GBA Update Spring 2025

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What made you want to remove phragmites beyond your own property? I already had the experience with it on my property and understood first-hand how bad the situation could become if we didn’t do something about it. It’s not enough just to do your own property because if it’s across the channel and the seeds are flying over to your house, it’s coming back! What were some of your most meaningful experiences from this work? Probably the community engagement. I received great support from the community and was so lucky to have such a supportive board. I remember one time I was getting in the boat to go to a community cut and I saw a woman waving at me from across the channel. I thought oh, she’s just saying hi. I went over and she was with her daughter-in-law and she said well, of course we’re coming! I had no clue they were even contemplating it. So yes, the community engagement and bringing people together for a common goal. Is there anyone you would like to thank? I would like to say a special thanks to Colin Dobell for his inspiration and wealth of information, the Honey Harbour Association board formerly led by Mayor Peter Koetsier and the team at GBF as we navigated the journey together. I received so much support from GBF, they were happy and willing to help and educate. David Sweetnam and Heather Sargeant were both amazing. That was my resource, they gave me the scientific backing.

program focused on education. People would recognize that they had these weeds but nobody really knew what they were or how invasive they were. How did your efforts evolve over time? In 2016, in collaboration with Georgian Bay Forever, we hired our first two summer students. During this first year, in addition to cutting, we focused heavily on mapping, education and developing a plan to prioritize and identify the large stands of phragmites that needed extra help. By 2017, we had two summer students working in the Honey Harbour area, GBF had six students working across Georgian Bay and we had developed partnerships with the Township of Georgian Bay and more local businesses.

Additionally, we received financial support from the Honey Harbour Association and the Federation of Ontario Cottagers (FOCA). Our yearly progression looked like this: W 4 patches treated in 2015 W 40 patches treated in 2016 W 71 patches treated in 2017 W 40,000 kg of phragmites removed from Honey Harbour and 23% of the sites eradicated by 2018 What do you think helped contribute to your success? During the first two years, in particular, I was out there in waders cutting and bagging, working really hard, so I think people saw that I wasn’t just talking, I was actively working and I think that really helped grow support.

Kathryn and Glen Davis

Photo: David Sweetnam

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GBA UPDATE • Spring 2025