Hemlock Conservation Project

>>> UPCOMING TEMPORARY CLOSURES AT WOODLAND GARDENS

The Town of Bridgewater’s Hemlock Conservation team will begin work in Woodland Gardens in early September as part of the next phase of efforts to protect our community’s Hemlock trees against the invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid species.

Work in the park will take approximately one month to complete and, as a result, specific sections of Woodland Gardens will be closed to public access on a week-by-week basis. The portions of the park where work is not actively underway will remain open to public use.

For full details, including a map and secetion details, please visit www.bridgewater.ca/news.

BRIDGEWATER HEMLOCK CONSERVATION PROJECT PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION PRESENTATION

On August 7, 2024, Town of Bridgewater staff gave a presentation at a public information session about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) and the Bridgewater Hemlock Conservation Project. If you missed this event, but are interested in still seeing the presentation, you can download it as a PDF to view on your own time by clicking here.

Questions? Please click here to submit your queries to the HWA team.

What is the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) ?
Hemlock woolly adelgid is an aphid-like insect (aphids suck fluid from plants) that attacks and kills hemlock trees by feeding on nutrient and water storage cells at the base of needles. In Canada, eastern provinces are at-risk due to proximity to HWA populations in the states. In 2017, HWA was found and is now being closely monitored in the southwestern Nova Scotia counties of Digby, Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Annapolis, and, most recently, Lunenburg in 2020.

An image showing what an infestation of HWA looks like on the underside of hemlock needles.

Bridgewater’s Hemlock Conservation Project
Bridgewater’s Hemlocks are undergoing severe decline as a consequence of HWA infestation. Without a natural predator, HWA multiplies rapidly, leading to a 90 to 95% mortality rate in Eastern Hemlocks within 4-15 years unless treated. The “Bridgewater Hemlock Conservation Project” aims to address this infestation through:

• An extensive tree inventory and site preparation (continuously monitoring hemlock tree health)
• Pesticide treatment (IMA-JET 5% & XYTECT 2F, approved for use by Health Canada)
• Community engagement and outreach

Town of Bridgewater Hemlock Conservation staff will be out and about in parks and on trails this summer undertaking this work.

TAGGING RIBBONS
Help us spread the word!

Throughout areas where the Hemlock Conservation Project is taking place, such as Glen Allan Park, Woodland Gardens, Pinecrest Playground, etc. you will see GREEN and YELLOW ribbons tied to hemlock trees.

These ribbons are NOT in place to mark trees for cutting, but rather are used by the Conservation team to identify trees that have already been assessed and/or treated.

Please do not disturb the ribbons.

About the Eastern Hemlock
The Eastern Hemlock is a conical tree reaching up to 30 meters in height, characterized by shiny green needles with a pale underside and oval-shaped cones. It's bark starts off scaly and deepens into cracks with age. It thrives in moist soils and shade, serves as vital wildlife habitat and is valued for its ornamental appeal and commercial use in woodworking.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. We have old growth hemlock trees on our property. Will the Town help us preserve them?

A. The Bridgewater Hemlock Conservation Project is actively working towards saving the Hemlock trees in town parks and trails for now. We hope to have some resources for private property owners soon, but there is not yet a public program in place. Please an eye on this website for any updates.

Our team has prepared some public information PDF's that may help you to preliminarily identify hemlock trees and to check if your trees may be infested with HWA.

• Click here to download our doc how to identify if your trees are Hemlock trees
• Click here to download our doc on how to identify if your Hemlock trees have Hemlock Woolly Adelgid present on them

Q. Who do I contact if I find HWA on my Hemlock trees?

Please click here to submit your queries to the HWA team. Please allow up to two business days for a response to your query.

Q. What can I do to limit the spread of HWA?

• Wear clean footwear and clothes when going into forested areas.
• Clean campers, cars, and gear, including lint rolling and washing clothing when leaving potentially infested areas. This is especially important when travelling from Southwest Nova Scotia to other parts of the province or into other provinces.
• Do not collect or move materials from one site to another, including firewood.
• Do not transport lumber from potentially infested areas.

Q. Are the pesticides being used in Bridgewater parks safe for the public?

The pesticide being used is approved for use by Health Canada and is safe to use. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are asking the public to abide by this closure notice and to stay out of the park during the entirety of the closure period. Once the closure period has ended, these spaces will be safe for all public use again.

After the treatment process is completed, the spaces will remain closed to the public until 48 hours after the treatment has been completed.

Town of Bridgewater apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this closure and we thank you for doing your part in helping us save our community's Hemlock trees. When the park and playground have re-opened to the public we will post an update accordingly.