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Justin's Digital Garden

Community Stewardship Program - City of Toronto Urban Forestry Personal Journal

My journal of education/training, invasive species removal (weeding), planting, and other activities while volunteering with Community Stewardship Program – City of Toronto

Riverdale Park East 2025

Section titled “Riverdale Park East 2025”

Invasive species on site, identification and removal tips

Section titled “Invasive species on site, identification and removal tips”
  • Bedstraw - sticky
  • Buckthorn - woody, looks like small dots on bark
    • Removal: if large, chop near bottom of trunk
  • Burdock - burs that needs to be removed
    • Removal: hand pull, thick stems requiring excavator to removed
  • Burdock - has burrs, seeds
  • Canada Thistle - it is from Europe despite its name, sharp leaves and stems
  • Cat tail
  • Dog strangling vine (DSV) - expanding vine
  • Erect hedge parsley
  • European / Common Buckthorn:
    • Berries: female
    • Matching stems
    • Removal: Cut parts that provide photosynthesis or uproot if possible and turn upside down to prevent re-rooting
  • Garlic mustard - red stem, smells like garlic, leafy
  • Norway maple
  • Phragmites aka European fern - thin stem, long leaves
    • Removal: using spading under roots at 45 degree angle
  • Queen Anne’s Lace aka wild carrot
    • Has braks, sticky seeds
  • Red dead nettle - pinkish flower
  • Siberia squill - blue flower
  • Tansy - frilly leaves, yellow flowers

Removal of plants with seeds: before removal, cut off seeds and dispose of separately in bucket / garbage bags. Other parts of invasive species can be composted.

Leaf and Plant Identification 2025-08

Section titled “Leaf and Plant Identification 2025-08”

Compound, partial

  • Flower: irregular, regular
  • Look at number of petals like 5
  • Type: wildflower, shrub
  • Leaf stem, steeple, can be identifier
  • Smell

Use field guides

Toronto has man non-native plants, though focus of sessions is on invasive plants that impact the environment. Learning characteristics of a family helps with identifing and understanding ecology.

2025-06/07

Section titled “2025-06/07”

Planting of native plants

“Catepillar count” - assessment of insect, arthopod life in environment to check health of area

Removal of phragmites, Canada thistle, burdock, Queen Anne’s Lace, Erect hedge parsley, tansy

2025-05

Section titled “2025-05”

Removal of garlic mustard, bed straw, red dead nettle

2025-04 Orientation

Section titled “2025-04 Orientation”

Warnings on dangers on site: fire ants (lemon smell), ticks, plants with thorns, poison ivy, as well as weather like heat

Site history: former waste site, flood plain, program has work on forested areas and planting

Riverdale Part East 2019

Section titled “Riverdale Part East 2019”

Weeding and education on variety of plants: