The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Guelph received a $15,955 grant from the Ontario Government to support the project, “Local Community Engagement in Riparian Enhancement at the Speed and Eramosa Riverlands,” as part of the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund.
The fund is providing a total of $1.5 million to 70 environmental projects.
OPIRG Guelph will work to control and manage invasive species and enhance native plant diversity along the banks of the Eramosa and Speed Rivers.
Student volunteers of all ages will have the opportunity to learn to identify and remove garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and common buckthorn.
Native plants will be planted in their place to attract native pollinators and increase available wildlife habitat within the watershed.
This project will help by protecting water quality for human and ecological health and by protecting habitat and species in the Eramosa and Speed Rivers and their tributaries in Guelph.
“I would like to acknowledge OPIRG as one of this year’s Great Lakes Guardians who are working hard to protect our community’s water quality and wetlands,” said Guelph MPP Liz Sandals.
Other community-based projects supported by this year’s fund include:
– leading 100 litter cleanup events along the north shore of Lake Ontario;
– planting native prairie grass and wildflowers to restore habitat along the Thames River in the Lake Erie watershed;
– installing boardwalks and platforms to enhance and protect wetlands and beaches on the north shore of Lake Superior; and
– restoring 15 acres of wetlands including turtle nesting sites and planting trees and shrubs to enhance the Ausable Bayfield watershed of Lake Huron.
