How do you make an old growth forest? This is an interesting question that is brought up in the classic study Ecological Characteristics of Old-Growth Douglas-Fir Forests by Jerry F. Franklin, et al. In it, the authors summarize the 4 distinctive features of old-growth forest:… Read More »How to Make an Old Growth Forest
I wish to share a few pieces of nature art along the Champlain Heights Trail. The first is a rock and stump formation nestled into the roots of a tree, located near Matheson Heights Housing Co-op, designed by Anne Banner. The second is a “love… Read More »Nature Art!
Chris Corless has been a tireless volunteer since Free the Fern’s founding on January 15, 2021. He has spent many hours with his rake removing piles of English Ivy from Doug’s Garden (Pilot Project) site along the Champlain Heights Trails. He has also helped out… Read More »Volunteer Spotlight: Chris Corless
Today, I was walking home from the trails – and I saw a beautiful varied thrush lying on the road. It was breathing heavily and seemed stunned, likely as the result of an accidental collision with a window. It was breathing heavily, but seemed to… Read More »A Bird In Need
I was walking the trails and noticed a small douglas fir sapling tangled up in English Ivy. I made it my mission to free the fir! So on Saturday I and a fellow park steward, David Hiebert, helped to cut away the ivy and remove… Read More »Free the Fir!
I went for beautiful walk recently in Champlain Heights Park, located beside the Champlain Heights Community Centre. The first thing I noticed was the brilliant yellow blossoms of a hazel tree. Near by, as my son climbed up onto a massive douglas fir tree, we… Read More »A Walk in Champlain Heights Park
Today, while walking along the Champlain Heights Trail, I was surprised to see a Pileated Woodpecker fly into Doug’s Garden. The woodpecker landed on the forest floor, pecked for a bit at a fallen log, examined a maple tree and a douglas fir before flying… Read More »Pileated Woodpecker
A resident of Kinross Creek Co-op donated 2 garden compost bins for the use of Free the Fern. One will be used to compost green waste from vegetables and yard waste, while the other one will be used to store leaves to create mulch/leaf mold.… Read More »Compost Bins
In Plot D within Doug’s Garden (see: projects page), we have completed removing all invasive plants (English Ivy, Italian Arum & Lamium) and we have covered the soil with a protective layer of leaf mulch. Leaf mulch has been collected in a wheelbarrow from along… Read More »Leaf Mulch with Ferns