Reforesting wetland areas can be challenging due to most activities being limited to the summer months and usually resulting in environmental degradation due to heavy equipment traffic. The equipment needed to create mounds, which facilitate reforestation, can cause increased rates of compaction and erosion on the site. Winter soils are less prone to the issues due to the frozen water giving the soil structure and the snow providing cover.  

The Centre conducted research of a technique to reforest wetland areas in the winter. This procedure involves preparing the site using multiple treatment types to verify and compare results with conventional practices. 

A vegetation survey was conducted on the site in 2021. It was found that the single rip treatment had the highest percentage of undesirable plant cover, such as weeds, and the mulch treatment yielded the most different types of species. All treatments resulted in an acceptable amount of desirable vegetation coverage.  

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