Schedule A:

Plants & Property

Land Characteristics

This planting plan is designed based on the land characteristics identified during the day of the site visit. Plants are chosen according to the soil and light conditions on your property. The number of plants chosen for each planting compartment takes into account the square metre area of the space, as well as the amount of current vegetation cover. Your property is part of ecoZone: 4a

Land Characteristics by Compartment

Plant Selection Summary

The following shrubs and trees are chosen for their suitability and survivability given the current soil and light conditions in each compartment on your property, as well as preferable features.

Plant Information

The following table summarizes key information about each plant selected for your property.

	White Birch Height: 15-25m The Paper Birch is a medium-sized, deciduous tree which may also be referred to as White Birch or Canoe Birch. This species produces a sparse, irregular crown which arises from a slender trunk. This tree is best known for distinctive white, horizontally flaking bark, from which its name is derived. The Paper Birch produces light green, egg-shaped, 5-10 cm long leaves alternately arranged. During the fall, the light green foliage turns a bright yellow colour. During the spring, catkins appear and produce winged seed keys which mature and drop between the fall and following spring.
	Red Osier Dogwood Height: 1.5-4m The Red Osier Dogwood is a medium-sized, deciduous shrub native throughout Northern and Western North America. This species is multi-stemmed with numerous erect and ascending bright red branches that create a loose and spreading form. Leaves produced are simple, two-toned with a dark green upper side and light green underside. They are arranged opposite each other along the branches. During the fall, the foliage turns a brilliant red to dark purple. Clusters of small, creamy white flowers form on the terminal ends of the branches between June and July. The Red Osier Dogwood produces blueish-white fruiting bodies during late summer, which may persist throughout the winter. This shrub's berries provide an important winter food source for numerous species, from large deer to small wintering birds.
	Smooth Arrowwood Height: 1-5 m The Smooth Arrowwood is a medium sized, deciduous shrub that grows from 1-5 m tall. The leaves are simple, oppositely arranged, and have coarsely toothed margins. In the spring and summer, the leaves have a dark green and glossy color. Fall colors can vary between yellow, red, or reddish purple and change in the late autumn. The flowers are showy, creamy white colored, appear in small, flat clusters, and bloom from late May to June. Berries are small, dark blue to black in color, and develop from August to November. This shrub also has gray bark and slender stems. Smooth Arrowwood is an attractive species and an excellent food source for many bird species. It is easy to transport, plant, and grow so could be used for mass planting. The shrub can be propagated from seeds or cuttings for expanding in the area or for future use at different sites. Growing Smooth Arrowwood is low maintenance but occasional pruning may be beneficial for shaping.
	Silver Maple Height: 30m The Silver Maple is a fast growing, deciduous Maple tree famous for its majestic, mature form. This species has a broad, round crown that sits on top of a tall straight trunk. Its ascending branches give this tree a full, bushy appearance. Silver Maple leaves can be differentiated from other Maple leaves due to the deep notches on their lobes. It has a silvery white colour on its underside in contrast to bright, light green topside. During the fall, the leaves on the Silver Maple turn a reddish orange to bright golden yellow. Between late April and May, inconspicuous, small greenish red flowers bloom and by June turn to yellowish-green or brownish pairs of winged keys. The Silver Maple's shallow, spreading root system and ability to withstand flood and drought make it an excellent tree to utilize for erosion control and shoreline stabilization.
	Highbush Cranberry Height: 3 m Highbush Cranberry is a large deciduous shrub species that typically grows about 3 m in height. The branches on this shrub are dense with arching stems, creating a full form. The leaves are oppositely arranged, Maple leaf shaped, have 3 lobes, and have entire or toothed margins. The flowers are showy, creamy white coloured, appear in flat clusters with larger florets surrounding smaller ones, and bloom between May and June. These flowers change into drooping, bright red berry clusters that persist throughout the winter. While the berries are edible to humans, they are very tart when consumed raw so are typically cooked first. This shrub has very attractive fall foliage, changing a reddish purple colour. The flowers are beneficial to pollinator species, like bees and butterflies. The fruit is beneficial to wildlife species, including birds and small mammals. The root system is extensive, making this shrub valuable for controlling erosion and stabilizing loose soil. This species can be found across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia, but is most commonly found in Ontario and Quebec.

Compartment A

Naturalization Area

White Birch

200

Red Osier Dogwood

200

Smooth Arrowwood

250

Silver Maple

250

Compartment B

Naturalization Area

Red Osier Dogwood

50

Highbush Cranberry

50

Schedule B

Financial Summary

Project Partners: Watersheds Canada and Muskrat Watershed Council

The following section outlines the total cost of your project. It has been divided into 2 sections; 1- Plants and Material, 2- Services. It also includes the breakdown of the landowner contribution and the portion that will be paid by Watersheds Canada, as outlined in the Project Costs Total table.

The Natural Edge program has received generous funding to help support the costs of plants, materials, and project coordination and delivery, making this program possible.

Totals

Schedule C

Project Agreement

Stewardship Agreement

Please indicate your agreement to this proposed plan by signing the following Stewardship Agreement and submitting it, along with your financial contribution, to:

Watersheds Canada
115-40 Sunset Blvd. Perth, ON, K7H 2Y4

Plant Availability

Please note that plant species may need to be changed based on plant stock availability at the time of ordering.

Project Completion

Upon receiving your signed stewardship agreement and financial contribution, a date will be booked to complete the project. Watersheds Canada will supply all plants, materials, and planting labour. If there are particular dates that you would prefer, we will do our best to accommodate your requests.

About this program

This project is created as a co-partnership between Watersheds Canada and Muskrat Watershed Council

About Muskrat Watershed Council

We are a volunteer, community-based, not-for-profit organization with the goal of improving water quality in the Muskrat Lake Watershed by using scientific and local based knowledge. We seek to engage and empower people and communities by promoting best management practices in an effort to identify and reduce nutrient loading from all sources in the Watershed. Through these objectives, we hope to foster economic, societal and environmental sustainability.

This program was created by Watersheds Canada

We believe that every person has the right to access clean and healthy lakes and rivers in Canada. At Watersheds Canada, we work to keep these precious places naturally clean and healthy for people and wildlife to continue using for years to come. We love working with others to meet the needs of local communities, whether you’re a concerned citizen, a landowner, a lake association looking for help, or a coalition of groups interested in activating your local community.