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The reason this wetland complex exists as it does today is because of landowners like you and your neighbours who choose to be good stewards. Here is a list of things that you may already do which can help keep the Harmony Farewell Iroquois Beach Wetland Complex in a natural healthy state.
- By not mowing your lawn up to the edge of the marsh or swamp, you help to maintain the ability of the wetland plants to filter out harmful pollutants and nutrients, protecting groundwater that feeds our streams or supplies drinking water to our wells.
- When you compost your leaves and grass clippings in a composting container on your own property rather than dumping it in the wetland, you contribute to better health. Often vegetation dump sites or compost piles in natural areas seem harmless, but collectively they can cause great harm, such as smother a population of native trilliums, cause erosion and attract invasive plant species like dog-strangling vine or garlic mustard which will eventually result in a loss of native wildlife
- When you plant native wildflowers, trees and shrubs on your property like Black Eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Swamp Milk-weed (Asclepias incarnata), Common Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), High-bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), and Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), you are maintaining and often enhancing the diversity of this unique and significant plant community.
- Switching to organic lawn care products and opting for a natural approach to gardening is a great way to add to the value of your property and the health of the Harmony-Farewell Iroquois Beach wetland complex.
- Continuing to keep your dog on the leash helps prevent spreading invasive species and disturbing native wildlife, while keeping your cat indoors helps protect song bird populations and other wildlife. Feral cats are one of the main causes of the decline in songbird populations.
- Checking out your personal field guide to Birds of Ontario when you see a new bird at your bird feeder is a great way to become familiar with the wildlife that depend on your good land and water stewardship practices. Check out our wildlife check list to see what you have observed in your backyard lately. Share that with us by going on line and filling out a sightings report form.
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