On October 25th more than 30 students from EnviroWestern planted over 150 trees and shrubs in anecological restoration project on campus. see News below [photo: Daria Koscinski]
The Sherwood Fox Arboretum
NEWS
EnviroWestern Plants over 150 trees
On October 25th, 2005 more than 30 students from EnviroWestern planted over 150 trees and shrubs in an ecological restoration project on campus. The 0.3 ha site, south of the TD Waterhouse Stadium is part of the lands on campus dedicated to the Sherwood Fox Arboretum. Partners in the project from UWO include EnviroWestern, the Sherwood Fox Arboretum, the Department of Physical Plant Services and the Environmental Science Western Field Station. The Ontario Wetland Habitat Fund and ReForest London 150 have also generously supported the initiative and part of the funding was raised from sales of EnviroWestern mugs. The day started with a seminar by restoration expert Mathis Natvik whose visit was sponsored by Environmental Research Western.
The purpose of the project is to restore some of the ecological function to parts of the Thames River corridor in London. The tree and shrub species used are all native to the London region and represent the diversity of the species rich Carolinian Forest that covered the area before European settlement. In total about 200 trees and shrubs of 35 species have been placed on site together with thousands of seeds. More trees, shrubs and ground layer species will be added next spring. The site was prepared using the “pit and mound” technique that mimics the micro-topography of natural forests, helps hold moisture on the site and provides a diversity of habitats for a variety of plant and wildlife species. Newspaper articles about the project have been published in the London Free Press and Western News.
Laverty Bee Garden Planting
On June 4, 2005 friends and family of Biology Professor Terence Laverty, who passed away in 2004, turned out to help plant the Laverty Bee Garden as a tribute to Terence and his love of bees. About 40 people helped to plant some 1200 flowers and shrubs, mostly native, that are insect pollinated and that will help attract bumble bees. The garden is situated between the Staging and North Campus Buildings.
A TREEmendous Tour
On June 9 2005, Jane Bowles, Director of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum and John Costella, Research & Instructional Services Librarian at the Allyn and Betty Taylor Library presented “A TREEmendous Tour” as part of the Western Libraries and Alumni Services Recreational Learning Series [http://www.lib.uwo.ca/alumni/alumniseries.shtml].
Ten participants learned how to use the library facilities on-line to find books about tree identification and were then introduced to a few of the trees in The Sherwood Fox Arboretum.
The International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation
In December 2003 the Sherwood Fox Arboretum registered our commitment to working to achieve the objectives and targets of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation. It is now one of 240 botanic gardens and arboreta in 71 countries, and one of 11 in Canada to register.The IABGC is a global policy framework developed by Botanic Gardens Conservation International for botanic gardens worldwide to contribute to biodiversity conservation, particularly as it relates to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.The International Agenda will be used to help guide the planning and development of the role of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum in conservation of the biodiversity of southwestern Ontario.
Furthermore, it allows our actions undertaken in support of plant conservation to be recognized and recorded internationally as contributions towards the global effort being made to conserve plant diversity.
Species at Risk Recovery
The Sherwood Fox Arboretum is working in partnership with Nin.Da.Waab.Jig, the Walpole Island Heritage Centre, on the Walpole Island Habitat Stewardship Program and Recovery Strategy.
Seed collected from rare, threatened and endangered trees and shrubs on Walpole Island will be germinated the the Sherwood Fox Arboretum and grown for eventual planting in habitat recovery projects on and around Walpole Island.
Over 120 seeds of Kentucky Coffee-tree (Threatened in Canada) from trees on Walpole Island were germinated at the Sherwood Fox Arboretum in the spring of 2004.
This program will be developed under the model of the Trees for Tomorrow program, involving school children, teachers and other members of the community.
The Sherwood Fox Arboretum partnership with the Trees For Tomorrow program
Trees for Tomorrow is an educational program designed to bring students, teachers, conservation groups and private nurseries together to grow native trees and shrubs for community projects. Through "hands on" activities, students learn how to collect, plant and germinate native tree and shrub seeds. Students and representatives of the Trees for Tomorrow program have collected seeds from various locations around London, including the Sherwood Fox Arboretum. School groups plant the seeds into nursery flats. Some of these seeds are now being grown in the Arboretum facilities in the Department of Biology greenhouses. In exchange for greenhouse facilities, the Trees For Tomorrow program will donate selected trees to the Sherwood Fox Arboretum for future planting on campus. Some of these trees will be new native species to the Arboretum.
For further information about this program, please contact Dan Schaefer, Stewardship Co-ordinator for Middlesex or Jane Bowles, Director of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum.
January 2004 - Staff changes at the Sherwood Fox Arboretum
Effective 15 December 2003, Dr. Jane M. Bowles was appointed as Director of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum and Curator of the UWO Herbarium. Dr. Bowles obtained her PhD from the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario in 1980 and is an Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Biology and Geography.
For the last 20 years she has worked as a freelance ecologist and botanist, mainly in southwestern and south central Ontario, but also in Hawaii and Cuba. Her clients have included Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Parks, Birds Studies Canada, several conservation authorities, the City of London, the Grand River Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Walpole Island First Nation. Her research interests are centred around conservation of biodiversity and species-at-risk in the fragmented landscape of southern Ontario.
Dr. Bowles' plans for the Sherwood Fox Arboretum include registering the
arboretum with the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation. The International Agenda is a global framework for botanic garden actions in biodiversity conservation, environmental education and sustainable development. Registering with the International Agenda provides a clear indication of the arboretum's commitment to plant conservation. The International Agenda can be used as a guide to help set priorities and develop action plans that can be carried out with the limited resources of the arboretum.
Vicky Lightfoot was Technical Assistant at the arboretum for about 10 years and moved upwards to a new position in the Department of Biology at the University of Western Ontario. Sandra Mackin is the new Technical Assistant.
This page was last updated on
November 1, 2005
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