CANAAN — The town of Canaan received a $6,000 award from the Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley for the removal of invasive species and restoration planting at the town’s 7-acre public park.
The project includes, but is not limited to, native wildflowers and shade tree planting and the removal of European Water Chestnut from the park pond. It is estimated to take a year to complete, and work is expected to begin on Earth Day.
The work is expected to be carried out by volunteers from the community. The plants will be purchased from a local nursery that specializes in native species.
The town plans to eradicate the Water Chestnut, an invasive species, from the pond. Water Chestnut is an aquatic plant that forms in bodies of water and its environmental impact can be dramatic over time.
Dylan Cipkowski, Canaan’s Climate Smart Community Task Force member, said the pond is important to the park and residents.
“The pond is an essential part of the park,” Cipkowski said. “It creates a lot of beauty, and it’s a wildlife habitat and it’s used by people for fishing. The Water Chestnut grows at a fast rate and outgrows other native species of plants, making it hard for them to persist in ponds, lakes= and rivers. That impacts wildlife, fish and people. The Water Chestnut makes it hard for people to fish.”
The task force also wants to restore plants and planting shade trees at the park. Some of the favored plants include Blazing Star, Brown Eyed Susan and other native flowers, and grasses such Bluestem and Dwarf Fountain.
“I see a couple of ways this will benefit the town and its people from an environmental perspective. We’re going to be converting wildflower beds dominated by nonnative plants into native wildflower gardens,” Cipkowski said. “That has some benefits for the environment because these plants are native to our ecosystem and have a relationship with our native bees and pollinators. This aspect of the project will benefit the town, its people, and its users. The park will showcase this native wildflower and grasses, and it can serve as an example of landscapes with native plants. People will be able to see the beauty of the plants and how these plants interact with different pollinators, wild bees and things of that nature.”
Partners for Climate Action cofounder Bob Dandrew said the grant will inspire other communities.
“The project in Canaan was attractive to us because it involves volunteers from throughout the community,” Dandrew said. “We believe that it will be inspiring to other towns in the county.”