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Home My WebLink About2019-03-12Draft minutes — Not yet approved by Committee NOTES OF MEETING OF SAMUEL WILMOT NATURE AREA MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD TUESDAY MARCH 12, 2019 7:00 PM Present: Brian Reid Kate Potter Leo Blindenbach Councillor Corinna Traill Jocelyn Whalen Regrets Staff Present Rod McArthur Peter Windolf Tom Hossie Tyson Brooks Meaghan Vandenbrink Evan King Patrick Bothwell 1. INTRODUCTIONS Committee members were welcomed and congratulated on their appointment to this term of the SWNA committee. Council appointed three new members along with seven returning members. Being the first meeting of this term the committee members introduced themselves and spoke about their interests and/or previous involvement on the committee. 2. AGENDA MOVED: by Kate Potter SECONDED by Tom Hossie THAT: the agenda for March 12, 2019 be accepted with the following additions; spring clean-up, Friends of Second Marsh event, and fishing line disposal. CARRIED 3. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR Brian Reid was nominated, agreed to stand and was elected as SWNA Committee Chair. SWNA March 2019 minutes Kate Potter was nominated, agreed to stand and was elected as SWNA Committee Vice Chair. 4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING Approval of Minutes MOVED: by Councillor Traill SECONDED by Kate Potter THAT: the minutes of November 13, 2018 be approved CARRIED 5. UPDATES Monarch Recovery statistics In January the World Wildlife Fund Mexico in collaboration with CONANP and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve announced the total forest area occupied by overwintering monarch colonies. Fourteen (14) colonies were located this winter season with a total area of 6.05 hectares, a 144% increase from the previous season. Information is not available yet on whether any of the 243 monarchs tagged in Newcastle were recovered. Monarch Ultra In September 2019 a group of Ultra Marathon runners will follow the migration route of the monarch butterfly from Peterborough to Mexico over 42 days. Each of the 42 marathon runners will run 100km. The group organizing the run had asked to meet with representatives of the SWNA committee to discuss a possible joint event to recognize their run through Clarington. Unfortunately the route selected by Monarch Ultra does not pass through the SWNA so nothing further will be pursued. Clarington Community Connections Networking event Kate Potter attended this Nov. 14 event organized by the Community Services Department. The event allowed different community organization to discuss networking opportunities. 2019 Capital Budget Projects The 2019 capital budget has been approved including two projects that will benefit the SWNA. 1) Vehicular access barriers will be installed at the Cobbledick Road and Toronto Road connections to the Waterfront Trail. The project will include the installation of lockable P-gate bollards to prevent vehicles from accessing the Waterfront Trail. 2) Paving the Waterfront Trail from Cobbledick Road to the new valley trail. The project will eliminate the erosion that repeatedly occurs at the approaches to the pedestrian bridge and at some other locations. Paving the surface will approve accessibility for people with mobility issues and provide access to a SWNA March 2019 minutes greater variety of uses such as strollers or in -line skaters. Paving the trail will also help prevent vegetation along the edges from narrowing the trail width, as happens on the granular trails at the SWNA. Virtual Bio-Blitz Kate, Tom and Meaghan met in January to investigate options for creating a catalog of wildlife at the SWNA. They recommended that the committee promote the use of an app called iNaturalist to the public. iNaturalist is a citizen science project and online social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applications. Promotion of the app will be done via SWNA and municipal social media. On -site events introducing the public to the use of the app may also be scheduled. The Durham Field Naturalist Club will be asked if they would like participate in a wildlife inventory at the SWNA this year. Spring Clean-up The annual spring cleanup of the SWNA is scheduled for Saturday April 27 10:OOAM - Noon. It is taking place in conjunction with Clarington Operations Clean Sweep day. Volunteers will meet at the Toronto Street parking lot. Bags will be supplied for volunteers and a BBQ lunch will follow at the Admirals Walk Clubhouse. Fishing line disposal containers Six fishing line disposal containers made from poly pipe have been installed at locations convenient to anglers at the SWNA. The containers have generated good feedback from SWNA users but some anglers are still not disposing of excess line and hooks properly. A March 12 article appeared on the DurhamRegion.com news site reporting that at least two dogs have ingested fishing line with hooks at the SWNA. According to the article the same thing has happened to dogs at other popular fishing locations in the Region. The committee discussed creating a sign or poster to remind anglers to dispose of their fishing line and hooks in the designated fishing line disposal contains or garbage bins. Leo will follow up with the reporter to see if he can get an abbreviated version of the article to post at the SWNA. 6. ACTION ITEMS OPG Pollinator Planting event In 2017 and 2018 OPG provided funding for the purchase of pollinator plants to enhance monarch habitat in the Port of Newcastle Waterfront Park and the SWNA. OPG has invited the SWNA to apply for funding this year in a different manner through their Darlington Nuclear Corporate Citizenship Program. SWNA March 2019 minutes An application will be submitted by the municipality on behalf of the SWNA committee. Pending approval of the grant a Pollinator Planting Event is scheduled for Saturday May 25 at 10:OOAM at the Port of Newcastle Waterfront Park. Focus for 2019 The committee discussed areas of focus and potential events for 2019. The bio-blitz app roll out followed by an on -site event was recommended by the committee as a main focus for 2019. Other activities will include a spring pollinator planting event and fall monarch tagging event. The committee will discuss potential 2020 capital projects at a meeting in the fall. 7. OTHER BUSINESS Friends of Second Marsh The committee agreed they would like to participate in the Friends of Second Marsh community event in 2019. The event is attended by people interested in nature and conservation and is a worthwhile opportunity to promote the SWNA. Region of Durham Trunk Sewer project Phase 2 of the Region's construction of a new trunk sewer to the Toronto Street sewage treatment plant is scheduled for 2019. As part of that construction they will be boring under the CN rail line and Hwy 401. In order to set up their boring equipment the Region has requested a 30m x 60m fenced compound on the west side of Toronto Street just south of the CN tracks. That area contains many newly planted trees and shrubs. One of the conditions for permitting the construction compound will be restoring the site to its original condition following construction. Another option suggested by the SWNA committee would be the construction of a parking lot for anglers instead of restoring the site with vegetation. This will be investigated further in upcoming discussions with the Region. The committee will be updated on the status of the project at the April meeting. Bird Box Spring Clean -out Brian Reid will e-mail the committee with a schedule to clean out the existing bird boxes. 8. MOTION TO ADJOURN MOVED: by Jocelyn Whalen SECONDED by Councillor Traill THAT: the meeting be adjourned. CARRIED Adjournment 8:30 PM Next Meeting: April 9, 2019 Notes prepared by: P.Windolf