Fleming College

Students in Fleming College’s Ecosystem Management program weren’t afraid to get a little muddy on Friday, October 19 when they participated in Kawartha Conservation’s Shoreline Naturalization project along the Scugog River in Lindsay.About 50 second-year students braved the rain, planting wildflowers at Rainbow Bridge Park on Russell Street East.Sasha Lambrinos, of Kawartha Conservation and a Fleming Ecosystem Management grad (2007), said the shoreline naturalization demonstration site in Lindsay has been ongoing for about two years.“The main goal is to improve water quality,” she said. "The root systems from native vegetation such as wildflowers and shrubs create a filter for the landscape." This means less run-off finds its way into the river and the aesthetic of the park is improved.“It’s amazing to have the Sir Sandford Fleming student volunteers. They’ve been involved since the beginning and we probably couldn’t do this without them,” she added.In addition to partnering with Fleming, Kawartha Conservation has worked with the City of Kawartha Lakes, local schools and community groups to implement the shoreline naturalization.Ecosystem Management classes have participated in each phase of the shoreline naturalization, said Meg Hainstock, who teaches this Restoration Ecology Class, in the second year of the Ecosystem Management Technician program. The program dedicates one day a week to field work, which gets students outdoors, working on real projects.“The students really see the benefits of this,” she said.As well as planting wildflowers at the park, students completed an assignment assessing and monitoring the growth of plants from last year’s phase of the project.The program has participated in other shoreline rehabilitation projects with the Toronto Region Conservation Authority and the Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Project.