Natural Areas
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Sparling Bush
Sparling Bush is a 2.4-hectare mature sugar maple woodlot located in St. Marys. The Town of St. Marys is responsible for maintaining, enhancing and protecting the woodlot, with the assistance of valuable partners including the Rotary Club of St. Marys and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
In 2019, the Town of St. Marys developed a Sparling Bush Management Plan to address the recommendations outlined in a report titled Sparling Bush: Management Recommendations for the Town of St. Marys prepared by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority in July 2015.
The Town of St. Marys continues to implement the action items included in the Management Plan.
Meadowridge Park Natural Area
In Spring of 2021, Town of St. Marys Council, at the recommendation of Town Staff and the Green Committee, approved the creation of a naturalized area along the perimeter of Meadowridge Park in St. Marys. The expectation is that the final size of the natural area will be 30,000 square feet, or 0.3 hectares.
Establishing the natural area will take several years. The chart below details the various phases included in the project:
| Phase 1 (2021) Trail Extension - Yellow Area |
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| Phase 2 (2021) Establish Planting Area - Red Area |
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| Phase 3 (2022 and 2023) Planting Area - Green Area |
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| Phase 4 (2024+) Planting Area |
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Please note that the schedule will be subject to available budget funds and donations received, annual nursery inventories and available labour resources consisting of either staff or volunteers. Staff are anticipating providing maintenance and care to the new areas until plantings have been established.
View the project planting map.
Pollinator Garden
In 2021, the Town of St. Marys planted our first Pollinator Garden, also commonly referred to as a Wildflower Area. This 165 square metre garden area is located within the St. Marys Cemetery and adjacent to Sparling Bush. Types of flowers initially planted include Black-eyed Susan, bergamot, coreopsis, purple coneflower, white coneflower, sedum, balloon flower, butterfly milk weed, and blanket flower. This is a pilot project and will help us make informed decisions regarding future additional pollinator gardens. Throughout 2021, Town Staff will monitor this garden and anticipate that the plants will reach full growth in 2022.
The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation has generously sponsored the creation of the pollinator garden, providing funding for all plants.
Benefits of a Pollinator Garden
A pollinator garden:
- Acts as a beautification method and amenity along the Town’s trail network;
- Supports dwindling populations of native insects that pollinate food crops including butterflies, moths and bees (particularly important in increasingly built up environments);
- Provides a habitat for various animals and insects including caterpillars, spiders, birds, frogs, newts, toads and other small animals;
- Cleans the air (plants consume carbon dioxide and create about ten times more oxygen than they use);
- Helps control unwanted bugs (birds, bugs, and bats that a pollinator garden may attract will eat problem bugs ensuring that no single pest takes over).
To celebrate the planting of the Town's first Pollinator Garden, we held a colouring contest. We had almost 50 creative entries including one large project from St. Marys Emergency Child Care (shown below).
