A South Bruce Peninsula resident has been nominated for an award for her work removing phragmites in the Oliphant Fishing Islands.
Council nominated Leslie Wood for consideration of the 2022 Ontario Senior Achievement Award which recognizes people over the age of 65 who have made a significant contribution in their community.
A release from the Town says Leslie Wood, an avid kayaker and retired veterinarian first learned about phragmites in
2017.
She then formed the Oliphant Fishing Islands Phragmites Community Group which actively works to control invasive phragmites along the coastal wetlands in Oliphant and the Fishing Islands.
Phragmites is an invasive species of reed native to Europe that is causing damage to Ontario’s biodiversity, wetlands and beaches.
The volunteer group originally comprised of 26 landowners, purchased equipment and spent over 500 hours the first year to cut-todrown the invasive phragmites growing in water along the shorelines.
The Oliphant Fishing Islands Phragmites Community Group now has 55 volunteers, is a member of the Saugeen Peninsula Invasive Species Collaborative and works closely with the Invasive Phragmites Control Centre.
“There’s not a day without a little cut phrag” says Leslie Wood.
Mayor Janice Jackson says,
Mayor Janice Jackson says, “Leslie’s dedication to eradicating phragmites around the Fishing Islands has re-opened many waterways that were seriously under threat of becoming impassible. Council is grateful for Leslie’s dedication to our community and proudly nominates her for the Ontario Senior Achievement Award”
You can view the Oliphant Fishing Island Community Group cutting Invasive Phragmites in 2018 on YouTube and in 2017 on You Tube
