In the summer of 2022, an unsuspecting plot of land nestled between two parking lots in downtown Trenton began to change. Dilapidated benches vanished, tiny holes appeared in the soil, and students swarmed the site with shovels. Though seemingly bizarre occurrences, these were all steps In Lower Trent Conservation’s process to Restore the Trenton Greenbelt, which we will cover in our multi-part blog series.

The most southern portion of the Trenton Greenbelt Conservation Area, located on Front Street just south of the Dixon Drive Bridge, was suffering from compacted soil, invasive plant species, aged infrastructure, and a significant lack of biodiversity, which prompted Lower Trent Conservation to begin converting the space to a native wildflower prairie-meadow complete with upgraded seating, walking trails, and educational signage. With the help of community partners and volunteers, bare lawn and weeds will be replaced by native grasses, wildflowers, and shade trees so the site can not only support pollinating insects and birds, but also be a beautiful place for residents to enjoy. Not to mention all the other benefits such as climate resiliency!

A lot has already been completed, but there is much more work to be done. As the Environmental Stewardship Technician at Lower Trent Conservation, I am thrilled to be working on this project and sharing a bit about it with you through this blog series. Unlike traditional landscaping, restoration can look a bit messy and take a few years to fully find its footing (but didn’t we all as teenagers?). We hope that you will keep reading as we share more about the project, and stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved yourself! You can read more about the project by clicking here. Upcoming Posts:

· All About Soils

· Tackling Invasives

· Seeding for the Future

· Getting Involved

· A Bit of History

A special thank you to Brooke Wright, Invasive Species Summer Technician at Lower Trent Conservation, for developing the outline of these blogs, and contributing associated content.

If you have any questions or comments about the Restoring the Trenton Greenbelt Project, you may reach Jason Jobin, Environmental Stewardship Technician at [email protected] or 613-394-3915 ext. 22