NIAGARA BTC SEED ORCHARD - NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO
Latitude: 43.142424
Longitude: -79.10203
How to use Latitude and Longitude in Google Maps (aka GPS coordinates):
https://www.wikihow.com/Enter-GPS-Coordinates-in-Google-Maps
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This Niagara Seed Orchard was installed in the fall of 2023 by the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC), and is housed on the St. Paul Nature Reserve property owned by the BTC. The land was set aside for a plant and seed garden to provide volunteers with a stock of native plants and seeds which could be transplanted elsewhere, as needed, along the trail.
There are several invasive plants that have been inadvertently brought to the Niagara escarpment lands from all parts of the world. In many cases, these invasive plants have crowded out the native species and threatened their existence, because nothing interferes with their propagation. The invasive plants may impact the populations of insects, birds and animals that depend on the native species for food, nesting or other uses.
The Bruce Trail Club regularly identifies areas where invasive plants have supplanted the native species. Pull parties are organized to bring volunteers together to pull invasive species up and plant native seedlings. This hopefully brings back the native habitat.
Examples of invasive species include garlic mustard, European Buckthorn, Dog-strangling vine, Periwinkle, English ivy and lily-of-the-valley. See the attached link for a more detailed description of invasive plant species in the Niagara escarpment area:
https://brucetrail.org/invasive-species-along-the-niagara-escarpment/
Over the last ten years, the supply of plants and seeds native to Ontario has not been able to keep up with their need in the replanting programs. While restoration efforts continued across the Bruce Trail corridor in the early 2020's, plans began forming to build the first seed orchard. This enterprising project will enable the BTC to sustainably grow the plants needed for restoration work while navigating around any future supply issues.
What is a seed orchard? A seed orchard is a managed plantation of specifically selected plants to be used for the mass production of genetically verified seeds to create seeds or plants to be used in the establishment or enhancement of future restoration projects. Think of a large garden space used for the cultivation of native plant species. They are designed and managed to produce seeds of superior genetic quality compared to those obtained from seed production areas, seed stands, or unimproved stands.
In one year, a single plant can easily make 100 seeds, which can grow into 100 more plants to make 10,000 seeds and so on. In ecology, this exponential growth is called “fecundity” and BTC planting volunteers can harness that power to produce the plants needed to meet their restoration goals.
The creation and maintenance of this sustainable seed program would not be possible without the dedication of BTC volunteers, especially those on the Trail Development and Maintenance team who helped prepare the area, and the Niagara Biodiversity Team who have tackled the plantings and ongoing maintenance.
{The information for this note was obtained from Lyndsey Wilkerson, Restoration Project Specialist, Bruce Trail Conservancy}
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THANK-YOU TO ALL THE LANDOWNERS AND VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE THIS TRAIL POSSIBLE!!
TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE JOIN THE BRUCE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AT: https://brucetrail.org/product-category/memberships/
Please refer to Brucetrail.org for further updated information about the trail.
