b'RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTThe original pit (left) was devoid of plant life but a successful rehabilitation effort (right) would transform it into a lush, healthy landscapeTodealwiththeprominenceof invasivespecies,thestudydetermined that rehabilitation sites may need ongoing maintenance.Inadditiontoplanting nativespecies, there may need to be an approachusedfromthebeginningof the rehab process to keep out or remove invasive species, says Solondz.Thestudyalsohighlightedthat maintenanceapproachesforsuchsites mayneedtobereassessedonaregular basis and that 40 years is simply too long toleaveasitewithoutmaintenance. AsSolondzemphasizes,TOARCand producers can set a site up for success, but land stewardship is a key part of creating valuable ecosystems. LENGTHY PROJECTFounded in 1970 on nearly 400 acres, the Arboretum encompasses many land types, including a section that contained a legacy gravel pit. It was the rehabilitation of that pit, conducted between 1976 and 1978, that theTOARCresearchprojectexamined. Theoriginalrehabilitationincludedthe plantingofmorethan90woodyplant species throughout the pit area, which were left to naturalize over the next 40years. Todeterminetheresultsofthat rehabilitation, the Arboretum approached TOARC to support a joint research study, withTOARCprovidingfundingandin-housesupportwiththeirrehabilitation expertise.AsthetrusteeoftheOntario AggregateResourcesTrust,TOARCis responsibleforrehabilitatingmorethan 8,200 legacy pits and quarries in Ontario.FALL 2022AVENUES 9'