The J. Henry Tweed Conservation Area in Russell is being restored thanks to a new three year partnership between South Nation Conservation (SNC) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
SNC says main restoration activities throughout next year and 2022 will include native tree and shrub planting, repairing existing erosion and streambank stabilization, and restoring in stream habitat to increase biodiversity. SNC has also resurfaced the park’s recreational trail, installed three new pedestrian bridges, restored sections of the shoreline, and removed and replaced hundreds of dead and dying Ash Trees infected by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer over the past two years.
According to SNC, the area started as a 16-acre piece of land that was donated in 1980 by Alex and Mable Little and Jean Hay to protect the family’s natural legacies and provide passive recreational opportunities.
Now, the area is one of the Conservation Authority’s most popular public parks, and has over 20,000 visitors each year.
John Mesman, SNC’s Communications Lead, says the area is a community fixture that everyone has come to cherish.
“As development pressures increase in Russell and elsewhere, we promise to continue protecting and providing public natural spaces like the J. Henry Tweed Conservation Area; and we’re thankful for the support of OPG to help restore the park and local biodiversity.”
Ashley Fox, Assistant Environmental Advisor, Corporate Environment Health and Safety, says OPG is pleased to support SNC’s latest restoration project.
“At OPG we strive to maintain or enhance significant natural areas of concern and have partnered with recognized biodiversity stewards, like SNC, across the province to protect Ontario’s most vulnerable natural landscapes.”
For more information or to donate to SNC, visit their website here.