If you’re walking through the Triebner Tract northwest of Exeter, you might happen upon a freshly planted Butternut orchard!
The new planting is a collaboration between the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) and Forest Gene Conservation Authority (FGCA), in which the two parties will maintain and monitor the orchard for 15 years to help the species maintain a foothold in the region.
Although the tree was once very common in the region, it is currently considered endangered due to a spread of fungal infections.
The Triebner Tract covers 100 acres, 60 acres of which are mature swamp forest in the Hay Swamp Provincially Significant Wetland Complex. The new Butternut Archive Orchard will help complement the efforts the ABCA has made to protect and restore the property.
Written by: B. Shakyaver
