Invasive Phragmites Eradication for the Health of Our Water and Wetlands 2019 Report

Invasive Phragmites Eradication for the Health of our Water and Wetlands 2019 Report

PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 14, 2020 AUTHOR: BROOKE HARRISON, GEORGIAN BAY FOREVER (GBF) PROJECT COORDINATOR CONTRIBUTORS: HEATHER SARGEANT, GBF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Table of Contents

Content Page Numbers Overview 2 -4 Overview Charts 2019: Sites mapped and 3 managed, and volunteer engagement Overview Maps: Where we are now in 2019 and 4 Where we aim to be in 2025 Invasive Phragmites 101 - Brief summary about invasive 5 Phragmites and how it is managed on the coasts Tay Township 6-8 The Township of Georgian Bay 9-19, overview (9-10) Honey Harbour 10-11 Lily Pond (Honey Harbour) 12-13 Chart summary of Present Island, Quarry Island, 14 Wolverine Beach to Macey’s Bay Chart summary of Severn Sound to Port Severn 15 Georgian Bay National Islands Park 15 Cognashene 16 Twelve Mile (and Manitou) 17,18 Wah Wah Taysee (and Manitou) 17,19 The Township of The Archipelago 20-25, overview (20-21) Woods Bay 22 Sans Souci and Copperhead 23 The South Channel 23 Bayfield Nares 24 The Massasauga Park 25 Pointe au Baril 25 Other Communities and Stakeholders 26 Magnetawan First Nations, West Carling, Blue Water Wasaga, 26 Giants Tomb, Beausoleil First Nations- Christian Island DNA analysis of samples (hybrids?) 27 Ontario Ministry of Transportation Update 28 Conclusion 29 Amazing Supporters and Funders of this Program 30

1 Overview

In 2019, we saw water levels reach high marks that made the drowning process that we used all summer highly effective. Water levels are expected to remain high for the next few years making this program crucial to continue while we have water highs on our side. We are seeing a reduction in the size of the stands, making them more controllable for home and cottage owners along the coast.

In 2019, Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) hired 1 full time employee to manage and oversee the Phragmites australis summer program and 5 summer students to educate and help communities and their volunteers map, cut, and manage Phragmites along the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay.

Please see charts on page 3 that show the results from 2019.

What are the current highlights?

• 580 volunteered to cut or learn about invasive Phragmites. • GBF and volunteers put in 3869 hours to collectively map 588 stands (sites) and cut 201 stands (sites). • 43 stands have been eradicated and are in monitoring. (This is in addition to the 36 sites that were eradicated prior to 2019.)

GBF has created a 5-year plan for every single one of the 588 stands mapped. If funding and resources come through as outlined in the plan, by 2025 we will see 100% of stands under control meaning, 505 being in eradicated/monitoring mode, and 83 left that have received treatment but are not completely gone. These 83 would be so reduced, that they can be entirely managed by the community (MAP 2, page 4). By 2030, all 588 stands should be gone. It is important to note that during this time and continuing into the future, it will remain important for Georgian Bay communities to be vigilant (on guard!) for any new stands that may be found or appear as a result of human spread pathways, so that communities can remove them before they spread and grow.

Please see these MAP 1 (Where we are, 2019) and MAP 2 (Where we aim to be, 2025) on page 4.

What does this report do?

This report highlights the results and conditions of the specific eastern regions where GBF partnered with communities and municipalities to remove invasive Phragmites. If you have any questions about this report contact Brooke at [email protected].

Overview cont.

Total Phragmites sites mapped and managed in 2019 on the eastern shores of Georgian Bay

* Present Island, Quarry Island, Wolverine Beach to Macey’s Bay, ** Magnetawan First Nations, Blue Water Wasaga Beach, Christian Island, West Carling

Volunteer engagement and participation in 2019 for invasive Phragmites control Volunteer Community Total Weight Shoreline # of

Hours Cuts (kg) Mapped (km) Volunteers* Tay 400 7 9840 30 53

Cognashene 40 2 1200 150 3

Honey Harbour 84 2 9769 100 14 Honey Harbour Surrounding Area 15 1 200 50 4 Severn Sound to Port Severn 140 2 610 100 10 Wah Wah Taysee + Twelve Mile Bay 32 1 400 80 8

Archipelago 244 6 2000 100 39

Other 106 2 2000 5 20

Total 1061 23 26,019 615 151

* Does not include # of volunteers that were educated. These volunteers participated in cuts.

3 Overview cont.

Invasive Phragmites in 2019, and where we could be in 2025

Invasive Phragmites 101

What is invasive Phragmites? Phragmites australis subspecies australis (also known as the European common reed) is an invasive grass that grows into dense monocultures that can grow as high as 5 m. Stands of Phragmites severely impair wetlands, threaten biodiversity, reduce habitat, damage municipal and private property, and impede access to recreational activities. Phragmites has no native predators or competitors making it challenging to control.

How can I distinguish the native plant from the invasive? There are differences between the two; some that require experts or having the different plants side by side, which is rare. To find out more about identification and see more pictures, please visit this page on the GBF website: http://bit.ly/IDphrag

Some of the more obvious differences can be seen at the base of the stalks in mature stands. Native Phragmites tend to have a red colour at the base, and be smooth. The plants in a native stand are often (but not always) more scattered. Mature stands of invasive Phragmites are very dense, and the bases of the stalks are beige in colour and feel a little rough. Control Methodology

1. Gather the equipment: hand held cutters, natural twine, scissors, heavy soled shoes that can go in the water, gardening gloves, eye protection, a hat, appropriate clothes that can get wet and protect from elements, PFD, 1 or 2 black garbage bags, and friends to help as needed.

2. How to remove invasive Phragmites and timing: • The timing to remove the stalks is between mid-July and mid-August before seed heads emerge. • Cutting: Review safety tips here: http://bit.ly/safetyphrag. If there are seed heads, remove them first and put the heads into a black garbage bag. Leave the closed garbage bag in the sun on your property for 3 weeks so that the seeds are solarized and are not viable. Dispose of the closed garbage bag as normal garbage. To start on the stalks, begin on the outside and work inwards. Cut each stalk underwater as close as safely possible to the sediment level (not just below the surface). You are only removing the stalks and attached leaves - do not try to disturb the roots – they are extensive, and uprooting them will contribute to the spread. Keep watch for floating pieces of Phragmites and gather them up as best you can to prevent spread. • Disposal: Do not leave stalks and debris in or near the water. On your property, find a designated drying spot where cut stalks can decay (best with sunlight). Wrap 20-40 stalks piled end to end in natural twine to prevent them from blowing away. Check the site next year to ensure that nothing has sprouted. It is unlikely, but it is very critical to monitor these sites, and dispatch anything that may grow. • Follow-up: This is a 2-5 year annual process depending on the size of the stand. Each year the Phragmites stand will come back much diminished. Keep vigilant about the site, and the disposal site. The process works, and you will be rewarded with native plants returning and habitat being restored.

For more information or training on how to remove invasive Phragmites from shorelines in Georgian Bay, please contact [email protected]. Join phragbusters all over Georgian Bay! 5

Tay Township

In 2019, GBF and community partners met the goal of cutting 26% of the sites identified and mapped. Tay Township has 155 active stands, GBF cut 40 sites removing 9840kg of biomass.

Two local environmental post-secondary students were hired to protect the shorelines of Tay. They went door-to-door speaking about Phragmites and organizing large cuts and attended Tay Senior Day, Tay Bike Day, and Tay Canada Day Celebrations. They noted that the majority of citizens knew what Phragmites was, and were eager to help. There was high participation during the seven community cuts where citizens showed they were eager to learn and protect shorelines. Engaged, hard-working, and caring volunteers planned all of the community cuts, recruited volunteers, developed posters, went door-to-door, and helped manually remove the Phragmites. In total 54 volunteers committed over 400 hours of phragbusting to protect the Bay.

These numbers are something to be proud about, but continued efforts need to go into the program to ensure we stay on top of this highly invasive plant in this area. To date, there are 40 stands that while reduced will need to be cut again, and 115 that have received no treatment.

Additionally, in 2019 we mapped 43 more sites than 2018. This is not new growth - it is because we used the GBF Baykeeper boat to get to areas that are not visibly accessibly by foot. We know that each stand will take anywhere between 3-5 years to eradicate - and most on the longer side for Tay, as they are quite large, established root systems.

Community Cuts: o Swan Lane o Twin Bridge Marina o Tay Trail o Delta Drive o Georgian Landing o Sturgeon Bay o Calvert Park

Events Attended: o Tay Senior Day o Tay Bike Day o Tay Canada Day Celebrations

Tay cont.

Current status of Phragmites australis in Tay Township

Looking forward if funding goals are met –a plan and estimated outcomes were outlined in Nov. 2019

Tay Township- 155 Sites 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 27 27 Truxors GBF Staff 12 23 31 26 34 43 20 GBF Staff and Community Members 6 17 4 17 19 18 Community Members 13 40 71 93 117 Total Sites Managed (%) 13 26 46 63 79 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 18 40 71 97 122 155 155 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 3 12 40 47 58 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 5 18 62 73 90

Outlined in this table is the ideal approach to control Phragmites australis in the Township of Tay. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication in the next few years, but as we continue to manage sites, control becomes less expensive and less time consuming. If we leave it, we can expect it to double or triple in cost, and take many more hands to complete the tasks. The Phragmites eradication project will be close to completed in 2024 with 100% of sites manageable by the community if the funding comes through according to plan.

See next page for a map to match this above table: What Tay could like in 5 years if the appropriate funding is applied. 7 Tay cont.

Anticipated Phragmites australis status in 2025 in Tay if funding and resources are achieved. Yellow are in management (received a cut or more), green are eradicated (in monitoring).

The program in 2018 and 2019 was successful in reaching its goal, however, there is a ways to go to ultimately controlling all 155 stands (noted in the map above). To continue working towards the common goal of eradication and having our vegetation, wildlife, and also recreational beaches back, GBF presented a plan to Tay council for 2020-2023 (corresponds to the table on page 7) that if funded as requested, includes:

• GBF hiring local summer students to execute the program, and encouraging the volunteer community • GBF attending community events where possible (e.g. Tay Senior Day, Tay Bike Day, Tay Canada Day Celebrations, etc.) • GBF mapping every stand in June, before cutting begins in July and August • GBF bringing specialized equipment from the Invasive Phragmites Control Centre (IPCC) called truxors to control large, dense, areas of shoreline in 2020 and 2021. GBF has led the success in Lily Pond, Honey Harbour where in 2018 the truxors removed over 20,000kg of biomass and in 2019 90% of the Phragmites cut did not return to the area. Conclusion: Some stands in Tay are so large and dense, truxors are a great way to control the shorelines beyond the capacity of volunteers and get ahead of this highly invasive plant. • On top of the truxors, we will continue to cut and control smaller sites along the Tay shorelines.

8 Township of Georgian Bay

(Honey Harbour, Present Island, Quarry Island, Wolverine Beach to Macey’s Bay, Severn Sound to Port Severn, Georgian Bay National Islands Park, Lily Pond, Cognashene, Wah Wah Taysee, Twelve Mile Bay)

The program results are strong: In 2019, 38% of the invasive Phragmites sites on the shorelines of Georgian Bay Township (GBT) received management. Specifically, of the 359 sites that GBF mapped on 480 km of shoreline, 112 sites were cut; removing 12,179kg of biomass, and noting 26 sites were eradicated (this is in addition to the 36 sites that were eradicated prior to 2019). To achieve this, resources included hosting eight community cuts and reaching out to 200+ community members. GBF’s team consisted of a supervisor and three local post-secondary students dedicated to the Township of Georgian Bay, specifically in Honey Harbour and Cognashene, and were joined by two other GBF students as needed. GBF staff continued to build relationships with local homeowners and businesses in the community.

At this point, GBF notes that the majority of these stands are manageable (79% or 282 stands are under 10 m2) verses areas like Tay, where we are seeing many stands well over 40m2. This is a risk for GBT if the stands are left unaddressed in areas like Honey Harbour; and it will be much more costly and time-consuming to manage. To date in GBT, there are 112 stands that while reduced will likely need to be cut again, and 221 that have received no treatment. Sites take about 2 to 5 years to eradicate depending on their size and density. All 359 stands have been analyzed and a 5-year management plan has been developed.

We have seen success in Honey Harbour and Cognashene, but we need to expand our capacity to more community control in Honey Harbour and extend more control measures down to the Severn 9 Township of Georgian Bay (Honey Harbour cont.)

Sound area. In addition, the mapping of Wah Wah Taysee and Twelve Mile Bay allows us to granularly explain to community leaders the exact locations and resources they need to remove these relatively smaller sites.

2019 and 5 year outlook. GBF has presented this 5-year plan and estimated outcomes to GBT in February 2020, and will also be presenting to community leaders throughout the spring of 2020 to work together towards the funding and resources needed for its execution. You can help too, by donating today at www.gbf.org.

TGB- 359 Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff 93 138 47 16 12 0 GBF Staff and 19 66 129 104 33 31 Community Members Community Members 0 59 82 91 57 6 Total Sites Managed (%) 38 90 95 98 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 138 323 340 352 364 359 Sites Eradicated by Year 7 17 23 39 73 90 End (%) Sites Eradicated by Year 26 60 82 141 262 322 End (#)

Honey Harbour

GBF has had 7 years of active phragbusting with the community, which is why we seeing that 75% of stands are low density, less than 5m2 in this area.

The Baykeeper boat is kept at Paragon Marina. Phragbusters use this boat everyday to access the stands. In 2019, two local summer students were hired to work with the cottage association and local cottage owners to continue to monitor and remove Phragmites.

Community Cuts: o Wild Goose Events Attended: o Quarry Island o Honey Harbour Canada Day Celebrations o South Bay o Honey Harbour AGM o Potato Island o GBF AUV release launch o Twelve Mile Bay o Art on the Rocks o Longuissa Bay o Cognashene AGM o Palisade Bay o Little Wahnie Harbour 10 Township of Georgian Bay (Honey Harbour cont.)

Honey Harbour- 180 Sites* 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff 75 60 40 16 12 0 GBF Staff and Community Members 4 24 30 30 1 12 Community Members 0 40 39 54 48 1 Total Sites Managed (%) 52 93 93 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 93 168 168 180 180 180 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 7 24 33 44 66 93 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#)* 14 44 59 80 119 167

* This chart does not include the 36 sites that were eradicated prior to 2019

*** See the next pages for Lily Pond. A provincially significant wetland in Honey Harbour that is being rescued from invasive Phragmites.

11 Township of Georgian Bay (Lily Pond, in Honey Harbour)

Lily Pond

The Invasive Phragmites Control Center (IPCC) and Green Streams were contracted by Georgian Bay Forever for the second year in a row to Lily Pond, Honey Harbour. One machine and two staff members arrived on September 11th and worked for 2 days accomplishing a lot.

Looking at figure below, the truxor tackled the large patch, and the two small areas were completed by a manual Stihl cutting machine. It is estimated that around 2 hectares of invasive Phragmites was controlled in 2019 over the two days and 7,070 kilograms was removed. The only regrowth from 2018 was along the shoreline because the drowning method was not as effective due to little water in that area. Due to the success from 2018 we saw under 15% regrowth in 2019.

12 Township of Georgian Bay (Lily Pond, a wetland in Honey Harbour cont.)

In spring 2020 a re-evaluation of Lily Pond will have to be conducted to determine if the truxors are required in Lily Pond. Based on the success from 2018-2019 it is not expected they will be, however other locations in Honey Harbour would benefit from the use of truxors.

Thank you to the concerned citizen and businesses that have supported the restoration of Lily Pond. You helped make this project possible: Honey Harbour Historical Society, Leslie MacDonald, Andres Martinez, Raffle donors, Marion McLeod, Ken Keyes, Honey Harbour Co-op, and White Contracting & Barging. GBF would like to thank Kathy Kay for helping us organize donors, raffle draws, volunteers, and spreading her knowledge on Phragmites in the Honey Harbour community. Thank you to Honey Harbour Towne Center for allowing us to use your property for access to Lily Pond. We would also like to thank Tom from Bin City who helped remove the Phragmites biomass and dispose of correctly. Lastly, thank you to Township of Georgian Bay for helping bring the truxors to Lily Pond and providing staff and equipment.

An area of Lily Pond before a cut with Truxors

The same area of Lily Pond after a cut with Truxors

13 Other Township of Georgian Bay areas:

South of Honey Harbour has seen minimal attention in previous years. In 2019 this entire area was mapped and has been marked a high priority for 2020. It is important to have an impact on this area while the stands are still manageable and small and before they get large and take double the time and resources.

Potato Island: Two community cuts were hosted between Potato Island and Green Island, the mouth of the Trent Severn Waterways. An active community member invited GBF to participate. The area was mapped and 12 stands were controlled. It is crucial these 12 stands are cut in 2020, as well as the other 34 stands. Boat traffic is extremely high in this area and is a linear highway for invasive species.

Present Island- 9 Total Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff 1 GBF Staff and Community 9 3 Members Community Members 6 9 4 Total Sites Managed (%) 11 100 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 1 9 9 9 9 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 56 100 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 5 9

Quarry Island- 24 Total Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff GBF Staff and Community 1 8 17 17 24 16 Members Community Members Total Sites Managed (%) 4 33 71 71 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 1 8 17 17 24 24 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 33 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 8

Wolverine Beach to Maceys Bay- 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 52 Total Sites GBF Staff 49 2 GBF Staff and Community 50 52 3 3 Members Community Members Total Sites Managed (%) 94 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 49 52 52 52 52 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 94 94 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 49 49 14 Township of Georgian Bay (Other areas and outside stakeholders continues)

Severn Sound to Port Severn- 46 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total Sites GBF Staff 29 5 GBF Staff and Community 12 12 29 5 5 Members Community Members 12 25 5 5 Total Sites Managed (%) 26 89 100 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 12 41 46 46 46 46 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 35 89 89 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 16 41 41

Georgian Bay Islands National Park

We are working with Parks Canada to provide invasive Phragmites management advice for their Impede the Reed program within Georgian Bay Islands National Park (GBNIP).

GBNIP is working towards a 4-year plan starting in 2019 for the massive Phragmites infestations in the park and area.

This is critically important to The Georgian Bay Township (GBT) because invasive Phragmites knows no borders, and untreated infestations in the GBNIP could continue to spread to GBT and vice versa.

th On July 25 2019, 3 GBF staff members went for a tour to view the extent of the damage and help strategize a plan for efficient removal.

15 Township of Georgian Bay (Cognashene)

Cognashene (Georgian Bay Township)

Cognashene- 29 Total Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff 17 GBF Staff and Community 13 Members Community Members 6 1 Total Sites Managed (%) 100 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 29 29 29 29 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 41 55 79 97 100 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 12 16 23 28 29 29

Over the last seven years, the Cognashene Phragmites program has been a great success. Thanks to the community support and volunteer involvement, and the hard work of the Georgian Bay Forever students, Cognashene has seen a reduction in the number of Phragmites sites by over 15% in the past year. Background: In the summer of 2018, Cognashene was home to 25 sites, and in 2019 17 sites remain. 95% of these sites have reduced in size and density over the past two years, leaving 85% of the sites in Cognashene as low density/mixed sites. Areas that were once home to large monoculture patches of Phragmites are now clear of all sites (Cognashene Lake) or on their way to eradication (Longuissa Bay).

16 Township of Georgian Bay (Cognashene) Twelve Mile Bay and Wah Wah Taysee (and Manitou)

Twelve Mile Bay- 7 Total Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff GBF Staff and Community Members 2 Community Members 7 7 2 Total Sites Managed (%) 29 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 2 7 7 7 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 71 100 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 5 7 7

Wah Wah Taysee- 12 Total Sites 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 GBF Staff GBF Staff and Community Members Community Members 12 12 Total Sites Managed (%) 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 12 12 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 100 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 12 12 12 * MANITOU – has one site to cut and manage 17 Township of Georgian Bay (Twelve Mile and Wah Wah Taysee.)

Looking forward:

What we are seeing on the shorelines of Wah Wah Taysee, Manitou (part of The Township of The Archipelago), and Twelve Mile Bay is an early detection of invasive Phragmites australis. 20 stands have been identified in the region. Of these stands, 65% are sparse, 35% have a medium density and only 5% are dense. 50% of the stands are less than one squared meters in size, 25% are less than five meters squared, and only 25% are above five meters squared. This area would be classified as a high priority because all stands are small in size, sparse, and new growth. GBF can help provide training, and tips on removing the sites for volunteer community members to tackle.

Twelve Mile invasive Phragmites stands

Density Site ID Latitude Longitude Size (M2) Location Cut 2019 (S/M/D) Site 9 45.08682 -80.03008 M 7 Twelve Mile No No Site 10 45.08975 -80.02885 S 1 Twelve Mile

Twelve Mile Site 11 45.08402 -80.00532 S 2 Yes

Site 12 45.08503 -79.99659 S 0.5 Twelve Mile No Site 13 45.08377 -79.96365 S 1 Twelve Mile No

th GBF staff and volunteers on July 27 2019 cutting in Little Wahnie Harbour

Township of Georgian Bay (Twelve Mile and Wah Wah Taysee cont.)

Wah Wah Taysee invasive Phragmites stands

Site ID Latitude Longitude Density (S/M/D) Size (m2) Location Cut 2019 Site 1 45.06822 -80.04376 M 6 Wah Wah Taysee No Site 2 45.06975 -80.05256 S 1 Wah Wah Taysee No No Site 3 45.07278 -80.06737 S 1 Wah Wah Taysee

No Site 4 45.07307 -80.0674 S 4 Wah Wah Taysee

Wah Wah Taysee Site 5 45.07937 -80.06867 S 2 Adjacent Ontario Parks No Property Wah Wah Taysee Site 6 45.08062 -80.07081 M 12 Yes Ontario Parks Property. Wah Wah Taysee 10 Site 7 45.09154 -80.06782 D Federal Parks Land. Cut Yes

July 27th 2019 Wah Wah Taysee Site 8 45.09078 -80.06177 S 2 Yes Ontario Parks Property. Site 15 45.06808 -80.04491 M 5 Wah Wah Taysee No 45.06808 -80.04719 Site 16 S 0.5 Wah Wah Taysee No

Site 17 45.06081 -80.04504 S 1 Wah Wah Taysee No 45.06175 -80.04877 Site 18 S 1 Wah Wah Taysee No

Site 19 45.05665 -80.01054 S 1 Wah Wah Taysee No Site 20 45.10379 -80.08138 M 4 Wah Wah Taysee No

19 Township of the Archipelago

Township of the Archipelago 2019 2020 2021 2022 65 Total Sites Community Members, Ontario 43 48 26 Parks, GBF staff Total Sites Managed (%) 92 100 100 100 Total Sites Managed (#) 60 65 65 65 Sites Eradicated by Year End (%) 26 26 60 100 Sites Eradicated by Year End (#) 17 17 39 63

20 The Archipelago (cont.)

The Archipelago (65 stands) can be viewed as the ‘emerging’ front of the spread of this invasive plant in comparison to the Georgian Bay Township (359 stands). The Archipelago benefits from all the control work of GBF stakeholders and partners in 2 general ways.

1. Mitigating more spread before it gets to The Archipelago. In addition to work in The Archipelago, investments over the last 7 years in GBF control programs south of The Archipelago safeguard and augment the investments in The Archipelago. The plant does not respect borders. GBF continues to work with key stakeholder organizations (communities, community organizations, municipalities, broader organizations, and levels of the provincial government) to identify, educate, and resource the tackling of Phragmites stands.

2. Facilitating and coordinating Phragbusting activities with community leaders and volunteers in The Archipelago. GBF has worked with 6 community associations in The Archipelago as well as the Georgian Bay Association on ongoing Phragmites eradication, and that continued this year. GBF does face-to face training and provides handouts on the Phragmites cut method that identify The Archipelago as a clear stakeholder.

The Archipelago coasts: • Sites - there are 65 identified invasive Phragmites sites on the coasts. Good news when you compare it to a much smaller community like Honey Harbour that has 180 sites. However, the territory to cover is immense and it is imperative to ensure these are treated/controlled so the problem remains small • Under treatment – 43 are under treatment, and the 5 untreated and should get cut next year • Not present anymore – 17 are not present anymore. They still will require monitoring for 2-3 years - a visual “drive-by”

Community Phragbusting. The Township of The Archipelago supports GBF oversight in contacting and encouraging community leaders, offering training and education materials as required, and coordinating results. In 2020, all 65 sites should be checked, and the remaining 48 receive another cut. Most of these sites have received one or more cuts, and are therefore at a level that should be managed by stakeholder community leaders and their volunteers.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (monitoring and control of highways leading to the coasts of The Archipelago). Highways are a spread vector to Georgian Bay coasts and require a comprehensive and consistent management strategy. GBF began learning about the complex and varied Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) response to Phragmites in 2016 through its membership in the Ontario Phragmites Working Group and inviting the 2 regional operational managers to GBF Phragmites control workshops. Most recently, over the last 16 months, we have worked with support from the Township of The Archipelago to identify gaps in MTO control and treatment to achieve more action from MTO. This work continues. See more on MTO progress on page 28.

21 The Archipelago (cont.)

Woods Bay

Woods Bay phragfighters have been successfully phragbusting for years, and this year was no exception. The support over the years from community members, the Woods Bay Community Association, the Friends of The Massasauga Park, the Massasauga Park and GBF are truly to be commended for this beautiful part of Georgian Bay. In 2019, Heather Sargeant, Woods Bay seasonal resident and communications director for GBF, re- mapped Woods Bay and surrounding areas, chased information and organized the local effort. Thank you especially to the volunteers!

There are 10 sites in the Woods Bay area. Here are the results and observations:

ü 5 sites gone. On average takes about 3 years. 1st year is the worst.

ü 2 old sites were cut by Heather and volunteer Charlotte Mensforth. This was about the 3rd year of cuts on those sites – very few bundles – the process is working and these should be gone this year or next.

ü 2 new ones were discovered/ mapped this year that look to be about 2 years old. 1 was cut by 4 volunteers and Heather; on the other, the owner is aware and got instruction on how to remove. It will be checked next year.

ü 1 in the Moon Bay area was newly found – Heather will talk to the shoreline property owner in 2020.

22 The Archipelago (cont.)

Sans Souci and Copperhead, and The South Channel

There are legendary community leaders in the battle against invasive Phragmites in these communities: Katherine Denune and Peter Adams.

Under their example, and with their help, these communities and their respective community association have enlisted very dedicated volunteers to help tackle this threat to the beauty and functionality of the shorelines. In 2019, we want to especially thank Katherine, Peter, Beth, John, Brian, Thomas, Greg, Monique and Luc, and Matt – and we know there were others that we were not able to name. THANK YOU.

Within these 3 communities, there are about 35 stands (approximately 14 of these being on the shorelines of The Massasauga Park).

Of the 21 stands (not on Park shorelines) and in the general SSCA AND SCA area, here were the 2019 results:

ü 5 appeared to not be present (i.e. eradicated)

ü Approximately 14 cut, but much reduced verses prior years – likely many will be gone next year. Each stand takes about 2-5 years depending on size to be eradicated.

• 2 were not able to be observed, and will be checked on next year

23 The Archipelago (cont.)

Bayfield Nares

There have been many dedicated phragbusters in the Bayfield Nares community over the years, and Anne Stewart has been a passionate advocate for many of those years. Many community members in the area are knowledgeable on invasive Phragmites and have been vigilant in managing them for a very long time.

It is their care that helped GBF explore the possibility of hybridization. See page 27. And, also turned into an opportunity to participate in a shoreline cleanup.

On July 19th, 2019, four GBF staff joined volunteers Andrew Kolody, Anne Stewart, Molly Mulloy, Frank Pointer, Douglas Lash, and Paul Sine to tackle a big patch of phrag. Very dense native phrag in Nares. When we got there, bug hats on, the stand although very dense, Tricky to identify for sure, but appeared to be native in key characteristics; contributing to our should be left. Key things to look efforts to explore more around potential hybridization. Additionally for – if it flowers in July and if the and importantly, a small patch of the invasive was found along the bottom of the stalks appear red, it shoreline, and was dispatched immediately. GREAT! IT IS CRITICAL, is native. GBF continues to that small sites get identified and treated as fast as possible to investigate if there is hybrization avoid huge efforts and costs to manage them later when they occurring in Georgian Bay. So far, become established and mature sites. no evidence that there is. See page 27.

The day saw even more conservation efforts! This group collected litter on the shorelines in a bay in Nares. Collectively, they found about 35 pounds of litter, including 12 big pieces of foam, and about 165 pieces of small foam (in reality there were too many to pick up). They also found 3 bumpers, a foam seat, jugs and pails, a shower curtain and so much more.

Thank you to these volunteers for their amazing efforts, both in mitigating shoreline pollution and being diligent on getting invasive Phragmites, and to the many other Bayfield Nares volunteers who help the Bay.

The Archipelago (cont.)

The Massasauga Provincial Park, Ontario Parks

GBF led a team to develop a Phragmites management plan with the Park that began in 2017 and continued to 2019. The plan is working. 2019 was the Park’s 2nd year of management. It kicked off on June 13th 2019, when 3 GBF staff members travelled to The Massasauga Provincial Park to host a training session to Ontario Parks staff and Friends of The Massasauga Park volunteers.

THEN the Park and its staff did all the management – FANTASTIC! Here is an extract from Ontario Parks 2019 Phragmites Report by park staff Connor Davidson and Maggie Di Gravio.

In 2019, Connor and Maggie successfully mapped and manually controlled 20 sites within Ontario Parks. They cut all 20 sites. 4 sites were cut twice due to their size - one in July and one in August.

They identified 2 new sites and noted over 7 are in the monitoring stage. All existing sites were reduced in size and density in 2020, it is expected many of these sites will not grow back in 2020 but it is important to continue to monitor and stay on top of any new sites that may develop.

Pointe au Baril Marine Patrol

GBF has helped train the Marine Patrol over the years – but then they have taken complete control over management. Here is an extract from the Pointe au Baril Islanders Association Marine Patrol Report 2019, written by Abigail Sorensen and Chris Oliver, supervised by Catherine Fairlie.

This summer the Marine Patrol cut a total of 8 Phragmites patches around the area of Pointe au Baril. These locations were both from last year and some new ones. The locations of these patches were spread out around the bay which included Bonnie Isle (Sturgeon Bay), Upper Shawanga, Cradle Island, Chicken Channel, Desmasdons, Frederick Inlet, Cambria Island, and Mud Channel.

In August, the Marine Patrol organized two days to go out to each of the patches to cut. They had a total of 18 volunteers come out and participate going to three patches on one weekend and three the next. The patrollers personally cut one on their own because it was very petite. The last patch was organized with the camp, taking the senior campers out and teaching them about the invasive plant and how to cut the plant. The campers really enjoyed coming out and learning, and everyone had a good time!

Overall, all the Phragmites cuts were very successful. PaBIA and the Marine Patrol got to all the patches and hope to find next year they have decreased in size. The Marine Patrol already knows of two more locations around the bay and hope that everyone is constantly on the look out and report any plant they believe is Phragmites. It is a lot better to report something and find out that it isn’t Phragmites than not report it and have it been. The Marine Patrol likes to say when reporting, better safe than sorry.

25 Other Stakeholders and Communities Magnetawan First Nations Georgian Bay Forever partnered with Magnetawan First Nations to help with identification, mapping, control, and disposal. On August 20th 2019 a team of 6 removed the one invasive Phragmites on the Magnetawan River under GBF training and supervision.

West Carling On June 22nd GBF presented to West Carling Cottage Association. GBF provided an intro to Phragmites, how to map, how to cut, what the next steps would be and how to start.

Blue Water, Wasaga Beach On August 17th 2019, Brooke joined the Blue Water Community Association for year three of control along the shorelines just outside of Wasaga Beach. 910kg of biomass was removed for a total of 7 sites and over 15 dedicated volunteers.

Giants Tomb On August 15th 2019 Georgian Bay Forever met with Parks Canada, Ontario Parks, Georgian Bay Land Trust, Georgian Bay Spirits, Nature Conservancy of Canada and local volunteers to remove 8 sites on Giants Tomb. In a short 4 hours we were able to remove an estimated 3500kg of biomass that was left on site and will be monitored for years to come. Based on previous years we have seen a large reduction in size and will continue to cut this site in the future, which should be eradicated by 2021. Beausoleil First Nations, Christian Island Brooke visited on August 28th for a presentation and demonstration of invasive Phragmites and tour the land with Parks Canada. Discussed possible collaborations for 2020.

26 DNA Analysis – investigating if there is hybrid species in Georgian Bay

There have been haplotypes of hybrids, of the invasive and native found in a small number of areas in the United Sates (Las Vegas is one).

In recent years we have seen native Phragmites stands display some similar qualities to invasive stands - dense, and tall for example. GBF wanted to investigate. Georgian Bay Forever sent 5 samples to Doug Wendell at Oakland University in the fall of 2019 to measure the Chloroplast Loci in native and invasive Phragmites.

All 5 stands tested were all North of Parry Sound, 4 samples sent came back as native and 1 being invasive. The native stands sampled were all tall, dense stands, but had the red stock. They did not test as “invasive”.

That is not the end of the story though. At this time, there is no test to measure specifically against a hybrid type – it is not profiled. We can only identify in these 2 buckets (native and invasive). GBF knows a university (Trent) is working on this issue, and we also know that Oakland University lab is working on a hybrid test. We will continue to follow-up with both and continue to test samples, especially where native and invasive are in close proximity or even mixed together.

The locations of 5 phragmites samples sent to Wendall Lab for genetic testing.

The left graphic is of the resultant gel showing the DNA polymorphisms between invasive and native Phragmites. The invasive DNA is not cut by the RsaI digest, but is cut by the HhaI digest, whereas the native is cut by the RsaI digest, and not cut by the HhaI digest

Source: https://www.greatlakesphragmites.net/phragbasics/native-vs- nonnative/

Ministry of Transportation (MTO)

• GBF helped review materials for The Township of The Archipelago’s (TOA) delegation in 2018 • GBF prepared MTO meeting materials and takeaways for a meeting with the Parliamentary Assistant for the Ministry of Transportation, MPP Vijay Thanigasalam on October 23, 2019. In 2019, GBF worked through several communications to MTO operational Levels to provide substantive information on mapping and control done in the North Eastern Region and Central Region. GBF analyzed information and delivered a gap analysis and recommendation for the TOA meeting on October in which GBF also presented to MPPs Thanigasalam and Miller and their staffs, under the organization of TOA’s Reeve Liverance and staff. • Currently, we are sharing the MTO gap analysis and TOA summary letter to other municipal partners and partner stakeholders. • We are expecting to hear a progress report on closing the gaps from MTO in early Spring 2020 or before.

In summary, these are the general gaps identified and requested to be resourced or made more transparent:

a) Consistent annual funding to map all inventory of invasive Phragmites every year. Some mapping of inventory in both the Central Region and North Eastern Region has been done in the past, but it seems inconsistent and not done in the most recent year. b) Consistent annual funding to analyze and present the invasive Phragmites mapping information every year - Allows for understanding of the scope and size of the threat, areas of treatment, and success of treatments. - Provide budget and resource allocation to share plans with municipalities (benefits - share mutual learnings, increase efficiencies, improve public understanding). c) Consistent annual funding for planning and treatment of all Phragmites stands mapped each year. - Rapid response will save money later

28 Conclusion

Phragmites australis knows no boundaries, making it crucial to all work together, pool our resources and information, and work together towards the common goal of eradication.

2019 was another great example of working together! It was an extremely successful year thanks to volunteer participation and your support of Georgian Bay Forever. We are seeing reduction in the sites that have received treatment, and while the water levels remain high for next year, it is even more advantageous that community members, municipalities, ministries of the Ontario government, and National Parks work alongside GBF staff and volunteers on control so eradication is in the near future.

Georgian Bay Forever is thankful for all the countless hours and dedication volunteers have put forward working towards the goal of eradication of Phragmites on the coasts. It can’t be done without your volunteerism and support. It should be noted that the proposed 5-year plans can only happen if necessary funding comes through. We will continue to do our best efforts in ensuring this happens and thank all past and future funders and individual donors help support GBF’s coastal Phragmites eradication 5 year plan. See our amazing funders on the next page.

This map is what Georgian Bay could look like in 2025. This is a very different image compared to the start of this report. With a 5-year plan and dedicated people to ensure this happens we know it is within reach. Please consider donating today at www.gbf.org.

Thank you to these funders who provided critical support

GBF would like to acknowledge the following funders who helped support the Phragmites Eradication for the Health of our Water and Wetlands program in 2019:

• Government of Canada, Summer Jobs Program • Township of Georgian Bay • Tay Township • Township of The Archipelago • BinCity.ca • Honey Harbour Association • Cognashene Cottagers Association • Twelve Mile Bay Members Association

• Manitou Association of Cottagers • Wah Wah Taysee Association • And, the many dedicated and passionate donors of Georgian Bay Forever

GBF also wishes to acknowledge the support of these partners: The Ontario Phragmites Working Group, Severn Sound Environmental Association, Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, the Sans Souci and Copperhead Association, the Massasauga Provincial Park, Friends of The Massasauga Park, Georgian Bay Islands National Park, the Georgian Bay Association, Paragon Marina, South Channel Association, the Woods Bay Association and the Pointe au Baril Islanders Association.

GBF sends our sincerest thanks to all volunteers for their help in this program. Your phragbusting help is protecting the biodiversity of coastal wetlands and restoring critical habitat.