2019 Biodiversity Snapshot – Cootes to Escarpment Fell Festival and BioBlitz

Expert biologists, citizen scientists, and students banded together in the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System on September 20th and 21st, 2019 to create an inventory of plant and wildlife species in the EcoPark System’s natural lands. Hosted from Royal Botanical Garden’s Arboretum, the 2019 Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System BioBlitz and Native Plant Sale aimed to capture a snapshot in time of the variety of life found in autumn in the EcoPark System. Proving that many hands make light work, BioBlitz participants identified over 550 species of plants and wildlife over the course of two days.

Lying between the Niagara Escarpment and the shores of Lake Ontario, this area of Southern Ontario has nearly one fifth of Canada’s biodiversity and is home to over 60 species at risk. The EcoPark System’s 1,900 hectares of natural lands within Burlington and Hamilton are vital green spaces for these plants and animals. The EcoPark System has hosted an annual BioBlitz since 2017. Over the three events, two hundred members of the community have observed nearly 6,000 plants and animals; showcasing the rich biodiversity of the region.

Alongside the 2019 BioBlitz, the Native Plant Sale on September 21st, 2019 featured a marketplace of local plant vendors selling a variety of native flowers, shrubs, and trees. While planting in the fall in the face of impending winter weather may seem strange, it’s a great way for plants to get their roots established in a new home. Native plants are low-maintenance and provide food and shelter for local wildlife.