Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail

As a result of a very generous donation valued over $26,000 from Lewis Stafford Carey MD in 2008, a new Carolinian arboretum and trail is “growing” at Longwoods Road Conservation Area, just west of London in the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc. On June 20, 2010, the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority and the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation recognized and celebrated with the Carey Family, all project partners and donors. Approximately 70 guests attended the event. In addition, the Carey Family presented a $5,000 cheque from the estate of their father at the official opening followed by the official ribbon cutting.

For more information about this event see our Media Release click here.

Donations in memory of Dr. Lewis Carey are being accepted by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation for the Carey Carolinian Trail and Arboretum.

Donations can be mailed to:
Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation
R.R.#1, 8449 Irish Drive,
Mount Brydges, ON – N0L 1W0

Email: Yournature@lowerthamesfoundation.ca

Download Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail Brochure

 

Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail Kiosk at Longwoods Road Conservation Area

Displays about Carolinian Canada and the Arboretum and Trail at Longwoods are found in this Kiosk.

 

Pale Jewelweed Impatiens pallida   This plant grows 3-6’ tall in moist forest and wetland soils in Ontario. It has a small (1-11/4”) yellow snapdragon-like flower which provides pollen and nectar for bumble bees and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. The seedpods split and eject the seeds when ripe. Seeds from this plant provide food for Ruffed Grouse and Deer Mice. White-tailed Deer browse on the foliage. The stems of both Pale Jewelweed and it’s cousin Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens capensis) are succulent and can be opened and applied to skin which has been in contact with Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), providing a barrier as well as relief to the inflammation and itching caused by Poison Ivy’s oil.

 

Blue-spotted/Jefferson Salamander Ambystoma laterale/ jeffersonianum  Are you ready to be confused? Blue-spotted and Jefferson salamanders are separate species but can’t be distinguished from each other without genetic testing. Their complicated genetics are still puzzling scientists. Jefferson Salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) are endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act but Blue-spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) are not on this list at all. Where their ranges overlap as they do in Southern Ontario, they can hybridize which complicates things further. So here in Ontario it’s safest to combine their names when referring to them.

These nocturnal (active at night) salamanders are found in both deciduous and coniferous forest areas and swamps. Like most salamanders they can be found under leaf-litter and branches on the forest floor, especially on warm rainy nights. Requiring temporary swamps or wetlands to breed the females can deposit around 200 eggs singly or in small clumps on underwater vegetation. Eggs laid in early spring take about a month to hatch and the larvae transform into adults in mid-summer. Blue-spotted/Jefferson Salamander adults are carnivores eating many insects and other small invertebrates like worms and spiders. Their beautiful blue colours are a treat to see.

The depletion and degradation of wetlands and forest habitats due to urban, industrial and agricultural development pose the main threats to most wildlife and the Blue-spotted/Jefferson Salamander is no exception. Roads through breeding migration routes also contribute heavily to their losses.

 

Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus  Monarch Butterflies have a complete life cycle, which means they have an egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult stage of development.

Monarchs have a complex cycle of generations. Some spend their lives as residents of Canada and the U.S.A. while others migrate huge distances and hibernate overwinter “down South.” Adults which have hibernated all winter in Mexico and Texas emerge around February and mate. They then travel north and eastward and lay their eggs (which we’ll call Generation #1) on various types of milkweed plants during March and April. The eggs hatch in four days and the brightly patterned caterpillars feed on the toxic leaves of the milkweed plants. The poison in these leaves protects the caterpillar throughout its larval stage as well as protecting the brightly coloured adult butterfly from predators. Two weeks after hatching the caterpillar attaches itself to a stem and constructs its chrysalis. A remarkable transformation called metamorphosis occurs within the chrysalis during this time and ten days later, a beautiful adult butterfly emerges. This adult will live for about two to six weeks, and feeds on nectar and pollen. It mates and lays eggs then dies. These “next generation’s” eggs (Generation #2) hatch in May and June, and the whole butterfly life cycle repeats itself. The succeeding generation’s eggs (Generation #3) hatch in July and August, with the life cycle repeating exactly the same. Things change with the eggs that hatch during September and October. The exact same development process occurs for this Generation #4 except the adults don’t die after two to six weeks. Instead the adults migrate south huge distances to California, Texas and Mexico, where they live for six to eight months. They hibernate over the winter, and then make their incredible journey northward again.

The Monarch is just one species of insect that we are in danger of losing. Because of habitat loss, hurricanes, pesticides, pollution, alien species and traffic related losses, these butterflies face a dark future unless we act to help them. Planting various types of milkweed plants will help these insects during their developmental stages and ensure these beautiful pollinators can remain with us.

 

Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans  The southern flying squirrel weighs two to four ounces and has a body length of eight to ten inches making it the smallest of all tree squirrels. It has a loose fold of skin called a patagium which stretches between the wrists of its fore and hind legs. The skin fold acts as a sail, parachute and glider wing all in one. They can glide distances of 80 yards or more, and maneuver using their wrists and their tails to steer.

These squirrels have a very silky coat that is grayish brown above with a white under-belly. Southern Flying Squirrels have belly fur that is white right to the base of the hair, while the Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sylvatica) has white belly hair that darkens toward the base. Both squirrels have a densely furred tail as well as large black eyes for nocturnal vision, since they are active during the night. Their call is faint and bird-like and can be heard in early evenings in the spring and summer seasons of the year.

Glaucomys volans is present in Canada only in Southwestern Ontario but can be found throughout the eastern United States except for northern New England and the southern tip of Florida as well as west of Minnesota, eastern Kansas and eastern Texas. They prefer mature hardwood forests but can be found in other forested areas.

These squirrels construct nests of leaves, twigs and bark in old woodpecker holes. They remain active through the winter and will nest together with other flying squirrels to conserve body heat. Flying squirrels eat invertebrates like insects, centipedes, earthworms and spiders and may also eat bird eggs and nestlings during spring and summer. The majority of what they eat consists of plant matter such as flowers, fruit, seeds, buds and berries.

Building and placing nest boxes can help squirrels in areas where tree cavities are limited.  These boxes are readily used and may increase the number of flying squirrels. Nesting boxes are often used as food caches (hiding places) which indicate that boxes are used as feeding stations. Squirrels most often use nest boxes in the fall and winter months when cold temperatures prevail, but they will also raise their young within them. They can mate and produce young at 10 to 11 months of age and have and average litter of one to four young after a 40 day gestation period.

 

Eastern Redbud Cercis Canadensis  Commonly called redbud, this tree is a deciduous, often multi-trunked understory tree that can grow to 30 feet tall. In the spring, redbud is known for its beautiful rosy-pink flowers, which appear before its leaves emerge. The redbud is a Carolinian Eco-Zone species which occurs in Canada naturally only in Southwestern Ontario. It grows southward all the way to Western Texas and Florida.

Redbud flowers are ½” wide and bloom in clusters of four to ten. Once pollination and fertilization occurs, a two to four inch long bean-like seedpod develops. Each pod contains six to twelve seeds that may remain on the tree into the winter. After the blossoms, the three to five inch wide heart-shaped leaves emerge. The leaves will turn pale yellow to greenish-yellow in the fall.

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus This bird sings frequently throughout the spring and summer in its deciduous forest habitat. Overwintering in the tropics, the male of this grosbeak species brightens our springtime with its bright colours.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak forages mostly in shrubs and trees, searching for insects, seeds and berries. Hovering to take insects from foliage or bark, this bird can also catch insects in mid-air.

Three to five pale blue-green eggs with brown spots are laid in the spring. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the nestlings, which leave the nest about 9-12 days after hatching. The male watches the young fledglings while the female starts a new nest for the second series of eggs. The female uses twigs and leaves to build a cup-shaped nest, which it lines with finer twigs, rootlets and hair.

 

Silver Shiner Notropis photogenis  The Silver Shiner is a slender minnow growing to 14 cm long. Possessing a dark stripe that runs down the center of its back, its upper body has a blue-green iridescent colour. There are two dark crescent markings between the nostrils.

This fish lives in moderate to large sized streams with swift running currents. It prefers a plant-free substrate with gravel or boulders present. Here the Silver Shiner feeds on crustaceans and insects that fall into or fly just above the water surface.

Spawning in June-July, they scatter their eggs over gravel that has fast running water flowing over it forming a riffle.

In Ontario the Silver Shiner is found in the Thames and Grand Rivers as well as Bronte and Sixteen Mile Creeks, which flow into Lake Ontario.

These fish are threatened by pollution, alien species, stream channeling and damming and habitat loss and degradation.

 

Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii  This turtle is found around the Great Lakes and Southern Ontario. Blanding’s Turtles can be identified easily, since they have a high domed back shell (carapace) and a bright yellow throat which can be seen from some distance when they bask in the sun. They also possess a hinged plastron (abdominal shell) which allows them cover when they tuck their head and front legs into the shell. Inhabiting lakes, ponds and wetlands with clean water, these turtles may have to travel several kilometres between summer nesting sites and winter hibernation sites. They require mucky bottomed waterbodies in which to hibernate.

Females cannot reproduce until they are 14 years old. They lay up to 22 eggs in a sunny, well-drained area and hatchlings emerge in the fall. Hatchling gender depends on the incubation temperature their nest has reached. Eggs which have temperatures below 25 °C hatch as nearly all males, while those 30 °C or above hatch as nearly all females. Being omnivorous, Blanding’s Turtles eat plant material, insects, fish, frogs and crayfish.

Shoreline development, wetland habitat loss, the pet trade and vehicles on roadways have significantly decreased the populations of these turtles. They are currently listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act.

Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail Kiosk Gardens

Planted in 2014, the Carey Carolinian Arboretum and Trail Kiosk Gardens promote biodiversity and demonstrate to gardeners how effective, beautiful, and beneficial floral gardens and native species can be. Twenty five native plants are represented. These plants grow well in the sandy loam soil condition of the local Caradoc Sand Plain. Four gardens contain sun and partial-sun plants while the garden next to the entrance of the Longwoods Road Conservation Area’s Resource Centre contains shade plants. Most of the sun-loving plants were components of the tallgrass prairies that once blanketed parts of southwestern Ontario. The shade-loving plants do well in our Carolinian Eco-Zone forests. These plants and gardens will serve school and volunteer groups as seed banks for local forest restoration projects and will help spread the message of respect for and stewardship of our natural heritage. Our forests face many threats ranging from alien invasive species to deforestation. All of these plants have important benefits for field and forest, water, soil, wildlife, and even ourselves.
To learn more about these plants download the Native Wildflowers Longwoods Road Conservation Area – Kiosk Gardens brochure available here:

Download Planting Brochure for Kiosk Native Gardens

 

Kiosk Pollinator Panels – work in progress, coming soon to Longwoods Road C.A. so stay tuned!

Our Native Bees

The kiosk contains a nesting box for species of Leafcutter Bees (Megachiles sp.). The Leafcutters are a type of bee native to Ontario with relatives all over North America. Native bees are extremely important to native plants, pollinating them to make seeds. This maintains the biodiversity of all the living organisms that depend on these plants, including us. The amazing thing about our native bees is that they are very effective pollinators of many plants, including the crops we depend on for food. Science has only recently discovered the value of native bees, finding they can be up to four times more effective at pollinating certain crops than the non-native Honeybee, which originated in Europe. Native bees are undergoing the same challenges to their survival as many other creatures, mainly due to loss of habitat from human activities and land use/development. Their numbers have taken a severe hit with the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which do not discriminate between killing pests and crop helpers. Agricultural land use practices have also reduced native pollinator numbers since wind barriers and buffer strips that once provided pollen, nectar and nesting opportunities for bees and other pollinators have been removed so large equipment can plant every last millimeter of soil.

By using best management practices and planting buffer strips especially around fields bordering streams and other water sources, we can provide much needed habitat resources for these important pollinators, prevent our soils from washing away, prevent surface runoff of fertilizers that cause algal blooms in our Great Lakes, provide habitat for native biologic pest control agents, and get free pollination of our crops! If you live in the town or city, a native plant garden encourages these entertaining additions and goes a long way to help native birds as well.

The following contains information concerning the pollinator panels displayed in our Longwoods Road Conservation Area Carey Carolinian Arboretum & Trail Native Garden Kiosk.

Leafcutter Bee Display Panel and Nest Chamber Viewing Box

This panel features the bees in the genus Megachile. These bees have large, strong jaws or mandibles which they use to cut .635 to 1.27 cm (.25 to .5 inch) circular pieces from leaves. The bees carry these leaf circles into their nest chambers, which can be holes in the ground or old beetle tunnels in trees, where they then place them to form a wallpaper along the sides of the tunnel. Once the wallpaper hanging is done, the bees gather pollen and nectar from many plants and make a loaf of “bee bread” from this. Onto this loaf the female lays an egg, then seals off the end of the leaf nest cell. The loaf provides food for the developing larva. Female eggs are laid first toward the back of the chamber. The females take longer to develop, while the males take a shorter time so their eggs are laid closer to the entrance of the nest chamber. All of the nest-making and egg laying occurs in the time between March and mid-June, meaning these bees are very important pollinators for early blooming spring plants.

Leafcutting bees are important pollinators of many wildflowers. They also pollinate fruits and vegetables and are used by commercial growers to pollinate blueberries, onions, carrots and alfalfa.

The nesting box next to this display panel has a door on which you can lift the latch to open to view the chambers inside. The individual brood cells can be seen and if you visit in spring and early summer you may see the mother bees hard at work wallpapering and making nest cells. In fall, the complete nest cells can be observed containing the pupae, from which will emerge the adults that overwinter and chew their way out in the coming spring. Sometimes predatory wasps will use these tunnels as well, leaving caterpillars or spiders which have been paralysed by their sting to provide a food source for the wasp larvae. Please gently close and re-latch the panel after viewing. The bees will thank you by pollinating the plants we depend on for air, clean water, food and shelter.

 

Some Other Native Bees Panel

The following text describes the numbered images of different bees displayed in the kiosk panel. Match the number to the bee you’re interested in to find out more about it below.

1. 1. Megachile sp. – Leafcutter Bee – Their scientific name alludes to their large jaws which these bees use to cut leaves into small pieces which are then taken to line their nest tunnels. Over two dozen species of Megachile occur in Canada. Some species of Megachile specialize in fertilizing sunflowers (Helianthus) and one species is only focused on the pollen and nectar of the Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis). For some crops such as alfalfa, Megachile bees are three times more efficient at pollinating than are honeybees.

Nesting in holes in trees, females use their own individual holes/tunnels. Females can tell which hole is theirs since whenever she arrives, the female drags her abdomen at the entrance and leaves a secretion which has her own particular scent. Males will often swarm around the nest entrances and wait for the females to arrive to mate with them. Females cut and carry sections of leaf to the nest tunnel and form them into a cup-shaped capsule into which they place a ball of pollen and nectar called “bee bread.” She then seals of the end and begins another nesting capsule. It may take her an hour and a half to 3 hours to form one nest capsule.

2. Heriades sp. – Four species of these small black bees occur in southern Canada. Their scientific name refers to the wooly patches of hair found on their abdomens. These bees commonly nest in holes left by beetles in trees and some nest in pine cones. They use resin to seal off the individual cells of their nests. Heriades are generalist pollinators, meaning they visit a huge variety of plants for pollen and nectar helping to fertilize all of them. Their small size lets them access pollen in small flowers and tight spaces.

3. Augochlorella aurata – Green Sweat Bee – In spring, the female emerges from hibernation and digs a tunnel into the ground, she then digs out a chamber into which she places a cluster of nest cells. She places pollen and nectar and lays an egg into each cell. The female young hatch and take over pollen and nectar gathering duties while the original female stays in the nest laying eggs. This “queen” lays three generations per year with the last generation emerging in September. The females from this last generation will form the “queens” of the coming year.

These bees pollinate many plants and will land on your open skin in summer to lap up a bit of your sweat which provides them with moisture, salt and a bit of protein to help them in their journeys.

4. Osmia sp. Bee – Range: 30 species of Osmia exist east of the Mississippi River. Native to North America this genus includes some of the most economically important bees to agriculture. Many of these bees pollinate orchards and commercial crops more efficiently and cost-effectively than honeybees. Pollination of an orchard of apples, plums, cherries or almonds needs only 300 Osmia lignaria. The same job would require 90,000 European honey bees. Some Osmia species build nests entirely of mud, earning the name of Mason Bees. Their head-to-tail size can range from 2.5 to 12.7 mm (1/10^th to ½ an inch).

5. Halictus sp. – Sweat Bee – Halictus bees consist of an amazing variety of lifestyles. Some are eusocial and like honeybees form colonies, while some are solitary and nest alone. They are generalists and pollinate a wide variety of plants. Scientists believe Halictus species are key pollinators of carrots, onions and sunflowers. Unlike honeybees, female Halictus are all born fertile and if a “queen” dies, one of her daughters or sisters can become queen and continue laying eggs for the colony. Worker bees can also leave the colony and set up their own colonies.

Halictus species are ground nesters and can form single nests or large colonies underground.  The surrounding environment seems to determine whether some species of these bees become social or solitary. If a large amount of flowers and warm temperatures are present, the young larval bees get large amounts of nutritious “bee bread” and become large and are able to go off to form their own nests. If flowers are not plentiful and temperatures are cool, the founding “queen” can only form small loaves of bee bread, and her offspring grow to be smaller than herself. The queen can then dominate them and they stay to gather pollen and nectar to feed the queen’s subsequent offspring.

6. Lasioglossum sp. – Sweat Bees with hairy tongues – These small bees belong to the largest, most numerous bee family in North America and the world. Some species of these bees are solitary but many are eusocial and form colonies with queens and worker bees. Most Lasioglossum nest in the ground, but a few will use rotten logs. Like other sweat bees they will land on you and drink your sweat. Take advantage of this by letting them tickle you and watch as their tongues extend to get every drop.

7. Anthophora sp. – Digger Bees – Walking along flat, sandy areas or roadsides in spring may allow you to see what look like a city of anthills on the ground. Look closer and you may see these are not occupied by ants but by fuzzy heads peering out at you. Anthophora bee females dig a nest in the ground by placing their large mandibles into the soil then spinning very quickly round and round. They make individual nests but will nest close to others of their kind forming what looks like a colony. These bees emerge early in spring and are important pollinators of early flowering plants. They will shiver to warm themselves then will maintain that warmth as they fly gathering pollen and nectar. Possessing a significant amount of fine abdominal hair, these bees are very effective pollinators. They are known as “buzz pollinators” since they don’t need to land, they just brush their pollen laden hairs onto the plant’s female receptive organs as they fly past. Scientists have found that in California, tomato harvests are much greater when these bees are present compared to having honeybees present to pollinate the crop. Canada has 11 species of this bee. To keep their underground nests dry during spring freezes, snowfalls, thaws and rains, these bees secrete a waterproof coating which allows their nest chambers to drain with no damage to the structure or their eggs or larvae.