Getting rid of the (Buck)Thorn in our sides

Loughborough Wilderness Block is a group of NCC properties located in the heart of the Frontenac Arch Natural Area and provides key habitat connectivity. The properties are situated between two existing core protected areas within the Natural Area – the Frontenac Provincial Park and Queen’s University Biology Station– and feature extremely rugged terrain characteristic of the Frontenac Arch with high domed granite and metamorphic ridges with deep wooded valleys, and lowland and shoreline wetlands including beaver ponds, marshes, wooded swamps and bogs. These properties support a multitude of species at risk including Eastern Whip-poor-will, Eastern Ratsnake, and the Five-lined Skink among others.

Buckthorn is an invasive plant originally brought to North America in the 1880s as an ornamental shrub and was readily planted as fence-rows and windbreaks along agricultural fields. It is very versatile and thrives in a number of different habitats, threatening our native species by shading out plants and even altering the soil chemistry, making it difficult for native species to grow and survive. You will help NCC staff to combat this widely spreading, invasive shrub!

By hand-pulling Buckthorn, you can help ensure that the beautiful native plants and birds continue to flourish in the forest of the Elbow Lake Property.

Contact Ali Giroux: ali.giroux@natureconservancy.ca