Summer Staff Reflection

Written by Kendra Jaspers-Fayer (Conservation & Restoration Technician, Summer 2024)

August 2024

There is a line from an old song that goes “I sing because I am happy, I sing because I am free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches over me”. This song has been spinning around my head since my first days at A Rocha Ontario, and as Cedar Haven has moved through spring into summer, there are so many examples of Christ’s sustaining hand in nature.    

One of the first things I have learned this summer is to stand quietly and listen. While conducting bird censuses on the property, we would walk along the trail, watching and waiting for any birds that might sing out, or fly across our field of vision. This process allows us to create a better picture of what species are on site, and when any migratory birds arrive. Each week, while standing in the coolness of the cedar forest, straining to differentiate the melodies that intermingle every morning, it is a consistent reminder that the smallest beings pour forth praise. 

Another weekly task is monitoring the many nestboxes at Cedar Haven, which provide valuable nesting sites for Tree Swallows, Eastern Bluebirds, and House Wrens. Each nest box is approached carefully and slowly opened to reveal what is inside. Data, including the parent’s activity, number of eggs, and number of baby birds is recorded, and then added to information from across the region – all a part of Project NEST. It is beautiful to note the small miracles that happen in the quiet moments of an afternoon. In a span of three days, nests would go from being empty to having three, four, or even seven eggs! Invariably, some nests are lost – and this too is a constant reminder of how essential God’s hand is in every single heartbeat. 

When not monitoring, much of my attention is turned towards plants. It is amazing how fast new life springs up (especially when lawns need to be mowed!). But beyond yard work, there are three invasive species that have been outcompeting the local native plants and impacting biodiversity. After working for several days to remove a patch of Buckthorn shrubs, I continued noticing this shrub in parks all over the city, not just on the Cedar Haven site. Reed Canary Grass, which grows in wide swaths through the wetland area, filled up over seven waste bags of plants, creating a clear space for new plants to grow up and thrive. Finally, many hours were spent around the pond, digging up invasive Yellow Flag Iris. These flowers have deep rhizomes that sink down into the mud. However, even while we work to remove these invasive species, it is impossible not to marvel at the tenacity of these plants and how efficiently they are created to thrive.

Towards the end of June, A Rocha received hundreds of native plants from a local greenhouse that are being used in restoration projects throughout the property. Many have already been planted where invasives have been removed, filling in the gaps where I had spent time wrestling out stubborn roots. As I wrap up my time working at Cedar Haven, that refrain, “His eye is on the sparrow,” is still running through my head. Whether I am knee deep in the pond, stooped over new native seedlings, or staring up at the song sparrows, each task continues to be a reminder of God’s care for each small part of creation.