The Nashwaak Watershed

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Conservationists work to save dwindling population of bur oak trees, CBC News (Dec 23, 2021)

December 23, 2021

Once plentiful, it now only grows in about one percent of its original range in New Brunswick.

Jesse Saindon with the bur oak seedlings he grows at Liberty Tree Nursery. (submitted)

Conservationists are working together to save one of the last old growth tree species on New Brunswick’s floodplain.

Bur oak is ecologically and culturally important in the province. Historically, it grows along the floodplain of the St. John River and its tributaries. Once plentiful, it now only grows in about one per cent of its original range in the province.

It was harvested to make oak barrels in the 18th and 19th centuries and has fallen victim to deforestation and agricultural development, according to Jesse Saindon. 

Saindon is the owner and grower at Liberty Tree Nursery in Beaver Dam, outside of Fredericton and part of a group of conservationists working to recover the bur oak population.  

“It provides habitat, food for wildlife as well as carbon sequestration and reduces the risk of erosion and flooding,” said Saindon. 

For his part, Saindon has grown at least 2,000 bur oak seedlings at his nursery over the past three years. He gathers acorns in areas where bur oaks are doing well. 

“There are some trees that I know of that I’ll go with a ladder and collect them early before the blue jays and squirrels and stuff get them…. If you time it well you can be there on the particular windy day or in the three days where they really start falling off the tree and you’re essentially just picking them off the ground everywhere you go.”

The Nashwaak Watershed Association buys many of the seedlings Saindon grows and has been busy planting them along the floodplain of the Nashwaak River.

Executive director Marieka Chaplin said, with the help of volunteers, the group has planted about 1,000 a year since 2016. 

“That’s where we excel because we like to bring community members on board so that they also see the value of on-the-ground restoration. And they can see, you know, planting a tree, as we all know, has so many benefits.”

“And if you add on the fact that you are preventing extirpation of a significant tree, then it just makes that experience so much richer.”

Two mature bur oak trees. (Submitted)

Chaplin said the number of bur oak left in the province could fit within five square kilometres. 

“Having bur oaks in the floodplain improves biological diversity and creates habitat for many other species… Currently the numbers are so low that the species actually faces extirpation from New Brunswick,” said Chaplin.  

The plan for restoration is still being worked out with partners, such as Global Conservation Solutions, a consultancy that helps groups with conservation plans, said Chaplin. 

“We’ve got a long way to go. And we do know that survivorship for this particular tree is low…. So I don’t think we can plant enough at this point in time. And so we’ll just keep on going.”

Check out the article from CBC News here: Conservationists work to save dwindling population of bur oak trees

Filed Under: News & Events

Large swath of wetland on Fredericton’s north side is now permanently protected, CBC News (Dec 16, 2021)

December 20, 2021

In New Brunswick’s first-of-its-kind conservation easement, a deal struck to reforest Marysville Flats

Hadeel Ibrahim, CBC News

An aerial view of the Nashwaak River in the Marysville area of Fredericton. (Submitted by Natalie Deseta)

Before settlement, a swath of floodplain forest on Fredericton’s north side was ideal habitat for species now sparse or endangered – tall and reaching bur oaks and silver maple, soaring bald eagles and bank swallows.

Over the course of history, the area was clear cut for farming, destroying the wetland forest along the Nashwaak River. With no root systems to hold the soil together, flooding started washing it into the river.

The Nashwaak Watershed Association has been trying for 10 years to reverse this destruction, planting thousands of trees and hoping for the return of the eagles and wood turtles.

This year, the association was able to get a permanent protection for the land from the City of Fredericton, the first conservation easement granted by a municipality in the province, according to the group’s Marieka Chaplin.

  • Young and old gather in Marysville to help the Nashwaak River
  • Tree planting can reduce flood risk, say wildlife and watershed groups

The 23 acres (about nine hectares) of wetlands called Marysville Flats is not a hotbed for development, said Chaplin, the executive director of the Nashwaak Watershed Association, but the easement means peace of mind for conservationists.

“What this conservation means is it protects it in perpetuity,” she told Information Morning Fredericton.

“It’s also part of a larger view towards how we can steward land, and how we can better look after it and restore it.”

Chaplin said this particular area, near the former cotton mill on McGloin Street and adjacent to the Marysville Heritage Centre, is ecologically significant.

“There are many rare species that call it its home,” she said.

An intact silver maple floodplain forest in the fall. The Nashwaak Watershed Association hopes to plant more of these trees in Marysville. (Submitted by Natalie Deseta)

This includes bald eagles, bank swallows, which love the riverbanks on the Nashwaak, as well as the wood turtle.

Those animals love to coexist with particular types of trees, ones the association has been replanting in the area. They include silver maple trees, butternut, ash an native red-tipped willows. Those trees also prevent erosion and retain moisture.

“We’re also really keen to be planting bur oak, which is a species of special concern here in our province,” she said. “It’s one of those rare species that would have been much more part of the floodplain tree canopy before it was cleared.”

She said the trees planted with the help of volunteers have been thriving.

Property remains with the city

The property still belongs to the city. According to a report submitted to council, the city bought the land in 2009 because of its possible recreational value.

The easement, a fairly new concept made possible by New Brunswick legislation passed in 2011, “is a legal agreement that allows landowners to protect and preserve property through an agreement with a third-party agency while also maintaining ownership of the property,” the city report said.

“These rights run with the land in perpetuity unless certain conditions are not met (e.g. the third-party agency ceases to exist).”

Chaplin said volunteers and conservationists planted 14,000 trees this year and plan to plant more next year.

She said the association has its eyes on similar properties that could be protected using this new method: Neill’s Flats off Gibson Street.

“We’re also hoping to work with the city to eventually establish a conservation easement there, acknowledging…it is quite a bit of work on the part of the city to get that legal mechanism in place,” Chaplin said. “[We’re] very committed to restoring and re-wilding important parts of the watershed.”

Check out the story from CBC News here: Large swath of wetland on Fredericton’s north side is now permanently protected.

Filed Under: News & Events

Nashwaak Watershed Association Protects 23 Acres in Marysville

December 13, 2021

Nashwaak Watershed Association – The Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc. has protected a property in Marysville, New Brunswick named the Maysville Flats. The Association, in partnership with the City of Fredericton, has been working since 2011 on the restoration and preservation of a beautiful and valuable landscape known as the silver maple wetland forest.  

The Marysville Flats Conservation Easement is the first conservation easement in New Brunswick held by a municipality, and it is the second in the maritime provinces. The only other conservation easement signed by a municipality is in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

The Marysville Flats Conservation easement consists of 23 acres of important floodplain habitat that includes provincially significant wetlands.  The conservation easement was created by the landowners, the City of Fredericton, to be held by the Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc. in perpetuity to ensure the protection of the property’s conservation values. This ecologically significant area provides habitat to species at risk such as bald eagle, bank swallow and butternut. It also mitigates the negative impacts of climate change by preventing flooding and buffering the effects of drought.

“I’m proud to be a leader in the long-term protection of this property. It is a great opportunity to celebrate the first municipal property designated as a conservation easement in New Brunswick, located in the Nashwaak Watershed.” said Marieka Chaplin, NWAI Executive Director. The Nashwaak Watershed Association was established in 1995 as a not-for-profit organization. The organization restores land that can protect river water quality and engages people on the use of its importance. Since 2015 the Association has worked to establish a conservation easement at Marysville Flats. Establishing the conservation easement has been possible thanks to the financial support of WWF-Canada, NB Environmental Trust Fund, Lush Cosmetics, NB Wildlife Trust Fund, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Tree Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada. Thanks to all community volunteers who have volunteered to plant trees over the last 10 years.

Image: Aerial view of the floodplain restoration at Marysville Flats.

For more information, be sure to check out this article from CBC: Large swath of wetland on Fredericton’s north side is now permanently protected

Filed Under: News & Events

Completion of the Marysville restoration project- A decade in the making.

October 21, 2021

We are excited to announce that as of Wednesday, October 13th, 2021 we will have completed the tree planting phase of our restoration work on the 27-acre floodplain property owned by the City of Fredericton, Marysville Flats. The completion of tree planting at this property marks an important milestone in the Nashwaak Greenway Project. This community-based project has involved collaborations between the  NWAI and dozens of community organizations, businesses, NGOs and funding partners. It has taken over 10 years, hundreds of volunteer hours and thousands of trees to bring this dream to fruition. 

Aerial view of the floodplain restoration at Marysville Flats

The restoration of floodplain forest is important for: 

  •  Mitigating flooding by storing and slowing the movement of water  
  • Filtering surface runoff of pollutants before it enters the river 
  • Reconnecting the river with its floodplain
  • Providing aquatic and terrestrial habitat for native species
  • Shading our river
  • Providing a green space for the local community
  • Carbon sequestration 

The Nashwaak Watershed would like to thank all of our funders, volunteers and partners for making this project possible. Our organization is in the process of finalizing a conservation easement with the City of Fredericton on this property to protect and conserve this area for  generations to come. 

Victoria Ruigrok, NWAI part-time staffer planting Bur Oak trees
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
UNB Crew
UNB Crew
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CFC crew
Teamwork makes the dream work!
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Teamwork makes the dream work!
Teamwork makes the dream work!
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Teamwork makes the dream work!
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Kids can plant too!
Kids can plant too!
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Don't forget to check out our CTV News Coverage !

Filed Under: News & Events

Our Changing Forest

October 15, 2021

Many woodlot owners are wondering how their forests will change over the next 50 years, with predictions of climate warming and changes to precipitation regimes.

 How will the tree species we have respond to such changes?

 Is there anything we can do to help our forests become more climate-resilient?

This fall, NWAI has been connecting with woodlot owners in the watershed to discuss forest management practices that support resilient and healthy forested ecosystems. 

There are many excellent resources available for landowners that have been produced by our partner organizations. One such resource is the engaging and informative video series, “Our Changing Forest,” produced by the NB Federation of Woodlot Owners and their partners (Community Forests International, UNB, and the NB Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development). 

This video series is the perfect first step to understanding how your forest might change and how you can help it to become more resilient. 

 

The video series is divided into three parts:

Part 1 of the video series covers the general changes to forest composition expected for this region:

White spruce and balsam fir are not predicted to do well in the face of the changing climate, whereas white pine and red oak are some of the emerging “superhero trees.” The more diverse a forest stand, the more likely it will have some species that will be resilient – complexity is correlated with the ability to adapt to changing conditions.

Part 2 details the predictions of how various species will fare with climate change:

The viewer is taken to three different stands of trees (a black spruce dominated site, mature mixedwood, and a balsam fir dominated stand), and is guided through an assessment of the risk of these stands due to climate change. In the latter two stands, we learn that if balsam fir is a prominent component of the overstory and understory, the stand is at a higher risk from climate change. Balsam fir is sensitive to extremes in weather, is susceptible to pests, and is vulnerable to wind events. If the regeneration in a forest stand is predominantly balsam fir, the stand may be stuck in a “successional loop” and may not move to a more resilient and diverse forest type naturally.

Part 3 of the series takes a deep dive into three stand types, with recommendations for management options to improve carbon storage and create resilience.

Balsam fir-dominated stands – a common situation in many New Brunswick forests. To break the cycle of balsam fir regeneration and improve resilience, the foresters recommend planting other species (like acorns from red oak trees) and gradually removing the balsam fir in the overstory to create an irregular, multi-aged stand. 

The second and third stand types covered include Mature mixedwood and Younger mixedwood stands. The recommendations here include leaving the more resilient species (e.g., red maple, red oak) and thinning the spruce and fir.

The video series encourages landowners to understand what species are present in their forests, and to consider the broad spectrum of management options available rather than the conventional recommendations of clearcutting and short-rotation softwood production. A focus on maximizing softwood timber supply could put forest owners in a vulnerable situation when the changing climate is considered. 

For a more detailed description of management interventions to adapt to climate change, landowners can consult the silvicultural prescriptions in this companion document: Climate Change Resilience and Carbon Storage: Silvicultural Prescriptions for the Acadian Forest Regio

Filed Under: News & Events

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NWAI on Twitter

@ASDWLimelight @ASDWLimelight @MusicAsdw Check it out

- 167 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

- 168 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

- 170 days ago

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

- 172 days ago

@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

- 172 days ago

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days 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.

4 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.

4 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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