| Membership | Price (+HST) |
|---|---|
| Single | $85/year |
| Single Plus | $120/year |
| Family | $130/year |
| Family Plus | $175/year |
| Contributing | $300/year |
| Supporting | $600/year |
| Sustaining | $1,000/year |
| Benefactor's Circle | $2,500/year |
| Director's Circle | $5,000/year |
| President's Circle | $10,000/year |
Preserving Biodiversity: Habitat Restoration and Conservation
August 31, 2023
Habitat Restoration and Conservation
We all know that it is all about the location when finding a new home. That’s why RBG was thrilled to discover a pair of bald eagles had chosen a towering white pine close to the Marshwalk Boardwalk in Cootes Paradise to build a nest this spring. This is a great testament to the crucial conservation work that has been going on here.
In the early 1980’s there were only four active nests in all of the Great Lakes. By 2013 the first eaglets to hatch on Canadian soil were right here at RBG. Bald eagles have overwintered in Cootes Paradise at RBG in increasing numbers annually thanks to the conservation and restoration efforts of our staff, volunteers, and donors. This spring two baby eaglets joined the growing number of bald eagles settling in the area.
“New eaglets have hatched here for 10 consecutive years,’ says Tys Theysmejer, senior director of ecosystems at RBG. “It’s proof that donor support is truly working.”
Bald eagles need access to at least 100 hectares of undisturbed forest to nest and roost, plus an adjacent 50 hectares of wetlands to allow them to catch fish. We have it all right here.
RBG is raising funds towards RBG’s habitat restoration and conservation. If you donate $25 or more, you will receive an RBG Conservation Certificate. For $50 or more, you can claim a bald eagle stuffed animal made from 100% recycled materials, as a reminder of how you have helped protect the habitat for species like the bald eagle.
RBG is more than gardens, RBG has Special Protection Areas just for wildlife. It’s home to many species of at-risk species of plants and animals. Andrea Court and Mallory Peirce are two of our ecologists that work tirelessly to protect diverse habitats and the species that depend on them.
Andrea Court,
Wetland Restoration Ecologist
“My office is the marsh,” Andrea says with a smile. She’s been working at RBG for 13 years, protecting wetlands from invasive species.
One of Andrea’s responsibilities is tending to the fishway that separates Cootes Paradise Marsh from Hamilton Harbour. It’s a barrier designed to keep non-native carp out of the marsh while allowing native fish in, to spawn. Andrea is at the fishway twice a day from April to June to sort the fish—sometimes hundreds in a day— which helps to improve the marsh and the fish community’s health.
Andrea also keeps temporary fencing around the marsh restoration sites in good repair to protect new wetland plants like cattails from hungry Canada Geese and invasive Mute Swans. These beneficial plants help expedite the marshes’ recovery, which is why Andrea’s team plants up to 20,000 of them each year.
Mallory Peirce,
Terrestrial Ecologist Assistant
Mallory and her team are focused on forest and grassland restoration. They remove and manage invasive species and oversee tree and shrub planting to restore a healthy balance of native plant species.
“Our work takes us to all corners of our nature sanctuaries,” says Mallory, who has been with us for more than five years. “Every day is different, which makes it really exciting!”
This month, Mallory is managing spring tree planting along a damaged forest edge. This involves planting up to 500 trees in one day—with considerable support from a dedicated team of volunteers—followed by installing protective fencing to keep deer from destroying all their hard work. The results are visible immediately and have a long-lasting impact.
“The more time and effort we can put into removing invasive species and planting native ones is going to make our forests and grasslands resistant to change,” Mallory says. “Donors are really making an investment in the sustainability of natural areas when they make a gift to the Gardens.”
RBG is raising funds towards RBG’s habitat restoration and conservation. If you donate $25 or more, you will receive an RBG Conservation Certificate. For $50 or more, you can claim a bald eagle stuffed animal made from 100% recycled materials, as a reminder of how you have helped protect the habitat for species like the bald eagle.
Conservation Projects at RBG
RBG’s conservation efforts occur in forest, wetland and prairie habitats and range from species at risk inventories to invasive alien species management.
In additions to our display gardens and horticultural conservation work, Royal Botanical Gardens works hard to preserve and restore its nature sanctuaries.
More from the RBG Blog
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