
Project Details
Project Title: Wye Marsh Invasive Species Management
Funding Recipient: Friends of Wye Marsh
Funding Awarded: $50,000
Project Partners:
Targeted Species at Risk: Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), Eastern Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
Project Status: Completed (2020-2024)

Project Summary
In 2020, the Friends of Wye Marsh (FOWM) received the first installment of a five-year funding initiative aimed at supporting the prevention, detection, and management of the invasive European Common Reed, also known as Phragmites, in Ontario’s Wye Marsh. The marsh encompasses approximately 1,215 hectares of Provincially Significant Wetland, where Phragmites monocultures
pose a threat to the habitat and natural food sources of local wildlife, including endangered species like the Blanding’s turtle and Eastern musk turtle. In 2023, as part of the fourth year of GMI funding, the project partners, including SSEA and Cambium Inc., focused on identifying and mapping Phragmites populations, conducting pre-treatment assessments, implementing removal and management activities, and conducting post-treatment assessments. Manual labor techniques were used for removal, and post-treatment monitoring revealed low to moderate regrowth at most sites, with some exceptions. The project also involved outreach, training, and technical support, including social media posts and volunteer training sessions. Remediation efforts in 2023 included planting ninety-five native shrubs in targeted sites to compete with
Phragmites regrowth, with larger scale planting operations planned for the fall of 2024 to address future challenges. Despite challenges, the initiative aims to sustainably manage and control the invasive species in the Wye Marsh ecosystem.

Further Details
For more information about the ‘Wye Marsh Invasive Species Management’, please visit the links below.