WELLINGTON COUNTY – The county’s roads division will be planting two pollinator habitat areas starting this fall as part of a trial project on county right of ways.
“Should these trial plantings prove to be successful, there are potential benefits to do future plantings at locations throughout the county road network,” said a staff report to the roads committee, referenced by committee chair Gregg Davidson in his report to county council on Sept. 26.
Davidson told council the county had been successful in its application to the Canadian Wildlife Federation for monarch butterfly habitat, which meant the CWF would provide the “appropriate seed mixture and possibly some funding” for the project.
According to the staff report, possible funding from the CWF would be provided to help with invasive species control and equipment rental.
The areas to be planted are right of ways adjacent to county-owned properties at 8646 Wellington Road 16 – an area between Arthur and Damascus identified as the “McNamara tract” – and 7749 Wellington Road 17 – an area north of Fergus identified as the “Cumnock tract.”
The area marked in green represents the McNamara tract where the county will be doing trial planting of pollinator habitat this fall. Map from county staff report
The area marked in green represents the Cumnock tract where the county will be doing trial planting of pollinator habitat this fall. Map from county staff report
The benefits of the trial plantings are expected to include “lower long-term maintenance costs, water and snow capture, roadside aesthetics along with providing pollination services and climate change mitigation,” the report states.
The county is part of a southwestern Ontario working group being led the CWF, with some other member municipalities having already implemented pollinator plantings on their roadside right of ways.
Two councillors stood up during the meeting to speak in favour of the project.
“We all have to do our part, and it’s nice that we have these forested tracts that have been gifted to us over the years,” said councillor Mary Lloyd.
“This is a great way for us to use those properties.”
“The pollinator project is something that I’m extremely proud of,” said councillor Campbell Cork, a member of the roads committee.
“If we ever thought we were going to leave this place a little better than we found it, this is a small, but albeit an important step forward.”
