Summer 2015
Early in the summer we had David Sweetnam from Georgian Bay Forever give a presentation on Phragmites to our community. We advertised through our webpage, newsletter and madmail. 14 people participated including 2 children. Overall the presentation was received well and opened a few eyes to the concern with Phragmites. All attending signed up for the Phrag email and were ready to go out and locate any unmapped locations and then ready for the word to cut in early August.I talked with a group of 16 sailing school students outlining our concern and initiated a contest in that anyone finding a new location of Phrag in the bay would receive a gift card. I did show them some Phragmites, invasive and natural and also indicated an area where they might find some not yet mapped. Apparently they all headed out after the session and combed the area but unfortunately they were not successful on locating the spot. However later in the summer three young ladies came forward with new locations and received the gift cards.The shoreline of the bay was divided among the participants and many went looking for Phrag by kayak, canoe or small engine. Many of the participants did ask for extra help identifying a stand. Once they saw the real thing there was no question what they were looking for. We did locate 7 more sites not on the original map.There were lots of questions and invitations to check out properties. In all but one case landowners took charge of their property with the aid of a few cutters from our team. Some of the sites were on club property, again someone close by took ownership.In the library we had a map of Go Home posted and as people found new sitings they were recorded on the map for all to see.Only one of our stands did flower in early August but as time went on we decided to do the cut by mid August. Many of the stands never flowered.
We cut under water, brown bagged the plants and then burned. We had 2 sites for burning, one at a construction site and one at a family fire pit. We cut 10 sites, some very small filling 2 bags to sites that had over 10 bags. Crews ran from 1 individual to groups of 4. 13 individuals helped with the cut, many helping at two or more sites.
All locations were cleared of plants so we now wait for springtime to see what returns and how dense.
My thoughts are to get those early plants we know locations of in June and then cut again in end of July or early August.
Pictures to follow. Not great as I was bagging and always forgot to snap pictures.
Kelly Killoran
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