Progress made in 2025 for Fleming College’s project included seed collection, propagation, training, site preparation, and invasive species management, while challenges that affected delivery timelines were also encountered. Despite environmental and labour-related constraints, the project met or exceeded several key targets and laid important groundwork for continued restoration work in 2026.

In 2025, Fleming College successfully collected and cleaned a diverse range of seeds associated with xeric, early successional pine-oak forest ecosystems. Although a summer drought reduced seed set for some species and a fall labour disruption delayed cleaning, the project still exceeded its original deliverables. A total of 52 plant species were collected and partially cleaned, yielding over 175 kg of seed material, the majority of which consisted of tree nuts. Some grass and shrub seed targets were lower than desired, and final cleaning will be completed by hired students in winter 2026, with remaining seed incorporated into spring 2026 broadcast seeding.

Efforts to propagate difficult-to-seed shrubs, particularly native blueberries and sweet fern, produced mixed results. While some blueberry cuttings initially showed promise, equipment failures and extreme weather events led to losses. Multiple propagation techniques for sweet fern, including woody cuttings, root cuttings, and seed treatments, resulted in limited success due to heat stress and moisture challenges. Based on these outcomes, Fleming College plans to refine its propagation methods in 2026 through infrastructure improvements, altered growing media, revised hormone treatments, and increased moisture management, while discontinuing less effective techniques.

Site preparation and planting activities progressed substantially in 2025. In the spring, acorns were planted on 17.3 hectares of the Featherstone MapleCross property using a mechanized tree planter, supplemented with hand seeding and broadcast seeding from overwintered seed. An additional 0.2 hectares received targeted hand seeding. In the fall, 21.8 hectares were tilled and planted with acorns; however, persistent rain and early snowfall prevented planned broadcast seeding. These seeds have been overwintered and will be applied as soon as conditions allow in spring 2026.

Invasive species management was addressed through a combination of herbicidal and mechanical treatments. Although herbicide applications occurred across the site in 2025, they were funded through other sources and not charged to this project. Significant mechanical removal was carried out by Fleming College forestry students, who treated more than 1.5 kilometres of hedgerows to reduce the spread and ecological impacts of invasive and aggressive tree species. Further chemical treatments will be required in 2026 to manage reinvasion in recently seeded areas.