscape stormwater model, aerial maps, Macromania game and live benthic macroinvertebrates collected from a nearby stream or pond.

In 2019, stream stewardship activities included an annual stream clean-up, harvesting of an invasive species known as Japanese knotweed and a fall community planting event. Members of the working group also carried out an inventory to document Phragmites, an invasive non-native grass that grows along waterways to determine its extent within our creeks and stormwater management ponds.

View the Laurel Creek Citizens’ spring newsletter for details (www.waterloo.ca/LCC).

Laurel Creek Citizens working group stream stewardship activity

http://www.waterloo.ca/LCC


8


Environmenta l fest iva ls

Providing educational experiences at local environmental festivals

Two local festivals that educate youth about our water and forestry resources are coordinated and delivered by a number of local organizations.

The Waterloo Wellington Children's Groundwater Festival (WWCGF) is a unique water education program which promotes 'hands-on' learning in a manner that is fun and interactive. The mission is to challenge students to consider the importance of water conservation, protection, technology and ecology.

In May 2019, we celebrated the 24th annual Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival with over 5,000 school participants in grade 2 through 5. This Festival is one of many festivals held at various locations across the province, where more than 65,000 children are educated about the importance of our water resources.

Since 2012, the Forest Festival has educated students in grades 6 and 7 with several key messages about forests: the importance of the forest life zone, forest ecosystems, species at risk, stewardship conservation and climate change through the use of hands-on interactive activities. This festival takes place early October as the fall leaves change colour at the beautiful historic site of the Waterloo Region Museum.

City of Waterloo Forestry staff demonstrate use of small hand tools & safety equipment

http://www.wwcgf.com/

http://www.waterlooregionmuseum.com/education-programs/education-programs/


9


Environmenta l fest iva ls

Pollinator festival

Local Bee City Working Groups of the City of Waterloo and City of Kitchener hosted their 1st annual Pollinator Festival at Huron Natural Area in Kitchener on Saturday, August 17, 2019. The festival had a wide variety of exhibitors with plenty of hands-on activities and educational materials to learn about our native pollinators. The City of Waterloo’s Working Groups – Laurel Creek Citizens and Pollinator Working Group –were in attendance offering crafts, games, educational displays and face painting activities.

Evergreen offer games and touchables to teach families about nature


10


Partners in Parks program

The City of Waterloo’s Partners in Parks program was initiated in 1996 as an opportunity for citizens to help maintain public parkland through short-term activities and long-term projects.

Short-term stewardship activities include litter clean-up, planting vegetation within naturalized areas, mulching woodland trails, stream enhancement and bird house maintenance.

Long-term projects include planting and maintaining a garden bed or vegetated buffer, turf maintenance, invasive plant species management and special community projects.

Adopt-A-Road program

The City of Waterloo's Adopt-A-Road program was initiated in 2001 as a means to encourage community involvement in the care and maintenance of Waterloo’s arterial roadways through regular litter clean-ups.

Under the program, groups agree to adopt a section of City arterial roadway and keep it clean. In addition to a cleaner environment, the volunteer group is recognized by a sign erected by the City acknowledging their efforts.

Yellow Fish Road program

Trout Unlimited Canada's Yellow Fish Road program is a community-based initiative that provides participants with the opportunity to educate their neighbourhood about protecting water resources.

Participants ages 7 and up paint yellow fish symbols next to storm drains and distribute fish-shaped brochures to nearby households reminding people that anything that goes down the road storm drain ends up in our waterways untreated.

For more information on any of the above programs, visit: www.waterloo.ca/stewardship

http://tucanada.org/yellow-fish-road/

http://www.waterloo.ca/stewardship


11


Partners in Parks program: Li t ter c lean-up

The majority of litter clean-ups take place after the snow melts through the City’s Community Clean-up initiative in April. From May to November, groups can also lend a hand removing litter from public parks in Waterloo through the City’s Partners in Parks program. The City of Waterloo also supports clean-ups on city parkland through Ocean Wise & WWF’s Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup program. In 2019, the following groups contributed their time and effort, making our city a more beautiful place to live.

Thank you to the following teams for removing litter from Waterloo’s parks this year!

• McAfee Canada employees removed litter from Sugarbush Park during their 8th annual Global Community Service Day

• Laurel Creek Citizens working group: 5 full bags of litter as well as large items such as a shopping cart, three tires, wooden boards and metal were removed from Laurel Creek on the west side of Waterloo Park during their annual stream clean-up (photo below)

• Zehrs Conestoga: 12 participants removed 6 bags of litter from Kingscourt Park through the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup program in September

• Stantec Consulting Ltd: 5 full bags of litter as well as large items removed from Waterloo Park during their annual Community Service Day on September 24; the most interesting item found was a hand saw up in a tree!

• Wilfred Laurier University EcoHawks: a team of 45 WLU university students took to the streets cleaning up street boulevards, WLU campus and Veterans Green, removing 26 bags of garbage and 14 bags of recyclables after home-coming on September 29

Laurel Creek Citizens Working Group stream cleanup of Laurel Creek

https://www.shorelinecleanup.ca/


12


Partners in Parks program: Managi ng i nvas i ve p la nt s pe c ie s

Community groups interested in maintaining the biodiversity of Waterloo’s natural areas may be interested in managing the spread of an invasive non-native herbaceous plant known as Garlic mustard.

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) named for the garlic fragrance produced when the leaves are crushed, was first recognized as a problem species in Ontario in the late 1970’s. Its seeds are easily spread by people and animals especially along disturbed areas such as trails. Dense stands produce more than 60,000 seeds per square metre and the seeds can remain in the soil for up to 30 years before sprouting. Once established, it can displace native plants (Reference: www.ontario.ca/invasivespecies).

On May 14, 2019, the Friends of Waterloo Park and 32 community participants from TATA Consultancy Services Canada managed some invasive plants known as Garlic Mustard and Common Buckthorn from a large natural area beside the Eby Farmhouse in Waterloo Park. This is the 3rd year for managing Garlic Mustard with the focus on the east side and we were delighted to find less than one recycle bin of Garlic Mustard! Plants were hand-pulled and the area mulched with wood chips, to inhibit next year’s growth.

TATA Consultancy Services Canada dig in and harvest garlic mustard from Waterloo Park (May 2019)

http://www.ontario.ca/invasivespecies


13



On September 24, 2019, 50 team members from Stantec Consulting Ltd carried out stewardship activities in Waterloo Park during their annual Community Service Day. Approximately 30 participants weeded and mulched the butterfly garden, woodland garden and large natural area beside the Eby Farmhouse in Waterloo Park. A stake truck full of weeds and branches were removed from the site. Two groups of 10 picked up litter from the west and east side of the park, collecting 5 full bags of litter.

Stantec Consulting Ltd crew stewardship in Waterloo Park


14



Common or European buckthorn was likely introduced to Canada in the 1880’s and used as a hedgerow and in windbreaks. Its seed is easily distributed by birds due to its laxative effect on wildlife. Due to its shade and drought-tolerant characteristics, it out-competes native plants, thereby reducing biodiversity and spreads rapidly (Source: 2012. Ontario Invasive Plant Council).

For more information on invasive plant species, visit: http://www.eddmaps.org/ontario/distribution/

An initiative of the Pollinator Working Group is to help create native pollinator habitat on municipal parkland. In spring 2019, a group of 16 participants helped remove invasive Common Buckthorn from a meadow and wetland area in Bechtel Park, 185 Bridge St N in Waterloo. Locally collected swamp milkweed seed was sprinkled on the bare patches with the intent of increasing biodiversity of our native plants.

http://www.eddmaps.org/ontario/distribution/


15



Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is an invasive, perennial herbaceous plant native to eastern Asia. Introduced to North America in the 19th century as an ornamental shrub, this plant has become an aggressive invader of natural areas. Forming dense thickets of bamboo-like vegetation, this species out-competes native plants and negatively impacts wetlands and waterways (Source: 2013, Ontario Invasive Plant Council).

For more information on Japanese knotweed: http://www.eddmaps.org/ontario/distribution/

The 3rd year of harvesting this invasive non-native plant in Westvale Park by the Laurel Creek Citizens Working Group and neighbourhood took place in 2019. As a pilot project, control measures used involve continual cutting of the plant stems up to 4 times per year for the next five years to weaken underground rhizomes.

On June 13 and August 7, 2019, this working group engaged community participants to help harvest Japanese knotweed from two locations in Westvale Park off Appledale Crescent. Each patch is about 10 metres x 5 metres.

Our scheduled May harvesting was cancelled as the weather this year has been cool and rainy and the plants were just beginning to surface. By June 13, the plants had grown to about 2 metres tall and by August, after the first cut they had grown only 1-2 feet tall. Early September, one of the members trimmed the 1-2 inch plants to ground level to starve the roots of nutrients.

Area A off Appledale Cres trail entrance Harvesting crew in Area B near creek and patch of poplars



16


Partners in Parks program: Community p lant ing

The City of Waterloo is delighted to work with local neighbourhood groups to host community planting events each fall within city parks in Waterloo. Planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers provides healthy habitat for native pollinator species and increases diversity of our native plant communities.

Parks are selected based on community interest, need for native vegetation and significance of the area. Priorities include establishing buffers around woodlands and waterways, creating noise/visibility barriers and limiting unnecessary mowing in passive areas. Planting vegetation helps to improve water and air quality, creates habitat for wildlife, increases the urban tree canopy and reduces the urban heat island effect thereby cooling our cities.

For more information on how to get involved, visit: www.waterloo.ca/CommunityPlanting

Why vegetated buffers?

Living fence buffers help to buffer a natural area such as a water feature and woodland or a public trail. Creek corridor buffers can range in size, reaching up to 30 metres around perennial streams. The benefits of these vegetated buffers are many:

• enable woodland, wetland and creek bank vegetation to grow naturally outwards, thus healing human impacts from agricultural, logging and development

• provide wildlife and pollinator habitat (food and shelter)

• provide connecting linkages for plant and animal movement

• filter overland flows of chemicals such as road salt, soil and sediment

• provide a delineation between city-owned environmental lands and private property

• provide additional opportunities to appreciate nature close to home

http://www.waterloo.ca/CommunityPlanting


17



In 2019, our community planting program focused on creating habitat to support native pollinators like bees, butterflies, flies, beetles and other insects.

The City of Waterloo gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Community Environmental Fund administered by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.

Anndale Park native wildflower and shrub planting

On Saturday, September 21, 2019, residents and park users of Anndale Park dug in and planted 180 native wildflowers and 5 native shrubs within the existing natural area in the park. The goal is to increase pollinator habitat, provide a native seed source and add colour and visual appeal to the public trail system. The Group Leader (the Queen Bee) will help maintain the vegetation during the first year through regular watering and weeding.

Wildflower planting in Anndale Park

Did you know?

Pollinator species include not only bees, which are the primary pollinators, but also moths, flies, beetles, wasps, ants and butterflies which spread pollen from one plant to another. Over 75% of all flowering plant species need help moving their heavy pollen grains from plant to plant for fertilization.

Food that rely on the help of pollinators include countless fruits, vegetables and nuts (including chocolate and coffee), as well as oils, fibers and raw materials (Reference: www.pollinator.org)

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/living-here/environmental-sustainability.aspx


http://www.pollinator.org/


18



Melitzer woodlot meadow planting

A few residents on Carriage Way in Waterloo planted 25 native wildflowers within the vegetated buffer surrounding an environmentally significant area known as Melitzer woodlot. After development of the residential houses, the woodland buffer was hydro-seeded with native wildflowers and grasses, as seen below.

Native species planted this fall included Cardinal flower, Swamp milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Cut-leaved coneflower and Dense blazing star. The Partners in Parks Community Group Representative will maintain the plants through watering for a one-year term to ensure plant survival. The challenge with this area is the abundant wildlife such as deer and rabbits that like to nibble on flowering plants!


19


Laurel Creek Citizens working group – native shrub & wildflower planting

On Saturday, October 5, 40 participants dug in and planted 150 native shrubs and 125 native wildflowers in Westvale Park around the stormwater management area. The clay soil presented challenging digging and steep slope resulted in a few wet feet but participants were eager to improve the water quality and aesthetics of the pond which drains into Maple Hill Creek to Laurel Creek and finally to the Grand River.

In winter/spring 2019, this pond received a complete retrofit and full removal of accumulated sediment to help improve the capacity of the stormwater system. The newly planted vegetation around the pond will help improve water quality by providing shade to cool the water, plant roots to stabilize the banks which prevents soil from entering the waterway and healthy habitat for wildlife and pollinators, providing food and shelter for birds, insects and small mammals.


20


Partners in Parks program: Long- term projects

Partners in Parks long-term projects are community-driven improvement projects on public parkland that serve to enhance the level of service and contribute to the ecological health, safety and beautification of Waterloo’s greenspaces. Long-term projects include:

• Adopt-a-greenspace involving regular litter clean-ups, mulching existing beds or other park maintenance activities within the adopted park

• Invasive plant species management (garlic mustard, buckthorn, Japanese knotweed)

• Planting and maintaining garden beds within a park or creating a vegetated buffer at rear of private property onto parkland

• Turf maintenance • Special community projects such as installing a Little Library or message board

Congratulations to all the Community Group Representatives and Individual Project Volunteers for your dedication to improving Waterloo’s greenspaces!

Partners in Parks long-term projects:

Alexandra park, Algonquin Drive island, Amberwood park, Angler Way Park, Anndale Park, Bechtel Park, Blue Beech Square, Carnegie Green, Chancery Place island, Clair Woods, Colonial Creek Link, Conservation Meadows, Ennismore Place island, Forwell park, Glenridge Place island, Ironwood Place island, Karen Place island, Mary Allen park, Melitzer woodlot buffer, Memorial park, Old Oak park, Old Post park, Pinebrook park, Pinery Trail park, Pitfield Place island, Quickfall Place island, Somerset Crescent island, St. Moritz park, Teakwood Place island, Veterans’ Green, Waterbury Lane island, Wasaga park, Waterton Court island, Werni park, Westmount Corners, Whitecap park.


21



Pollinator patches

As part of Waterloo’s Bee City objectives, we encourage the creation of pollinator patches or fedges (living fence buffer around community vegetable gardens) to reduce mown turf and expand native pollinator habitat. This planting project involves initial creation of the garden bed and on-going maintenance throughout the growing season for a five-year renewable term. Educational signage will be designed by City of Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group to educate the public about these new pollinator patches in spring 2020.

The City of Waterloo gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Community Environmental Fund administered by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Together, we are greening our community one step at a time.

Polinator species like bees, butterflies and other insects require high quality habitat to thrive in an urban environment that is filled with mown turf and hard surfaces:

• food sources (April to Oct) o pollen and nectar for adults o herbs like dill, rue, parsley for butterfly larvae

• nesting sites • over-wintering habitat such as leaves, hollow stems, logs

Tips on creating native pollinator patches

Reference: “Planning your garden – think like a pollinator”

• Bee native – our native pollinators are best adapted to native plant species

• Bee showy – plant a variety of species so that flowers are blooming from April to October to provide food sources and ensure three species are blooming at a time; consider flowering trees like willow and red maple that provide food early April

• Bee bountiful – planting large patches of each species (minimum 3-5 plants in one area) improves foraging for pollen and nectar

• Bee homey – leave small piles of 15” hollow stem twigs or plant stems and rotting tree stumps for tunnel bees; clean up your garden in the spring to leave hollow stems for overwintering bees



22



Pollinator garden creation in Angler Way Park

In spring 2019, residents surrounding Angler Way Park turned an existing city bed containing daylilies into a pollinator garden consisting of colourful annuals and perennials to attract native pollinators. Species included native wild bergamot (bee balm), Swamp milkweed, Purple coneflower, Black-eyed susans, Sky-blue aster, Lance-leaved coreopsis, and annuals like sunflowers and herbs for butterfly larvae.

Wild bergamot

Sunflowers


23



Pollinator garden creation in Mary Allen Park, 95 Allen St

The Mary Allen Neighbourhood Association spearheaded the planting of a native pollinator patch on the east side of the park adjacent to the existing natural area. Participants dug in and planted 144 native wildlflowers including Wild Columbine, Swamp milkweed, Butterfly weed, Smooth blue aster, Tall coreopsis, Wild bergamot, Virginia Mountain Mint, Black-eyed Susans and Stiff goldenrod.

Pollinator garden creation in University Downs Park, 236 Auburn Drive

Residents surrounding University Downs Park created a new native pollinator garden in a passive area of the park this fall.

City of Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group volunteers along with neighbours dug in and planted 6 native shrubs and 155 native wildflowers. This bed will be maintained by a team of neighbours annually.


24



Pollinator fedge surrounding existing community vegetable gardens

A fedge is a living fence-hedge consisting of pollinator plants usually 1 metre in width surrounding the periphery of a community vegetable garden. Pollinator fedges provide year-round habitat as well as food sources for pollinating insects and birds.

Some benefits of a pollinator fedge include:

• Acts as a border, delineating the garden in a pleasing, colourful, natural way • exclude deer, rabbits and other garden predators • provide continuous habitat and forage for pollinators and other beneficial insects • help increase the productivity and quality of the garden produce • provide some shade, ideal for growing lettuces and other cool-weather crops • act as a shelterbelt from the wind

Reference: Seeds of Diversity – The Pollinator Fedge

In 2019, new fedges containing native wildflowers were planted adjacent to the community vegetable gardens to attract native pollinators:

• Sunnydale Community Association (Heasley park, 455 Parkside Dr) • Clair Hills Community Association (St. Moritz park, 506 St. Moritz Ave)

New pollinator fedge - Healthy Harvest Community Vegetable Garden

https://seeds.ca/d/?t=997b048800002679


25



Community Message Board

Neighbourhood Associations may purchase and maintain a City-approved community message board within a neighbourhood park for the purposes of communicating Neighbourhood Association information to the public. The City of Waterloo assembles and installs the message board from May – October in an approved location in the park. In 2019, the Laurelwood North Neighbourhood Association installed a message board within Pinebrook Park to keep in touch with the community about local festivities and events. This double-sided board allows residents to post information on one side with Neighbourhood Association news on the other panel.

Lakeshore North N.Assn with their new community message board in Pinebrook park


26



Invasive plant species management of Common (European) Buckthorn

Through the Partners in Parks program, a resident began tackling an invasive shrub called Common Buckthorn that has spread within a sloped meadow and wetland area in Bechtel park. Through mechanical means using shovels and a tool called an extractigator, small shrubs can be hand-pulled and removed from the site on a regular basis throughout spring to fall. Waterloo’s Pollinator Working Group also removed a small truckload of buckthorn shrubs from this area and planted native Swamp milkweed seed in its place, with the hopes of increasing plant biodiversity and minimizing the spread of Common buckthorn.

European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) is an invasive, non-native shrub or small tree. Introduced to North America in the 1880’s as an ornamental shrub, this plant forms dense thickets that crowd out and shade native plants. Spread occurs when birds and wildlife eat the fruit and deposit the seeds in their droppings. A key identifying feature is a short-sharp thorn found on the end of most branches older than one year. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. European Buckthorn Fact Sheet).

For more information on invasive species: http://www.eddmaps.org/ontario/distribution/

Hand-pulling invasive buckthorn using an Extractigator tool



27


Yel low Fish Road program

The City of Waterloo partners with Trout Unlimited Canada to present the Yellow Fish Road program. Under this initiative, volunteer participants paint yellow-fish symbols beside road storm drains and distribute fish-shaped brochures to nearby households. Doing so reminds people that anything that goes down road storm drains goes directly into local creeks and ponds, untreated, affecting water quality.

All creeks within Waterloo drain into the Grand River, located on the east side of the city. Did you know that 20% of Waterloo’s drinking water comes from the Grand River? We all play an important role in protecting surface water!

The following groups created stormwater awareness in their neighbourhood in 2019:

• City of Waterloo Summer Camps – streets around Albert McCormick Community Centre

Painting yellow fish near storm drains Storm drains lead to local creeks Learn about water pollution

Learn about water pollution with an interactive model

Prior to your painting activity, consider a 20 minute presentation offered by City of Waterloo staff who use an interactive model to educate about stormwater pollution (photo on right).

This model demonstrates how stormwater flows over the land into local waterways, picking up pollutants along the way and how we can all help keep stormwater clean. Presentations are available to groups who are carrying out a Yellow Fish Road painting activity during the week, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

http://www.tucanada.org/




28


Adopt-A-Road program

The City of Waterloo's Adopt-A-Road program encourages community involvement in the care and maintenance of selected roadways through regular litter cleanups.

The Adopt-A-Road program guide outlines a step-by-step process to help your volunteer group organize a road cleanup. Groups commit to a bi-annual (twice a year) cleanup in the grassy area of the road section for a minimum of five years. Your organization's efforts will be recognized with a sign along your "adopted" street section. Information on which streets you can adopt in Waterloo is available in the guide.

Adopt-A-Road clean-up crew – Northfield Metal Products (Sept 2019)

Thank you to the following organizations that have adopted a road section within Waterloo:

• Creekside Church adopted a section of Conservation Drive in 2006 • Northfield Metal Products adopted a section of University Ave E in 2017 • Runners’ Choice adopted Wideman Road in 2013

http://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/adoptaroad.asp

Documents

Environmental awareness & stewardship summary · 2019-12-05 · Environmental awareness & stewardship summary 2019 Promoting citizen involvement in Waterloo’s public greenspaces