Help for property owners with invasive plants
Help is available for property owners with a large area of invasive plants
By Renee Sandelowsky and Helen Varekamp
Renee Sandelowsky and Helen Varekamp are Bayfield residents and local volunteers. They are writing a monthly series of articles about the benefits of planting native species of plants and removing invasive species. This month (February 2026) they are writing about help for people to remove invasive plants.
Are you aware of one or more invasive species, such as English Ivy, Periwinkle, Buckthorn or Phragmites, that have taken over your property? Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer size of it and need help? You are not alone! Help is available through two programs being offered in Huron County.
Huron Clean Water Project celebrates more than 20 years of providing property owners with financial and technical assistance with numerous water protection projects. They have recently added Invasive Species Management – control of invasive species that negatively affect important ecosystems and water quality. They will pay 50 per cent of the costs with a maximum grant of $3,000 for eligible projects. Service delivery is provided by Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley conservation authorities.
To learn more, visit HuronCleanWaterProject.ca or contact Ben Van Dieten at Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (email bvandieten@mvca.on.ca) or Nathan Schoelier at Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (email nschoelier@abca.ca).
The Ontario Phragmites Action program has funding available to eradicate “ … Canada’s most invasive plant,” invasive Phragmites (Phragmites australis subsp. australis, also called European common reed).
Phragmites is an aggressive, perennial, towering grass that can grow taller than humans, while taking over wetlands and out-competing native plants. It spreads rapidly through seeds and root fragments, which can be transported by wind, water, vehicles, machinery and human activity. Once established, Phragmites forms dense stands, reducing biodiversity.
Addressing this invasive species proactively helps avoid substantial costs, including reduced agricultural yields, obstructed access to waterways, increased flooding, higher roadside maintenance expenses and lost tourism revenue.
Since 2019, the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund has funded more than 130 projects that help protect natural spaces from the impacts of Phragmites. To learn more, visit OntarioPhragmitesAction.ca.
The program is locally administered by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). Support for private landowners in Huron County is available by contacting ABCA toll-free at 1-888-286-2610 or by emailing Brooklyn Rau (brau@abca.ca).
Renee Sandelowsky and Helen Varekamp are Bayfield residents and local volunteers. They are writing a monthly series of articles, about the need to remove and switch away from invasive plants, for the Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation.