Stewarding the Ecological Corridor through Hidden Valley

Conservation Halton
By Carolyn Zanchetta, Restoration Monitoring and Reporting Technician
31 July, 2023

Tucked under the bustle of Highway 403 in Aldershot, a quiet dead-end street hides in the forest, obscured by soaring trees and surrounded by bird calls. The aptly named Hidden Valley Road follows the flow of Grindstone Creek, not long after it plummets over Smokey Hollow Falls, before widening into the neighbourhood secret gem of Hidden Valley Park. From here, the creek continues meandering through Hendrie Valley and empties out into Hamilton Harbour.

A Conservation Halton staff member planting native wildflowers at a private property in Hidden Valley.

This year, Conservation Halton has been connecting with residents of this secluded neighbourhood thanks to the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Ecological Corridors Pilot Program. This cozy community connects Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System partner properties, with Conservation Halton’s Grindstone Creek Parcel to the north and City of Burlington’s Hidden Valley Park to the south, and Royal Botanical Gardens further downstream. The creek is a critical link for wildlife and fish moving from the escarpment down towards the Harbour, Cootes Paradise Marsh, and Lake Ontario.

A recent report from the Municipal Natural Assets Management Project valued the ecosystem services provided by nature in the greater Grindstone Creek watershed at an impressive $2 billion for stormwater management alone. Other services like erosion control, oxygen production, carbon sequestration, and climate resilience were valued at $34 million annually – all thanks to forests, wetlands, meadows, and rivers. By protecting nature at home, managing invasive species, and planting beneficial native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, we all benefit from these irreplaceable ecosystem services.

Conservation Halton staff have been knocking on doors and having conversations with residents to hear about their concerns for nature in the valley. Most residents note that there is a lot of erosion along the creek banks, where occasional heavy flows rush through and scour the valley walls, carrying sediment downstream. They want to protect themselves and their homes from flooding, while enjoying the nature that brought them to the valley in the first place. Our changing climate will intensify these storms, while invasive species threaten the native biodiversity. Others want to intercept rain where it falls to absorb slowly into the landscape and reduce pressures on the creek, while harvesting this water for use throughout the week.

Conservation Halton staff members and volunteers after June 5th's Garlic Mustard pull in Hidden Valley Park.

Through the Ecological Corridors Pilot Program, Conservation Halton is offering support to Hidden Valley residents to assist with native plantings in an effort to grow the creekside buffer of vegetation that helps manage erosion and prevent flooding, while also helping residents tackle invasive species at home. The team hosted a volunteer Garlic Mustard Pull in the park this June, removing three big bags of this invasive plant to clear room for native species to emerge. On Wednesday, August 16, the greater community is invited to come out for an invasives shrub pull in the park from 6 – 8 pm, this time using up-rooters to tackle species like Common Buckthorn and Privet.  

By planting more native species, improving the creekside vegetation, and managing invasive species throughout the valley, together we can protect this ecological corridor and the species that move through it. Thank you to all the residents involved so far! To find out more, reach out to stewardship@hrca.on.ca.