The phrag fighters of Lake Bernard are entering their ninth season of tackling the region’s destructive wetland weeds by expanding the volunteer network and deploying a high-tech arsenal of science tools, drones and insect nurseries.
The Phragmites Working Group Lake Bernard — locally known as the Almaguin phrag fighters — is scaling up its operations this summer into a regionwide mapping and management network.
Marilee Koenderink, longtime phrag fighter, said nearly a decade of persistent eradication work is yielding up some major milestones, with several infestation sites now completely cleared and returned to property owners for basic monitoring.
“We want to be sure that there is never a recurrence,” said Koenderink.
Mapping the front lines
To maintain that momentum, the group is pivoting toward a massive regional tracking and citizen science initiative. Summer student workers and local volunteers are systematically mapping municipal road corridors and highway ditches, where construction and vehicle traffic can accelerate the weed’s spread.
Jencin Kant, a summer technician with the Invading Species Awareness Program, explained that the group’s regional expansion relies heavily on residents tracking infestations via digital platforms.
“EDDMapS focuses specifically on invasives, whereas iNaturalist, another tool that we use and recommend the public uses, is general biodiversity,” Kant said, noting that community-driven data helps intercept infestations before they damage municipal drainage systems and infrastructure.
The financial incentive for municipal co-operation is significant. According to Kant, invasive species cost Ontario an estimated $3.6 billion annually in economic damages, making it the hardest-hit province in Canada.
To mitigate the damage and costs, the phrag fighters are expanding their scope.
Koenderink said the group is launching a multi-year management program for Japanese knotweed, a destructive plant capable of damaging structural foundations and shore stability.
Drones and moths
The group is also diversifying its tech toolkit. This season, it hopes to implement a targeted spray drone program in a specific location to protect surrounding wetlands, alongside a newly established biological control nursery on Lake Bernard.
Developed in partnership with Ian Jones from the University of Toronto, the nursery introduced two specialized moth species whose larvae feed exclusively on invasive phragmites stems, providing an automated, long-term weapon to weaken dense stands.
With biweekly removal events running every Tuesday and Friday, you can become a phrag fighter too.
“You have to come and get a T-shirt and a butter tart,” Koenderink said with a laugh, extending an open invitation to anyone ready to grab some hip waders and protect the watershed.
By Sarah Cooke, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jun 05, 2026 at 07:08
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