The Nashwaak Watershed

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Willows to the Rescue!

May 8, 2020

Landowners step up to plant trees on watershed

May 5, 2020
By John Chilibeck, The Daily Gleaner

The people who run the Nashwaak Watershed Association were worried the pandemic might fell their tree-planting program this year, but instead they’ve seen it blossom.

Normally the nonprofit organization lines up volunteers in spring to plant native floodplain trees on private land along the Nashwaak River, a 110-kilometre tributary of the St. John in central New Brunswick that’s suffered a long history of bank-side clearing and soil erosion.

However, the threat of COVID-19 meant it had to severely curtail its outdoor activities this season. Instead of offering volunteers to plant along river banks, it advertised on social media and its website it would make available red-tipped willows to landowners who wanted to do the planting themselves.

Within no time, several takers stepped forward.

“It’s willows to the rescue!” Marieka Chaplin, the association’s executive director, said in an interview. “There’s definitely been renewed interest in people gardening and landscaping their properties during this pandemic. It’s nice to have positive, creative solutions to the mess we are in.”

On Wednesday, Chaplin plans to deliver 1,000 tiny trees in plugs dipped in fertilizer to 15 landowners along the river between Fredericton and Cross Creek, a 40-minute drive north of the capital. Two First Nations – Oromocto and St. Mary’s – have also expressed interest in planting trees along their shorelines, even outside the Nashwaak. Chaplin said the strong demand means her group will start growing another batch of 1,000 trees and will create a waiting list, with landowners along the Nashwaak prioritized.

The willows are grown from cuttings for five weeks at Skyline Gardens, a small nursery in Keswick Ridge. Ideally suited for sandy, porous soil, the floodplain trees are typically planted in a zigzag pattern by the volunteers along denuded riverbanks.

The trees’ root systems mitigate sediment leaching into the river and the ravaging effects of a big flood by holding back water like a sponge. The shade thrown by vegetation also helps keep the water temperature cooler, Chaplin said. By reintroducing more native plants in riparian zones, the group hopes to enhance and protect the water quality in the river, making it better for humans, fish and animals.

Survey work done by the group shows that 90 per cent of the land along the Nashwaak is fragmented by development, so there’s plenty of restoration work to do. Riverfront has traditionally been cleared by farmers who benefited from floodwaters adding nutrients to their soil and cottage and homeowners who wanted an open view of the water.

“It’s an ingrained part of the culture, clearing away riverbanks,” Chaplin said. “We’re trying to change that.”

This year, landowners have asked for anywhere between 25 and 100 trees each. The executive director said a good rule of thumb is to plant the vegetation with half a metre spacing, following a staggered, diamond pattern.

Since the program began 15 years ago, the association has planted more than 37,000 acorns, tree seedlings, and willow, dogwood and alder cuttings to restore the floodplain forest.

Here is the original article:

Filed Under: News & Events

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NWAI on Twitter

@ASDWLimelight @ASDWLimelight @MusicAsdw Check it out

- 166 days ago

Mr. Woodcock's talented gr 12 FHS music class joined us at Marysville Flats this week! We talked climate change and floodplain restoration. We're excited to hear what they create from their Nashwaak River trip. Kudos to the NB Dept of Ed for supporting this awesome experience! https://t.co/6nGyCy7XBP

- 167 days ago

Thanks for supporting this outdoor learning opportunity. Come visit anytime. It was a pleasure to spend time talking about water, climate change and floodplain restoration. @ASD_West @ASDWLimelight @FHSkats @CityFredGov @CityFredRec #eaunbwater #mynashwaak https://t.co/ALhfzSS123

- 169 days ago

Thanks @mla_mike for leading crown land conservation! https://t.co/ObSdrLvBcq

- 171 days ago

@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

- 171 days ago

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

24 hours ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
#DYK Pollinator species such as bees 🐝, hummingbirds, and butterflies🦋help plants reproduce by spreading pollen? This is important because it supports the biodiversity of native plants as well as crops around the world.If you would like to help our pollinator friends, here are some tips for growing a pollinator garden:🌻Succession planting - plan to have a variety of plants that bloom from spring to fall.🌷Cultivate variety - different pollinators love different shapes and colours of blossoms. Ensure there is a variety for them to choose from.🪺 Add bird baths and bee houses - this will encourage pollinators to take up residence and come back year after year.See the link below to discover native plant species that will make pollinators sure to visit your garden! 👇davidsuzuki.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DSF-NB-plant-list.pdf#ecofriendlyfriday #pollinator #MyNashwaak #nativeplantgarden ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

3 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Wondering what we’ve been up to lately? If you’re new here, you may not know that we plant lots of trees each year to help re-establish healthy floodplain forests along the Nashwaak River. These floodplain forests are composed of a mixture of silver maple, bur oak, red-tipped willow, red-osier dogwood, and many other species to ensure that there is lots of habitat for local biodiversity. 🌱Over the past two weeks, we’ve spent lots of time flagging! Each spring, we flag our recently planted trees so that we can conduct our seasonal maintenance. While these trees are superstars in terms of their ability to help stabilize riverbanks and provide habitat for local wildlife, they still need some help to ensure that they can survive. Mowing these areas helps to reduce competition from grass and ensure that they are receiving adequate sunlight. If you ever feel like lending a hand, please reach out to us via email at staff@nashwaakwatershed.ca! #MyNashwaak #riverbankrestoration #treeplanting #volunteer ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

3 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Sunday was a beautiful day for birding and what a wonderful gang we had at @nashwaakmeadows . A big thank you to Dan Serpiello and @atlanticducks for making it such a fun morning! The highlight was definitely the American bitterns ❤️ #birdwatching #community #MyNashwaak ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Us

Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 447-9699
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