Local wildlife photography and advocate pressing for action

Amherstburg resident Greg Nemeth is pressing for more action in the Big Creek watershed, including the section north of Alma St. His photography is seen along the Cypher Systems Greenway.

A local wildlife photographer and environmental advocate is continuing to search for action.

Greg Nemeth has been photographing local wildlife and watershed activity for several years and said he doesn’t like what he is seeing.

“I’d like to focus on the section of the Big Creek watershed, located north of County Road 16 (Alma St.) and south of the Greenway Trail,” he said. “This is an area that is important to me. More than 20 years ago, it is where I began photographing the watershed’s plants and wildlife. I spent countless mornings and afternoons there documenting what many people never get to see. What some dismissed as weeds, I came to appreciate as native plants that supported a remarkable diversity of life.”

Nemeth said he has seen a lot of activity since he started exploring the Big Creek watershed.

“The abundance was extraordinary. Insects, butterflies, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and native plants all existed in balance. The watershed produced life. It was easy to understand why both the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Essex Region Conservation Authority chose to study Big Creek,” he said. “The Big Creek Watershed stretches from Lake Erie, crossing Highway 20 at Creek Road and continuing past Texas Road. The section north of Alma St. includes what the study identifies at Sites 51 and 52. According to the study, Site 52 occupies 1.13 km of the Upper Big Creek Valley. It is bordered by the historic Canada Southern Railway, the General Chemical Canada settling basin, Site 51, Thomas Road and surrounding industrial lands. The report describes Site 52 as likely the most complex site in the watershed.”

Overall, Big Creek encompasses approximately 2,500 acres and drains nearly 18,000 acres of farmland, Nemeth pointed out.

“Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. Healthy wetlands support tremendous biodiversity, help reduce flooding, filter water, recharge groundwater and provide essential habitat for wildlife,” Nemeth stated.

“Unfortunately, during the years I’ve been photographing this area, I have also witnessed significant declines in wildlife. Science tells us bird populations have declined by approximately three billion birds in the last 50 years, while wildlife populations globally have declined by about 60 per cent over that same period. Habitat loss is the single biggest reason.

In this small section of Big Creek alone, I’ve photographed 37 bird families, including 24 species at risk, along with butterflies, skippers, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and countless native plants. It has been an incredible place to experience nature.”

Nemeth added: “But I’ve also watched phragmites, an invasive reed, spread down the watershed. It aggressively displaces native vegetation. Through rapidly expanding rhizomes and becomes extremely difficult to control once established. As native habitat disappears, so does the wildlife that depend on it. If we want wildlife, we must provide habitat.”

The importance of the Big Creek watershed is something Nemeth has underscored.

“What makes this especially important is what the scientific studies concluded. ERCA stated that wildlife richness of the Big Creek marshes exceeds that found in Point Pelee, Rondeau Provincial Park, Long Point, and several of Lake Erie’s major coastal marshes. ERCA described Big Creek as a standout ecosystem and acknowledges that, before conducting this work, they hadn’t fully appreciated what they called a really spectacular watershed.

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reported they mapped the watershed in exceptional detail, documenting vegetation communities, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and species at risk, including the Eastern Fox Snake and Butler’s Gartersnake,” he said. “Their work documented over 4,000 species occurrences representing 562 different species. The Ministry states this was the largest species inventory ever compiled and noted that natural areas rarely exceed 500 documented species. They described the watershed as extremely diverse. Those are not my conclusions. Those are the conclusions of the organizations that studied it."

Nemeth added “when the watershed study began, former environmental commissioner Diane Saxe noted that a wetland as small as two hectares can retain runoff from an area up to 70 times its size, reducing flooding. She also noted that flood damages are approximately 38 per cent lower where wetlands remain in their natural state.”

The Big Creek watershed reaches its lowest elevation north of Alma St.,” he stated.

“It raises an important question – could more stormwater be directed toward this area to help restore wetland function?” he asked.

Local wildlife photography and advocate pressing for action

By RTT Staff