The WoodsGlen Major Forest/Walker Woods Stewardship Committee’s newsletter

SprinG 2008VoluME 1 – iSSuE 1

What you are reading is The Glen Major Forest/Walker Woods Stewardship Committee’s first newsletter. it is the first of what

we plan to be a quarterly publication. our hope is that it provides valuable information relevant to the 1800 hectares the Toronto and region Conservation (TrCA) owns in the uxbridge area. Walker Woods is actually the name of one of several properties including the Glen Major Forest, the north Dagmar and Brock tracts, the Wilder Forest and Wildlife Area, and a portion of what was the pleasure Valley property. By common usage, Walker Woods has become the generic name for these extensive lands.

Walker Woods was named for James and olwen Walker who assembled the land in the 40’s and 50’s, operated them as a private forest and then arranged for the sale to the TrCA in 1991.

Toronto and region Conservation has made significant progress in involving the local community and user groups in the management of this land. The most direct evidence of this is the existence of a large and active Stewardship Committee. Anyone is welcome to attend the meetings, which occur every two months in the Goodwood Community Centre. The next two meetings will be May 20 and July 15 at 7 p.m.. The committee is primarily an advisory group and discusses issues ranging from invasive vegetation species control to trail planning and management. There are several sub committees and some of them will introduce themselves in this newsletter.

Trail Use in the Spring

Those first warm Spring days are intoxicating and make many of us want to get out in the woods, soak up the sun and enjoy the sights and smells on a hike, ride or cycle. This area is blessed with a large number of spring flowers like Trillium, “Wake robins” (the red Trillium), Trout lilies, lady Slippers, Hepatica, Spring Beauty, Wild Ginger, large Flower Bell’s Wort, Bloodroot, and Yellow Violets to name a few. Some trails are carpeted with Trillium in the first or second week of May.

The large amount of snow this winter and the late start to warmer temperatures may make the trails wet and soft well into May. With the freeze-thaw cycle, these trails are especially vulnerable when they are wet and we ask that users be aware of the potential for damage to trails. At times this may mean selection of drier trails and sometimes it may even mean not going into the woods at all. We appreciate your support and good judgment and hope you find some time to enjoy the woods this Spring.

An excellent Trail Guide and Map is available at the trailhead kiosks located on the 6th and 7th Concessions, and soon online at www.trca.on.ca

InsideTrail Use in the Spring

Spoke’n words from Wheels

Hoofing with Hooves

Invasive species workshop

Control of terrestrial invasive species

Hazard trees

Oak Ridges Trail Association happenings

The Moraine for Life Adventure Relay

Hoofing with Hooves

The Hooves Group of the Glen Major Forest and Walker Woods (GM/WW) Stewardship Committee officially began in January 2007. representatives from many organizations comprise the group: uxbridge Horseman’s Association, ontario Trail riders Association, ontario Horse Trials Association, Turn and Burn Barrel racers Association, and the uxbridge Scugog pony Club to name a few.

it was formed to provide input from the equestrian perspective to the GM/WW Stewardship Committee. The riders in the area are delighted to be able to access the wonderful trails of GM/WW. in return, we are pleased to contribute whatever we can to be good stewards of the forests. We have been a part of planning, trail building and combating invasive species. We continue to work to design trail entrances, rest areas, parking areas and ensure the forest provides fertile habitat for flora and fauna. if you are interested in joining our group, please call robin John at 905-852-5014 or email at robinjohn@doblecom.net

Spoke’n words from Wheels

Wheels is the cycling subcommittee of the Glen Major Walker Woods Stewardship Committee, formed to work with the TrCA to help manage mountain biking as a positive element of the GM/WW complex of properties. it is an advisory, communication and support group to the TrCA working on cycling issues, interests and directions for the TrCA uxbridge properties. Wheels is comprised of avid local cyclists Tom Hawks, Jason Murray (international Mountain Bicycling Assocation and Durham Mountain Bicycling Association), Sean ruppel (Chico racing), Eric orschel (BikenXS) and Bill Goulding (Sustainable Trails), TrCA Staff April Weppler and Stewardship Committee Vice-Chair David Taylor. Tom and Jason represent Wheels and the mountain biking user community on the Stewardship Committee and its Executive Committee at all regular meetings. Since forming in 2006, Wheels members have been involved in many projects to represent the cycling community’s interests, deal with cycling issues, and support TrCA’s planning and management of the GM/WW complex. The various issues include:

• identifying volume and impact of riders on trails & other users• Educating TrCA and Stewards about the mountain biking community• participating in ongoing trail planning and mapping projects• introducing sustainable trails construction techniques • Advocating need for variety of trails and experiences for mountain biking • promoting effective trail planning, building and closure procedures• planning and building several new multiuse and single track trails• Arguing for continued access for night riding and mountain bike events• Advocating access to Dagmar, Brock and pleasure Valley Tracts for mountain

biking.

in 2008 Wheels will continue these activities and more, to help make the GM/WW complex a great place to enjoy mountain biking with minimal impact on the natural inhabitants, the environment and other users’ experiences. We welcome questions, feedback, suggestions and input from all riders. We request that all mountain bike riders respect the rules of the trail as well as those of the TrCA to ensure we continue to be allowed access to ride these great trails.

Keep the rubber side down, Tom Hawks, tomhawks1@bellnet.ca

Invasive species workshop

The existence and spread of invasive exotic species continues to be a serious threat to the local environment. Both the ontario Biodiversity Strategy and the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy list the impacts of invasive exotics on native ecosystems as one of the top threats impacting biodiversity. The rapid growth of invasive vegetation in naturalized and native ecosystems is significantly impacting native biodiversity as well as ecological health. These invasive species typically originate from an exotic location and therefore have few if any natural population controlling agents. The presence of these species is and will continue to have a negative impact on ecosystems in ontario.

it would be hard to over estimate the damage that non-native, invasive species are doing to a variety of environments across the world. We humans are the primary agents in their dispersal and have deliberately made many infamous introductions of non-native species to a new environment with disastrous results. Think of rabbits in Australia.

Toronto and region Conservation has conducted natural heritage inventories of all their properties in the GTA and the Walker Woods complex of properties has been identified has having the greatest biodiversity. over 1,100 species of flora and fauna have been identified to date. These species are under serious threat, largely due to three terrestrial invasive species: Dog-Strangling Vine, Garlic Mustard and Buckthorn. When these plants move into an area they quickly become a mono culture, choking out native species. A management program has been developed by TrCA that includes a series of treatment methods in an effort to manage these non-native, invasive species.

Most trail users and private land owners are probably not able to identify all three of these invasives. Even those that can are not necessarily aware of what to do to remove the threat. We will be holding a workshop to help any interested parties with identification and best practices in the removal of invasives. please see details of Invasive species: Day of Action on next page.

Control of terrestrial invasive species

Below we have outlined some general information regarding effective methods for controlling three species of terrestrial non-native, invasive species. We strongly encourage you to attend the described workshop adjacent to learn more about these species, including identification and appropriate treatment methods.

BuckthornApplication of chemical herbicide (Garlon 4, also called Fencerow) has been shown to be the most effective method for removing small or dense patches of buckthorns or in areas where it is difficult to cut down.

large buckthorn plants can also be killed by girdling [to a depth of about an inch] into the stem near the base with a chain saw and then spraying the exposed cut. professional herbicide applications should only be conducted in the Fall when the majority of native ground cover species are dormant and the buckthorn tree is absorbing nutrients back into the root system.

Hand pulling or cutting the stem or trunk can also be done to help reduce the impact of Buckthorn. repeated cutting or pulling may be required but is neccessary to prevent further impacts to biodiversity.

no matter which invasive species is being targeted, or treatment method being used, it is important to assist in the restoration of the site following treatments. Following two years of treatments, the planting of native species to help restore the lost biodiversity. Be sure to plant native plants that are hardy and will grow rapidly to help prevent the re-establishment of invasive species.

For information on site restoration or any additional information about the identification or treatments of invasive plants, please feel free to contact Mike Goodyear at mgoodyear@trca.on.ca

Garlic MustardManual removal of garlic mustard has been shown to be quite effective. The plant should be hand-pulled and bagged as soon as its white flowers appear which is usually around mid-May. Bagging is essential because if the plant is left on the ground it may still produce viable seeds. Application of chemical herbicide is also effective, but there is a risk of affecting other plants when spraying at this time of year.

The optimum time for removing garlic mustard is before it develops seed pods. Seed pod development is usually early June to early July.

Garlic mustard is a biennial that has different forms in its first and second years. The first year growth, also called a rosette, can be sprayed by a professional with an herbicide in the fall (october), once many native ground cover species are dormant and will not be damaged. plants that are hand pulled should not be left on the ground, they should be placed in a bag and disposed of along with nonorganic household waste. Do not compost.

The problem with garlic mustard control is its persistent seed bank that responds to disturbance, including disturbance caused by weeding! To be effective, annual follow-up is recommended.

Invasive species: Day of ActionHelp protect the TrCA Glen Major properties from invasive Species by giving a couple of hours of your time on May 24. You will learn about the threat from Garlic Mustard, Dog Strangling Vine and Buckthorn; how to identify these threats to our biodiversity and what to do to control them. We will also visit the site of a major infestation and have the satisfaction of making a difference by removing some Garlic Mustard.

When: Saturday, May 24, 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Where: We will meet at the parking lot at the 6th Concession and Albright road

What to bring: Work gloves and dress appropriately for the weather and bugs

Water (in jugs, so bring your own cup) and garbage bags will be provided

Following the workshop, there will also be opportunities to assist in the manual removal of some of these plant species.

The workshop will be publicized with flyers, ads in local papers and notices at the trailheads. We would like to have a feel for numbers, please contact David Taylor by email at calvin.taylor@symapatico.ca or call 416-464-9485, if you are joining us.

Dog-Strangling Vine (DSV)Manual removal of DSV by cutting the plant appears to be ineffective – while it may limit the spread of the plants by preventing seed development, it will not kill the plant. research to date shows that a chemical application, twice a year can effectively controll DSV. Dog-Strangling Vine should be sprayed when it is in flower, usually in late-June or early-July and again in August. The second application is essential in preventing the population from recovering. These treatments should only be done by licensed applicators.

larger patches of DSV may require additional actions to control. To encourage a more effective application it is recommended to mow or cut down full-grown plants and allow for a short period of re-growth before applying an herbicide. Cutting all plants to a single height allows each plant to be exposed to the application. Without the cut, smaller plants are sheltered by larger ones, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. Again, this should be done prior to seed generation and by a licenced professional.

if you are unable to hire a professional, manually removing DSV by cutting or digging up the plants can help to minimize their impact.

Dog-Strangling Vine Garlic Mustard

Buckthorn

Hazard trees

Walking through and enjoying the trails of Glen Major and Walker Woods is a favourite past time of all visitors to the forest. The trails are safe and well marked. in many places, wet conditions have been mitigated by boardwalks or other measures. These are just a few of the measures that TrCA and Trail Captain Volunteers have taken to ensure an enjoyable trail experience. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to take further actions to ensure the safety of the public while on the trails. To this end, TrCA has been actively removing hazardous tress whenever possible. Hazardous trees are dead or live standing trees that may pose a safety hazard to trail users by falling or breaking. Although not able to inspect every tree, we have been working hard to inspect and remove hazardous trees where necessary. Whenever possible the tree will be left standing but public safety remains our first concern. Should you hear chainsaws in the forest, don’t hesitate to contact David Taylor at dtaylor@trca.on.ca or Mike Goodyear at mgoodyear@trca.on.ca.

it is likely what you are hearing is TrCA staff removing hazard trees, however it’s always better to be on the safe side.

The Moraine for Life Adventure RelayJune 14 and 15

Discover and help protect the environmentally significant oak ridges Moraine on this 160 kilometres, 24-hour adventure relay. Bike, hike/run and canoe along the oak ridges Trail from rice lake to King City. Teams of up to 15 compete in Elite, Corporate and recreational (open and Masters) categories. Team entry fee includes canoe rental, course development and management, staffed checkpoints with refreshments, and finish line celebration. Collect pledges and win great prizes! Want to volunteer? We need your help to promote the event, and on race day. Join the adventure and support the oak ridges Trail Association!

register at www.moraineadventure.com, call 1-877-319-0285 or email us at info@oakridgestrail.org

Oak Ridges Trail Association happenings Greetings from the oak ridges Trail Association (orTA)! As the chair of the uxbridge Chapter of orTA, and a hike leader, let me introduce you to our group...

our mission is to develop and maintain a recreational trail along the oak ridges Moraine. This is accomplished through partnership with individual, municipal, provincial and federal land owners. We were formed in 1992 by a small group of outdoor enthusiasts and now number over 700 members. The marked trail extends over 200 kilometres from rice lake in the East to palgrave in the West, with connections to the Ganaraska, Bruce and TransCanada Trails. our trained hike leaders guide over 250 hikes a year on the oak ridges Trail and elsewhere. in the uxbridge area alone over 1,000 walkers on foot or snowshoe joined these guided walks last year to enjoy the beautiful forests, wildlife and trails with other like-minded individuals. Annual membership is $30 for a family (that is tax deductible) and gives you notice of a wide variety of hikes (ranging from easy two hour outings to rigorous five hour workouts) through our quarterly newsletter Trail Talk. You might also want to get involved as a hike leader or trail volunteer to help with trail maintenance or preservation projects. Brian Millage, uxbridge Chapter Chairoak ridges Trail Association (orTA)

5 Shoreham Drive, Downsview, ontario M3n 1S4phone: 416-661-6600 Fax: 416-661-6898 www.trca.on.ca

Come and join us on the Oak Ridges Trailwww.oakridgestrail.org • info@oakridgestrail.org • 1-877-319-0285 Upcoming events April 5, 26 and May 3, 10, and 17: Early Bird Hikes at 7 a.m. on the Al Shaw/north Walker Woods trail. Hikes are 1.5 hours long and are followed by breakfast at Coppins Corners.

April 7, 21 and May 5, 19: Monday hikes, 2.5 hours in duration, slow-moderate in a relaxed social atmosphere followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. Excellent for new walkers or for folks who want to ease into hiking. Well-mannered, on-leash dogs are also welcome on these hikes.

April 9, 18 and 27 and May 23, 28, and 30: Faster or longer hikes will be held on the uxbridge oak ridges Trails.

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published and printed by Toronto and region Conservation. photography © 2008 Toronto and region Conservation unless otherwise noted.