2025 OPWG Conference - Research Updates

Video Content:
00:00: Deep Learning for Multispectral Image Classification: Identifying Invasive Phragmites in Georgian Bay Wetlands
Speakers: Erin Allen and Jack Giroux, Georgian Bay Forever
Erin completed her BSc in Environmental Science at Carleton University and has been the Conservation and Restoration Team Lead at Georgian Bay Forever since last spring (2024).
Jack Giroux is a GIS Technician at Georgian Bay Forever. He first joined GBF in 2017 as an undergraduate student working on Phragmites mapping and removal.
Georgian Bay Forever has been committed to the protection and restoration of Georgian Bay’s aquatic ecosystems for many years. Invasive Phragmites pose a significant threat to wetland ecosystems, and accurate detection is critical for effective management. To date, Georgian Bay Forever and its community have over 1,000 sites of invasive Phragmites under management. With a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), Georgian Bay Forever has begun collecting multispectral imagery of wetland ecosystems invaded with invasive Phragmites.
Refining Egg Release Methods for Biological Control Agents for Introduced Phragmites
Speakers: Dr. Michael McTavish and Dr. Ian Jones, University of Toronto
Dr. Michael J. McTavish is a research associate with the Smith Forest Health Lab at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Ian Jones Completed a BSc in Biology at the University of Birmingham (UK), an MSc in Entomology at Imperial College London (UK), and a PhD focusing on insect-plant interactions at Florida International University
Biological control of introduced Phragmites began in Ontario in 2019 to support conventional management of one of North America’s worst weeds. Since that time, approximately 30,000 stem-boring moths (Archanara neurica, Lenisa geminipuncta) have been released across 50 sites in the province. This presentation will provide an overview of two research areas supporting the continued development of egg release methods.
Phragmites Biocontrol Efficacy Over Three Years and Implications for Plant Community Recovery
Speaker: Claire Schon, University of Waterloo
Claire is a PhD Candidate in the Waterloo Wetland Laboratory, led by Dr. Rebecca Rooney at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Biology.
Insect-based biological control (biocontrol) is an emerging management option for the highly invasive wetland grass, Phragmites australis (hereafter Phragmites). Since 2019, two species of stem-boring moths have been approved for use in Canada as Phragmites biocontrol agents. These biocontrol agents are highly selective for the invasive sub-species of Phragmites and feed on, and in turn damage, the stem vasculature of Phragmites. The efficacy of the biocontrol agents in supressing Phragmites in North America remains unknown. In 2022, we released one of the species of biocontrol agents, Lenisa geminipuncta, within two Phragmites patches in southern Ontario.
Assessment Tools for Evaluating Recovery of Wetland Forage Value for Waterfowl Following Invasive Species Suppression
Speaker: Andrii Kramarenko, University of Waterloo
Andrii earned his bachelor's and first master's degrees in Environmental Studies from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine, where he worked in the field of bioremediation.
The forage value of wetland vegetation for waterfowl is critical for their survival and reproduction. Tools like the Vegetation Forage Quality Index (vFQI) and True Metabolizable Energy (TME) index are used to estimate forage quality from plant community data.We used the vFQI and a modified version of the Weighted Mean Coefficient of Conservatism, to evaluate changes in forage quality across Phragmites-invaded, treated, and reference sites in Long Point and Big Creek National Wildlife Areas.
Evaluating Restoration Success: A best-case Scenario Study from Phragmites australis Dominance to Native Community Recovery
Speaker: Jersey Allyson Fontz, University of Waterloo
The growth and spread of Phragmites australis is highly detrimental to Canadian flora and fauna such that the Ontario government has put aside 11 million dollars towards P. australis-management projects for the next few years. Previously, as part of a pilot project, stands of P. australis in Long Point and Rondeau Provincial Park coastal wetlands were first treated with a glyphosate-based herbicide, then some of the standing dead was rolled or mowed. As part of a long-term monitoring program, we tracked the changes in the vegetation community post-herbicide suppression.
StoryMap Overview: Long Point Peninsula Invasive Species Management Outcomes
Speaker: Grace Lew-Kowal, University of Waterloo
Grace is a former master's student in the Waterloo Wetland Lab at the University of Waterloo.
This StoryMap showcases the positive ecological outcomes of a comprehensive herbicide treatment and management initiative targeting invasive Phragmites australis in the wetlands of Long Point, Ontario.