Vince Fiorito enjoying time on the escarpment Credit: Facebook
Today on Small Change we explore the Anthropocene, Ark Gardening and why municipalities need to embrace naturalized yards if they are sincere about tackling climate change.
My guest is Vince Fiorito. Since retiring after a 40-year career in electronic and information technology, Vince has devoted his time to community volunteerism, environmental and political activism.
Vince founded the Friends of Sheldon Creek Watershed volunteer stewardship group; opposed the Meridian Brick quarry expansion adjacent to habitat for endangered species and the Tyandaga residential neighborhood; ran for Burlington City Council in 2018 and was a Green Party Candidate for Burlington in the 2015 federal election.
Mayapple, blue cohosh, trillium and bloodroot in Vince’s Ark Garden Credit: Vince Fiorito
Vince and I have known each other since about 2014 when my kids made a bunch of seed bombs for a project he was working on. I knew we were allies when Vince told me he liked my naturalized garden and suggested we do a controlled burn to encourage growth.
Vince gives Small Change listeners a brief overview of his life, how it influenced his ongoing ecological journey and the ways human activity has impacted Mother Earth.
Strawberry plant in Vince’s Ark Garden Credit: Vince Fiorito
The Anthropocene epoch, a term used to describe the period when human activities have become the dominant force shaping the planet's environment, became better known after St. Catharines photographer, Edward Burtynsky, documented human impact in his Anthropocene Project that combined photography, virtual reality, augmented reality, scientific research and his documentary, Manufactured Lanpdscapes.
The manufactured landscape in the ravine behind Vince’s home before it was cleaned up. Credit: Vince Fiorito
Dr. Francine McCarthy, Professor of Earth Sciences at Brock University, and Research Associate, Natural History, Plants and Climate Change at the Royal Ontario Museum, is the lead scientist at Crawford Lake’s Anthropocene Working Group.
Dr. McCarthy’s research includes measuring epochs from the “Golden Spike” core samples taken from Crawford Lake (Wyandot: Kionywarihwaen) – a meromictic lake, meaning its upper and lower layers of water never mix – located in Milton, ON.
Crawford Lake is the epicenter for studying the Anthropocene and Dr. McCarthy’s work proves that even though the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) have rejected the Anthropocene as a formal epoch, we have in fact, entered into the Anthropocene.
Vince shares his personal experience detailing when and how he became aware that we had entered the Anthropocene extinction.
Garter snake at home in Vince’s Ark Garden Credit: Vince Fiorito
Lorraine Johnson is a prolific author of books on native plant gardening and the former editor of Ground, a quarterly magazine published by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. She also had a profound influence on Vince’s philosophy and gardening practices.
Johnson has been involved in some groundbreaking cases involving naturalized yards. In fact, Johnson was an expert witness for an ongoing dispute in Burlington, ON. Karen Barnes has been fighting the City of Burlington for over seven years citing landscaping is a form of artistic expression protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Her lawyer agrees.
More than once, bylaw officers and city workers cut her garden down to the ground. The City of Burlington also notified Barnes, and her mortgage company, that they intend to fine Barnes $400,000 for non-compliance based on a flat fee of $100,000 plus $10,000 per day until she conformed to the bylaw. Thirty days after issuing the notice the City sent workers to cut down the garden again so, 30 days at $10,000 per day racked up $300,000. Yet, Barnes’ garden contains no noxious weeds nor prohibited plants, simply native species some of which are found on the endangered species list for Ontario.
Hear more from Barnes and her daughter, Julia Barnes, on Small Change on August 7 when they discuss the history of their garden, the fines and their upcoming court case.
Vince tells Small Change listeners about the landmark legal decision in the Sandra Bell case (1996) that affirmed the right to express environmental beliefs through gardens is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms under the Charter’s freedom of expression. We then discuss why 29 years later Barnes and others are fighting the exact same fight.
Hepatica (liverwort) and wild leek (ramps) cohabitate in Vince’s Ark Garden Credit: Vince Fiorito
Most municipalities have some sort of award or official recognition for gardeners. Since Vince lives in Burlington, we discuss the Civic Rose Award that was given to Burlington residents who helped beautify the city by maintaining and landscaping their gardens or yards. The Civic Rose Award, established in 1978 by Council, was awarded to residents every year until 2016.
One of my neighbours won several times. Their lawn and gardens were immaculate, filled with continuously blooming non-native species and included a time activated sprinkler system that often went off while it was raining.
Vince tackles the negative impacts these awards have on biodiversity; how they encourage the over consumption of resources and create a dependency on fossil fuels; and how they perpetuate the agenda of corporate nurseries and lawn care companies.
Blue cohosh and trillium in Vince’s Ark Garden Credit: Vince Fiorito
We end our conversation discussing what a healthy, sustainable, biodiverse garden looks like. Turns out, it looks like an Ark Garden!
Additional information:
Video of Friend’s of Sheldon Creek
Video of the wildlife that inhabits Vince’s Ark Garden
Video of baby milk snake in Vince’s Ark Garden
In his article, This ancient oak in Burlington reminds us of what’s been lost, Vince discusses the Anthropocene extinction and Ark Gardens.
Lorraine Johnson article about Beth and Craig Sinclair who are taking the Town of Smith Falls to court because council infringed on their Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Hamilton Spectator article by reporter Matthew Van Dongen: Royal Botanical Gardens says painful job cuts needed for ‘long-term financial sustainability’
Resources:
Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Sean James Consulting and Design
The "Grow Me Instead" guide helps gardeners replace common invasive plants with native alternatives to protect biodiversity, support pollinators, and reduce ecological harm.
Commercial Native Plant Growers by region
Bee Sweet Nature Company located at 4182 Sideroad 20 South, Puslinch, ON
Ontario Native Plants online
St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre located at 885 Norfolk County Hwy 24 W, ON
Northland Nursery located 722 Concession 5 W, Waterdown, ON
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your financial support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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