chart

By Chris Hart

As autumn approaches, leaves will soon begin to change from vibrant greens to a fiery spectrum of yellow, orange and reds. Eventually completing their cycle as they brown and fall to the ground. But what if they skipped a step? What if, as you pass by one of the many beautiful oaks in our area, you notice that many of its green leaves are already beneath your feet? This could be a sign of oak wilt, and it is important that people are aware of the signs, symptoms and how to report it.

Oak wilt is a vascular disease of oak trees caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum growing on the outer sapwood and restricting flow of water and nutrients throughout the tree. This will result in the death of the tree, often within a year. White oak species (Bur, Chinkapin, and Swamp White) are more resistant than the red oaks (Black, Pin and Schumard), which can succumb to oak wilt within 2-6 weeks.

Countless oak trees have been lost to oak wilt in the United States since the 1940s, with confirmed cases in 24 states, including Michigan. With the presence of oak wilt close to the border, most notably for us on Belle Isle, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began to form our country’s Oak Wilt Response Framework in 2016. In June 2023, the inevitable finally happened when three infected red oaks were found in the backyard of a Niagra Falls residence. The cracked bark and fruity smell were immediately reported to the CFIA, and within two weeks, the large trees were removed and safely disposed of. Surveys on oak trees in the area are still on going to ensure no further spread. Since then, two other cases have been reported, and managed in Springwater and Niagra-on-the-Lake.

The signs of infection to look out for include the wilting and dropping of leaves, starting at the top of the tree. The leaves will also begin to brown along the edges, with the discolouration moving inward. Vertical cracks will then begin to form in the bark as the fungal spore mat grows and pushes outward. It is at this point Oak wilt is at risk of spreading, as small beetles, attracted to the ‘fruity’ smell of the fungus, will enter the cracks to feed, and then disperse to other oaks covered in spores. Should a neighbouring oak have any recent wound in its bark, from pruning, storm damage or vandalism, then they too could become infected. Neighbouring oaks are also at risk of infection through root grafting. This is when intersecting roots of different trees join to assist with nutrient exchange.

If you notice any of the signs or symptoms mentioned above, or have any suspicion of Oak wilt, it is crucial that you report it immediately to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. You can Google “CFIA Report a Pest” or use the link below. To make a thorough report, they ask that you include a variety of photos in order to properly and efficiently assess and triage the situation. Photos should be of the leaves, the canopy, the bark (including any suspected cracks), the base of the tree (to show fallen leaves), and also the entire tree, and surrounding area (to create the “bigger picture”). Any known history or background info on the tree should also be included.

The flight period of the beetles that transfer the fungal spores is from April to October. To help prevent the spread of oak wilt, pruning of oak trees should only be done between November and March. If a tree does receive a wound outside of the ‘No Risk’ period, pruning paint should be considered. It is also an important reminder to never travel with your own firewood. A study of US State Parks found that 25% of visitors brought their own firewood, and of the 25%, 55% came from areas with known cases of oak wilt.

For more information, including how to report oak wilt can be found on the CFIA website here. To learn even more, an extensive list of resources can be found on the Invasive Species Centre website here.

Information for this article was sourced from an Oak Wilt training seminar with representatives from CFIA, ISC and US DNR-Parks.

By JoAnn Grondin

Feel the buzz in the room; after all this time we finally get to see old friends and make new ones too

Help to raise funds for the Heritage Committee, which we haven’t been able to do for the last 3 years.  Bid the highest in the silent auction and enjoy your purchase(s)

Enjoy the cash bar

Enjoy an interesting talk by Dr. Dennis Higgs, a Biology Professor at the University of Windsor; his topic is Fish Communications.  Dr. Higgs has been described as very friendly and interesting; the crowd really enjoyed his talk

Take part in honouring a special member for his/her outstanding work for our Club

Enjoy a Country style sit down dinner consisting of buns and butter, an entre (chicken, vegetarian, or vegan), roasted potatoes, salad, dessert, and coffee or tea

Take your chances of winning a nice door prize

Feel good for helping with a fund raiser

Our 36^th Annual Dinner is on Saturday, Nov. 4^th at the Royal Canadian Legion, Metropolitan Branch 594, 5030 Howard Avenue, Tecumseh, ON. (South of Hwy 3; across from the Heavenly Rest Cemetery)

Doors open at 5:00 pm. Dinner at 6:30 pm

Tickets are $40.00 each

Purchase tickets in person or online:

Ojibway Nature Centre, open Wed. to Fri. 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm and Sat. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Aileen Petrozzi –

JoAnn Grondin – 519-734-0056

Or online 

The last day to buy tickets is midnight on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023

(We cannot sell tickets after that date; we have to give the Legion a total number and cannot add to it)

Come join us!  Have fun!

By Catherine Hogg

“BOHP’s Black Oak savanna is one of the largest stands in Ontario. It is also one of the most endangered habitats in Canada. This unique natural area in the City of Windsor includes large, often old-growth trees – some 150 to 200 years old. In addition to the precious Black Oak savanna and Black Oak woodland, the area includes: some tallgrass prairie; native plants that are extremely rare across Canada; a variety of large wildlife (deer, coyotes, foxes); rare butterflies like the Hackberry Emperor; nesting birds like the Scarlet Tanager, Acadian Flycatcher, Black Oak Cuckoo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Bluebird, and Cooper’s Hawk. BOHP is a true haven for many of these birds that require large sections of unbroken forest to survive.” (https://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/parksandforestry/city-parks/pages/black-oak-heritage-park.aspx)

The Essex County Naturalists have been doing bi-weekly walks in the Black Oaks Heritage Park since April. Friends of Ojibway Prairie have joined us on these walks.

We are planning to do these walks for 1 year to see the many different changes in the park.  I have been documenting what we see and have enjoyed the social aspect of the hike. The participants share their knowledge, and all enjoy the many discussions on the trail such as:

What got you interested in Nature? “The first time I found an owl pellet”

Why is the plant called Bedstraw? Bedstraw was used by North American pioneers to fill their mattresses.

“Architects copied the support system from nature” When looking at a Buttress from a mature tree

The following is a summary of the sightings for the first 4 months which have been verified by participants (members), Merlin or iNaturalist.

April

Bird count- 18 species, 16 will probably stay to nest: Eastern Towee, white throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Red wing Blackbird

Plants- 19 species: Ephemerals blooming on the forest floor, Dutchman’s Breeches, Spring Beauties

May

Bird Count- 34 species: Many Migratory warblers passing through: Cape May, Blackburnian, Chestnut Sided and Tennessee.

Plants- 18 species: Violets, Wild Geraniums, Solomons Seal and Bloodroot

June

Bird Count-18 species: Red Tail Hawk seen and heard at same location on several visits

Plants-11 species: Yellow Loosestrife, Goats Beard, May Apple, and Prickly Ash

July

Bird Count-13 species: Most of the birds seen are probably nesting in HBOP now. Blue Grey Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting, Gray Cat Bird, Cedar Waxwing, American Gold finch

Plants- 21 species: Large Patches of Bergamot blooming and attracting butterflies (Black Swallow Tails, Monarchs, Viceroys, Giant Yellow Swallowtails and Red Spotted Purple)

If you are interested in the complete count, I can print you copy.

Our next walk will be September 16^th 10a, Hope to see you there and bring a friend!

Catherine Hogg, ECFNC member