Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Some rare plants and animals have new invasive species to contend with in Saint John area wetlands, according to research from the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Reed canary grass was found in almost all of the 12 large coastal wetlands studied by the group over the past three summers, said conservation biologist Allison Patrick. As well, a plant called brass buttons, native to southern Africa and New Zealand, was found widespread in Red Head marsh and Musquash estuary.
