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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Today on Endangered Species Day we celebrate and commit to protecting biodiversity. Please consider volunteering with us or one of wonderful NB organizations working to protect species at risk in our province. #endangeredspeciesday #protectbiodiversity #volunteer https://t.co/e68zkeGxNE

- 2 days ago

We took part in a Wilderness First Aid Course this week. Blair Doyle ran us through realistic wilderness scenarios that taught us to keep a cool head and figure it out how to care for injured people in the great outdoors. Special thanks to @MCFTfredericton for hosting us! https://t.co/qUOHs7LYDO

- 8 days ago

World Migratory Bird Day was yesterday, 2022's theme is light pollution. Migratory birds travel throughout the day and night. Consider having your outdoor lighting on a timer and or motion sensor to reduce impact in the evening hours. #migratorybirdday2022 #lightpollution https://t.co/LVB2OR3q3o

- 9 days ago

Bio-diversify your yard like landscape photographer Jason Nugent of Devon, NB! Take the NWAI "Natural Yard Pledge" and commit to 3 of our 10 pledge actions to encourage native flora and fauna on your property and in your neighborhood. #MyNashwaak #NaturalYardPledge #nativespecies https://t.co/F7z5my7hnQ

- 17 days ago

Everyday is a great day for citizen science and yesterday was no exception when Bridgette L'Heureux her daughter partnered with NWAI to install @DucksUnlimited duck boxes on Marysville flats. https://t.co/tycwIAQijn #MyNashwaak #duckboxes #citizenscience #familyvolunteering https://t.co/xI14888UT3

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Today folks all over the planet are coming together on Endangered Species Day to celebrate biodiversity and further action plans to protect and support endangered species. In New Brunswick we have a growing list of species at risk who warrant our attention. These species are at risk by various combinations of habitat/resource loss and negative human interactions. This list includes but is not limited to Piping plover, Peregrine falcon, Bald Eagle, Harlequin duck, Painted turtle, Eastern leatherback turtle, Maritime ringlet butterfly, Monarch butterfly, American eel, Atlantic salmon and Canada Lynx. Efforts to protect the wild places these charismatic creatures call home is increasingly urgent with the changing climate. We can make an impact by sharing our energy and passion with our communities. Please consider volunteering with us or one of the many wonderful New Brunswick organizations working to protect the threatened habitats these creatures rely on. Nature NB Conservation Council of New Brunswick Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society New Brunswick - CPAWS NB The Nature Trust of New Brunswick Community Forests International #EndangeredSpeciesDay #protectbiodiversity #keepnaturewild #volunteer #MyNashwaak #eauNBwater ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

1 week ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Ian, Mariah, Lauren and Marieka took part in a Wilderness First Aid Course in Fredericton this week. Blair Doyle ran us through realistic wilderness scenarios that taught us to keep a cool head and figure out how to care for injured people in the great outdoors. Special thanks to Maritime College of Forest Technology for hosting us! #wildernessfirstaid #eauNBwater ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

1 week ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
We have been busy this week at the NWAI with training and field work and so we are a day late in celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. All the same, the ways we can help with 2022's theme of light pollution are just as relevant today! Many migratory birds travel continuously throughout the day and night and the decisions we make about lighting our homes and properties matter. Consider having your outdoor lighting on a timer and or motion sensor to reduce the impact of unnatural light in the evening hours. These efforts are important as navigation by way of the stars is key to migrating birds. Tell your neighbors, share with friends, our community efforts have an impact. To learn more visit www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/#migratorybirdday2022 #lightpollution #migration ... 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: 506 261-4664
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