Granite Canal
MUN Botanical Garden has partnered with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro to assist in the revegetation of newly constructed fish habitat (Granite Canal Fish Habitat Compensation Facility - FHCF) following a large hydroelectric development in south-central Newfoundland. The Garden will plant over 100,000 plants and seedlings along the river banks of the FHCF.
The aim is to provide cover and shade for fish, stability for banks, and to provide food for insects that, in turn, become food for fish. In short, this project focuses on creating habitat, not just greenery.
The plants and seedlings are being propagated at MUN Botanical Garden Nursery from seeds and cuttings collected from the Granite Lake area. These include such genera as Betula, Viburnum, Aronia, Rubus, Myrica, and Spiraea.
Dr. Nicholls, Madonna Bishop, Tim Walsh, and Shaun Garland are part of the Granite Lake research team.
Shaun Garland, a Master of Science student at Memorial University, is currently working on propagation protocols of native plants for this project. Shaun will be planting these plants at Granite Lake and he will monitor survival and growth. Shaun is supervised by Dr. Wilf Nicholls.
More about revegetation research at MUN Botanical Garden (pdf)
