SWCR Receives Support for Invasive Species | St. Williams Conservation Reserve

The St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council Receives Support for the Invasive Species Action Fund

The St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council (SWCRCC) is pleased to be one of the recipients of the 2026/27 Invasive Species Action Fund (ISAF).

The SWCRCC has received $3,500 for its project, Forest Invasive Species Management at St. Williams Conservation Reserve. This funding will support the monitoring and management of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Japanese Stiltgrass and Dog-strangling Vine within Turkey Point Tract.

Project activities will cover approximately eight hectares of sensitive habitat, primarily south of Front Road. This includes monitoring a six-hectare Eastern Hemlock stand, as well as targeted monitoring and control within areas affected by Japanese Stiltgrass and Dog-strangling Vine.

The Eastern Hemlock stand is a small but ecologically significant. Its dense canopy helps maintain the cool conditions of an associated stream and contributes to habitat for the threatened Louisiana Waterthrush. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid has not been detected within the stand; monitoring and preventative treatment of selected trees are intended to protect the hemlocks before this invasive forest pest becomes established.

The project will also include continued monitoring and suppression of a small Japanese Stiltgrass infestation and manual control of Dog-strangling Vine. Addressing these invasive plants early can help limit spread, protect native vegetation and reduce the need for more disruptive and costly control efforts in the future.

Through early detection, preventative treatment and targeted control, the Community Council is working to strengthen the long-term resilience of the Conservation Reserve’s forest and stream habitats.

This project is supported by the Invasive Species Action Fund, made possible with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and administered by the Invasive Species Centre.

To learn more about the 2026/27 ISAF recipients, visit the Invasive Species Action Fund webpage.

The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the province, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Invasive Species Centre or the Invasive Species Action Fund.