A legacy being lost through neglect

The Sunday, April 29 eco-tour of the Garden City Lands accomplished one aim, which was to experience the bird life in the southwest corner in action. In particular, the red-winged blackbirds and ring-necked plovers put on a show around us. We also saw cloudberries in bloom, and that happens only in a small window of time each year.

And it was nice to have children as young as two along, our hope for the future getting a start.

It was also great when a member of the tour group spotted a plastic bag blowing around. He not only retrieved it but used it to collect more garbage.

The disappointing aspect was the signs of further degradation of the northeast area where we have seen potential to restore the sphagnum moss habitat. We walked well into that area to a part where a year ago there was plenty of evidence of sphagnum moss, the species that the bog ecosystem depends on. Today there was not a sign of it.

Partly that’s because the mowing last fall had not taken away the cuttings but had instead left a lot of material on the surface, and organic matter left to decompose like that is what a bog does not need. There will be other reasons too, but the point is that the legacy bog is deteriorating while the City, which owns it, ignores its cries for help. Nature will survive, but a priceless natural legacy may not.

The legacy that was there when the City purchased the lands more than two years ago included a heritage bog with a restorable ecosystem. That legacy is being disrespected and wasted through neglect. Sad.