Written by Ross McGowan on behalf of the Friends of Lemoine Point Conservation Area
One of the many challenges in dealing with invasive Phragmites is the heat: most of the control methods are best accomplished in mid-summer when the plant is growing vigorously and the sun is shining intensely. It was a well-prepared and well-hydrated team of 15 volunteers from the Friends of Lemoine Point and five professionals from Cataraqui Conservation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, who recently confronted the large patch of invasive Phragmites and the intimidating July heat at Lemoine Point Conservation Area.
Five hours later, the team was still well hydrated (thank you watermelon, Gatorade and ice water!), exhausted, and had taken a huge chunk out of the patch. Several hundred pounds of Phragmites stems had been severed from their root system with spades. Those stems are under tarps nearby, where they will dry out, ensuring they are no longer viable. Then the stems will make one final move, this time into the City of Kingston composting system. Only 30 stems will avoid this fate – they are destined for a lab at Queen’s University for experiments with natural alternatives to adhesives.
The results of the team’s efforts will be studied to determine the next steps for this patch. An important priority is to keep it from spreading into a nearby wetland, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems within Lemoine Point. At the moment, it is our plan to continue spading over the next few years, removing Phragmites from the outer edge of the stand first, then moving inwards (i.e. focusing on expanding areas free of Phragmites) while continually monitoring the site and managing new growth. But we need to ask ourselves if this path is sustainable, or if other approaches such as herbicide, biological control or drowning would be a better way to achieve our objective.
Besides the excellent companionship, superb logistics support and spectacular setting on the Collins Bay shoreline of Lake Ontario, there was another bright spot during this event: the native vegetation was still present and surprisingly vigorous even as we approached the heart of the patch. If we are persistent, and bring this patch under control, those native plants stand ready to re-occupy this area, boosting the biodiversity and resilience of this part of Lemoine Point; a space that means so much to so many Kingstonians and other visitors.
The Friends of Lemoine Point always welcomes new volunteers and members. If you’d like to work alongside us, or stay in touch with what we are up to, please visit our homepage to register as a member or volunteer.