After years of planning, the rejuvenation of the Berger Road naturalized area is complete.
Sarnia council directed staff to seek out a landscape architect to make improvements in 2023.
Degroot's Nurseries was asked to come up with ideas and collaborate with neighbours, who eventually shared how they wanted to improve the green space on the north side of the road from Modeland Road to The Rapids Parkway.
The City of Sarnia said its forestry and horticulture teams starting working on the project in the fall, with the removal of overgrown vegetation.
The planting of 760 native shrubs and 27 native trees, across 22 planting pods in the corridor, recently wrapped up.
"The project was supported by a $5,115 contribution from The Reforestation Project, an agent-led initiative at RE/MAX Sarnia Realty Inc that directs a portion of commissions toward local reforestation and community beautification," a news release read. "Total project costs, including removal of initial vegetation, planting area creation and plantings themselves were approximately $40,000."
The city said the project balances aesthetic considerations while upholding the intent to provide wildlife and pollinator habitat alongside strengthened ecological connectivity.
"This is very much a managed approach, ensuring that naturalized areas provide a visual enhancement to the community, but also deliver on strengthening ecological connections, in this case connectivity between the Howard Watson Nature Trail and the Wawanosh Wetlands,” said Sarnia Superintendent of Parkland Planning Services Bryana McLaughlin. "We’re creating a welcoming, shaded, and ecologically healthy trail corridor that benefits both the community and the natural environment not only now, but for years to come."
The city said native trees and shrubs were chosen based on their ability to build on existing vegetation, increase biodiversity, and create a resilient, low-maintenance landscape that will continue to improve as the plants mature.
"Shrubs chosen include serviceberry, red osier dogwood, ninebark, dwarf fragrant sumac, smooth rose, purple flowering raspberry and others. A range of native trees were planted, including, but not limited to, sugar maple, tulip tree, white oak, white pine, hackberry and red oak," the news release added.
