The Glen Edyth and Roycroft Wetlands are two of nearly fifty small projects underway or planned by the Task Force to Bring Back the Don. Besides the big projects like Chester Springs Marsh, the Task Force undertakes each year to establish smaller sites. Others in this ravine are: Nordheimer Skunk Cabbage Patch (just west of Spadina Rd.), Winston Churchill Savannah (planned for the south slope of the reservoir) and Lonsdale Wet Meadow (to be located in Cedarvale Ravine, north of Heath Street). People living in this area were given opportunities to take part in the planning and implementation of several of these projects.
With the objective of recreating hardwood swamps in a wet, low area of this ravine, the ground was regraded in the fall of 1997 to provide deeper catchment basins and islands of drier ground. Previous to the creation of these wetlands, waterlogged soil conditions hindered mowing by park crews. The idea was to confine runoff water to the site area and so encourage the development of an aquatic ecosystem and also to prevent further flood damage to park trails. In 1998, these wetlands were planted with such wetland species, as black ash, red maple, marsh marigold, skunk cabbage, blue flag, bebb’s sedge, common rush and white vervain. Planting of trees and shrubs has continued in the area for several years.
Wetlands provide many beneficial functions for water quality, flood control and wildlife populations. Most of the wetlands in the our area were lost in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to urbanization. The Task Force believes that restoration of selected upland and wetland sites is necessary if we are to make any headway in restoring the health of our city.
Some Pictures of These Sites
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Click pictures to see larger copies.
Planting at Glen Edyth site in May 1998
Planting at Glen Edyth site April, 30,2003
Duck in Glen Edyth Pond April, 30,2003
Roycroft Site pond in May 1999
Roycroft Site pond in May 2002
Nordheimer Ravine trail in winter