Field Tours

• Many field trips are offered, whether before or after the Conference (PRE or POST respectively), or for a half- or full day (MID) on Wednesday, June 14.
• To be officially registered for an excursion, payment must be received by March 15, 2023.
• Participants must bring their proof of insurance coverage valid in Canada prior to participation in the field trip.
• All participants must sign a liability waiver form that will be provided prior to participation in the field trip.
• A Safety Tips explanatory document will be sent to participants prior to their field trip with recommendations such as to wear solid footwear for walking, be prepared for all weather/field conditions with an extra sweater, raingear, rubber boots, sun protection and mosquito (insect) repellents. Excursions will only take place if the minimum number of participants is reached. Participants registered for a cancelled field trip will be offered to register for another field trip or will be fully reimbursed.
• Excursions will always take place except in extreme weather conditions Thus, participants will not be reimbursed if, for example, it rains or it is cold on the day scheduled for the excursion and they decide not to participate.
• Excursions will be conducted in French or in English. Still, information documents (e.g., the website of the organization responsible for the field visit) and a participant guide will be available in both languages. A person will accompany the group of participants and will be able to translate the questions and answers addressed to the leader of the field visit.

Field Tours PRE Conference

PRE-4B - GRANDE PLÉE BLEUE PEATLAND, A POOL-COVERED NATURAL BOG IN AN URBANIZING LANDSCAPE

You will discover techniques for restoring scars made in a natural bog (path and drainage channel). You will see the effects of the Moss Layer Transfer Technique as well as the effects of dams on the drainage channel. The magnificent Grande plée Bleue bog (1,500 hectares) is one of the last large bogs in the St. Lawrence Lowlands. The site will soon become a provincial ecological reserve protecting a large proportion of this exceptional wetland. Participants will also have the chance to visit an entirely natural portion of the bog with ponds and learn more about the features of this ecosystem.

SUNDAY June 11th, 2023; 8:30 am to 13:00 pm

Departure/Return: Québec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
Minimum 20 maximum 42 
With Sylvain Jutras (Université Laval) and Julie Talbot (Université de Montréal) 
CAN $ 40 
 

PRE-5 - DISCOVERY OF THE GRANDE PLÉE BLEUE BOG AND INTRODUCTION TO THE TAXONOMY OF BOG PLANTS AND MOSSES

You will discover the beautiful Grande plée Bleue bog (1,500 hectares), one of the last intact peatlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. The site will soon become a provincial ecological reserve protecting a vast proportion of this exceptional wetland. Participants will stroll the educational boardwalk that zigzags through ponds and Sphagnum hummocks to learn more about this unique ecosystem. Participants will have the chance to have an introduction to peatland taxonomy by learning typical bog plant names and learning how to identify peatland bryophytes such as Sphagnum mosses. The purchase of the book Sphagnum Mosses of Eastern Canada (Ayotte and Rochefort) at registration is optional but recommended. Copies will be available for purchase on board (cash only).

 

SUNDAY June 11th, 2023; 8:30 am to 12:30 pm 
Departure/Return: Québec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
Minimum 20 maximum 42 
With Michel Michaud of the Société de conservation et de mise en valeur de la Grande plée Bleue and the Peatland Ecology Research Group (Université Laval) 
CAN $ 40

 

PRE-6 - VISIT OF AGRICULTURAL PEATLAND RESTORATION PRACTICES IN VEGETABLE CULTIVATION

This tour will allow people to visualize the environment of outdoor vegetable production and become familiar with conservation practices for agricultural peatland: installation of windbreaks, installation of drainage trenches, amendments and biomass production area, with production of transplants in tunnels and vegetables directly in greenhouses in the Montréal area growing 80% of the Canadian field lettuce production

 

SUNDAY June 11th, 2023; 8:00 am to 5:00 pm 
Departure/Return: Québec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
Minimum 25 maximum 48 
With Jacynthe Dessureault Rompré from Université Laval and the ISHS 
CAN $ 100

 

Field Tours MID Conference

MID-6 -  MARAIS-LÉON-PROVANCHER NATURE RESERVE NEAR QUÉBEC CITY (ST.LAWRENCE TIDAL MARSH, ARTIFICIAL INLAND MARSH, AND VARIOUS RESTORATION PROJECTS)

 FIELDTRIP FULL

This half-day excursion will allow you to visit the Marais-Léon-Provancher Nature Reserve. This 125-hectare natural site is dedicated to the protection of flora and fauna. The visit will be led by managers and scientists who will explain the history of the territory as well as conservation, restoration, and education objectives. Located in Neuville, 30 km west of Quebec City, this area, one of the best bird watching hotspots near Quebec City will allow you to discover several different habitats of the fluvial estuary of the St. Lawrence River (Scirpus tidal marsh; artificial inland marsh; sugar maple, eastern white cedar, and alder stands; idle lands). Various ongoing interventions of restoration and rewilding of the habitat (creation of a freshwater marsh) will be showcased as well as the control of invasive exotic plant species (common reed).

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:30 am to noon
Minimum 30 maximum 53, 15 per visit
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre  - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Société Provancher d'histoire naturelle 
CAN $ 85

 

MID-7 - VISIT OF A RESTORED PEATLAND AND A NATURAL BOG NEAR QUEBEC CITY

 FIELDTRIP FULL

This tour offers you the chance to visit a multitude of peatland landscapes ranging from mined and restored to natural. The first part of the tour will take place at the Saint-Henri peat bog, an industrial peat extraction site. You will be able to discover different types of bogs: rewetted bog, bog restored by the Moss Layer Transfer Technique and a natural bog used as a donor site for restoration. In the afternoon, you will have the chance to discover the Grande plée Bleue bog (15 km²), one of the last sizeable ombrotrophic peat bogs in the St. Lawrence Lowlands. A project to create an ecological reserve aims to protect most of this wetland (61% or about 900 ha). The excursion will take place in the portion of the bog that has been developed for educational purposes and is characterized by the presence of numerous pools.

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 9:00 am to 4:30 pm 
Minimum 20 maximum 42 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Line Rochefort (Peatland Ecology Research Group, Université Laval), Julie Talbot (Université de Montréal), Premier Tech Horticulture and Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association 

 

MID-8 - RESTORATION OF SAND AND GRAVEL PITS IN BOREAL CLIMATE: AN OVERVIEW OF FIELD TRIALS FOLLOWED A GUIDED TREK IN THE TAIGA

FIELDTRIP FULL

During this one-day excursion, you will have the opportunity to visit gravel and sand pits that were restored using the Rough and Loose technique (creation of micro-topogaphy). The team of Dr. Line Rochefort and the Centre for Northern Studies will guide you through various types of borrow pits: naturally regenerating (for about 40-50 years), restored by the transfer of organic matter (5-10 years post-restoration) or restored by Rough and Loose technique (3 years post-restoration).

In the afternoon, you will discover the particular landscape of the Parc des Grands Jardins, characterized by the boreal forest and forest fires, during a guided hike led by a park warden-naturalist (maximum of 14 participants). You will learn more about the history of the park and you will discover the reason why typical taiga vegetation is found at such southern latitudes.

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 7:30 am to 6:30 pm 
minimum 25 maximum 52 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre  - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Sandrine Hogue-Hugron (Centre d’Études Nordiques) and Line Rochefort (Peatland Ecology Research Group - Université Laval) 

 

 

MID-11 - RESTORATION OF ECOLOGICAL HABITATS AND SERVICES AT THE HEART OF VAIROUS ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE QUEBEC CITY REGION

 

During this field trip, you will visit: 

1. The restoration of an upper marsh of the St. Lawrence River;
2. The partial restoration of hydraulic conditions on the flats of the St. Lawrence River;
3. A culvert promoting the free passage of fish and small to medium terrestrial wildlife;
4. The creation of a 2-hectare lake habitat and its tributary as fish compensation reserve habitats;
5. The restoration of more than 800 m of watercourses with valued fish habitats, the restoration of native riparian vegetation and the creation of a passage for large wildlife in the entrance area of Jacques-Cartier National Park, a natural jewel near Québec City;
6. Multifunctional basins integrated into a “double-drainage” system and designed to protect the Québec City's main source of drinking water in the event of an accidental oil spill;
7. Optimization of the landscape and environmental potential of two major stormwater retention structures at two of the busiest interchanges in the Quebec City region;
8. Landscaping and plantations in the embankment stone surrounding the St. Lawrence River on the majestic Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain.

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm 
minimum 25 maximum 80 per option 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Martin Lafrance from the Ministère des Transports du Québec 
CAN $ 100

 

MID-14 - MARINE HABITAT, CONSERVATION OF ENDAGERED SPECIES, AND WHALE WATCHING IN THE ST.LAWRENCE ESTUARY AND THE SAGUENAY FJORD

 

This one-day field trip will give you the chance to visit the majestic Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, the perfect destination for whale and marine mammals watching on the St. Lawrence. At the junction of three different but interrelated ecosystems (Upper Estuary, Lower Estuary and Saguenay Fjord), we find a great diversity of marine habitats marked by variations in temperature, salinity, sea-bottom types and depth. This crucial sector of the St. Lawrence is a real pantry for a multitude of species of whales, seals and aquatic birds. But the challenges of conservation of habitats and species are numerous and diverse.

OPTION A: During this excursion, you will have the chance to visit the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM). It is managed by the Marine Mammal Research and Education Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research on St. Lawrence whales and education for the conservation of the marine environment. This centre, which welcomes more than 35,000 visitors each year, will help you discover the adaptations to the whales' marine world, the threats they face and the scientific research efforts on them. You may even be able to see belugas and minke whales from the Centre's terrace! Located in the picturesque village of Tadoussac, whose bay is renowned as one of the most beautiful in the world, you can enjoy free time to visit the surroundings and enjoy the local cuisine.

OPTION B: But what better than to observe all these species in their habitat, to appreciate their natural behavior while learning about the best conservation approaches and best practices to adopt to minimize their disturbance and increase their survival. You will be able to navigate for three hours in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park on a comfortable and specially designed boat for eco-responsible observation of the 13 species of whales and marine mammals, while benefiting from the interesting information provided by a naturalist guide. An expert from the Marine Mammal Research and Education Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research on St. Lawrence whales and marine conservation education, will be on board during the excursion to answer your questions. Finally, an incursion into the majestic Saguenay Fjord will allow you to admire its magnificent landscapes.

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 7:00 am to 6:00 pm 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Melissa Green from the Groupe de Recherche et D'Étude sur les Mammifères Marins (GREMM)

OPTION A  
Minimum 50 maximum 100 
CAN $ 65 - Lunch during the free time during the visit of Tadoussac is at the expense of the participants.

OPTION B 
Minimum 40 maximum 168 
CAN $ 200 
 

MID-18 - VISIT TO THE MONTMORENCY FOREST RESEARCH STATION IN NORTHERN QUEBEC'S BOREAL REGION

  FIELDTRIP FULL

This one-day excursion will give you the chance to visit the Forêt Montmorency experimental station located in the boreal forest north of Quebec City, whose mission is to be a laboratory and a host environment for teaching, research and education in relation to boreal territories. To this end, this territory is developed in such a way as to aim, through experimentation, at excellence and exemplarity for the advancement of forest sciences.

During this excursion, you will have the chance to discover some of the natural features of this teaching and research forest, as well as to discover various demonstration sites for innovative silvicultural and management practices and experimental sites aimed specifically at research on boreal forests and climate change.

 

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 5:30 pm 
Minimum 35 maximum 44 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Evelyne Thiffault from the Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique - Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt 
CAN $ 100

 

MID-20 - REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION OF THE LAC-MÉGANTIC (QUÉBEC) OIL TRAIN TRAGEDY

 

A rail disaster occurred in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Québec, on July 6, 2013, when an unattended 74-car freight train carrying Bakken Formation crude oil derailed in the downtown core, resulting in the fire and explosion of multiple tank cars, as well as a major spill of petroleum hydrocarbons and 300,000 m3 of contaminated soil and killing 47 residents.

This site visit will bring you to the City of Lac-Mégantic to show you the following areas:

• Where the train was parked overnight of to examine the general landscape down slope toward Lac-Mégantic;
• Impacted zones and how they were restored;
• Migration of contaminants toward the shore of Mégantic Lake, marina wharf and Chaudière River areas;
• Soil storage and treatment areas (no more piles);
• The social impacts and challenges face by the municipality to rebuilt and General redevelopment of the municipality and; of this tragedy

In the afternoon, the visit will continue toward Black Lake mining site where most Lac-Mégantic treated soil were transported and reused, so you’ll be able to see:

• The soil and organic residuals reception area and where they were mixed with other materials to create a fertile substrate for the vegetation;
• The seedlings and the evolution of vegetated areas on the slope and plateau of the waste rock piles;
• The impressive mine pit

 

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 5:30 pm 
minimum 40 maximum 120 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre  - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Lucie Labbé from the CLRA Quebec Chapter, AECOM, Englobe (Daniel Deschênes), Ville de Lac Mégantic (France Bergeron)

CAN $ 100

MID-21 - OVERVIEW OF RESTORATION PROJECTS FROM THE MOUTH TO THE UPSTREAM OF THE SAINT-CHARLES RIVER

 With a length of nearly 35 km, the Saint-Charles River originates at the outlet of Lake Saint-Charles (Cyrille-Delage dam), crosses the city of Quebec, and joins the Saint-Lawrence River at the level of the center- town. Lake Saint-Charles is fed by the Rivière des Hurons. Providing 82% of its waters, it begins its journey in the mountains north of the municipality of the united townships of Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury and ends in the Marais du Nord.

This excursion will allow you to visit several restored sites of a very varied nature. In the morning, the City of Quebec will begin by presenting a major restoration project aimed at restoring the shorelines of the Saint-Charles River in the downtown area. Then, you can enter the restoration site of a channeled section of the Sainte-Barbe stream in Loretteville.

Agiro, a non-profit organization dedicated to water conservation, will then continue the excursion a little higher in the watershed, at Lake Saint-Charles and the Marais du Nord. Thus, you will be able to learn more about the development of the Marais Bellevue, an innovative project to optimize stormwater management. Finally, on a trail or a rabaska, you can marvel at the splendor of the Marais du Nord, an exceptional natural environment managed, enhanced, and restored by Agiro, where a common reed control project has also been carried out.

 

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm 
Minimum 25 maximum 50 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Sophie Ouellet and Mélanie Deslongchamps (Agiro) and Anne-Marie Cantin and Julie Deslandes (Ville de Québec) 
CAN $ 100 
 

MID-22 - RESPONSIBLE PEATLAND MANAGEMENT: FROM PEAT EXTRACTION TO PEATLAND RESTORATION

  FIELDTRIP FULL

This one-day tour will bring you from the peat production to peatland restoration and management.

The participants will stop at Premier Tech headquarters and will visit a peat-processing plant where peat and growing media are prepared. The importance and characteristics of peat as a substrate as well as the industry sustainability initiatives (such as the Veriflora Responsibly Managed Peatlands certification) will be presented. If the weather permits, we will also visit peat harvesting fields to show the process of vacuum-harvesting. This will also be the opportunity to discuss about greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from peat extraction, peat use, and end-use with researchers from McGill University.

Next, participants will visit Bois-des-Bel, a restored peatland. This peatland was partially peat harvested from 1972 to 1980, leaving a peat deposit of approximately 2 m deep. The peatland was restored in 1999-2000, with the goal to promote the return of ecosystem functions, especially peat accumulation and carbon sequestration. The peatland restoration technique that had been tested on small-scale plots was tested for the first time on an ecosystem scale. Research carried out at this experimental station over the last 23 years has allowed to better understand how a restored ecosystem evolves in terms of vegetation patterns, hydrology, biodiversity and carbon cycles over a long period of time.

 

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 6:00 pm 
minimum 22 maximum 30 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With The tour will be led by the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) and Peat and Substrates Cluster, along with peat-producing companies and researchers from various universities

CAN $ 150

MID-23 - VISIT ISHS USE OF GROWING MEDIA IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS

 

This tour will allow visitors to familiarize themselves with different projects or companies using growing substrates ranging from the production of cannabis berries, to green roofs and biofiltration through emerging environments such as the production of cannabis and the production of berries.

 

WEDNESDAY June 14th, 2023; 8:00 am to 5:30 pm 
minimum 25 maximum 48 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Jean Caron and Guillaume Grégoire from Université Laval and ISHS

CAN $ 100

Field Tours POST Conference

POST-5 - FROM HORTICULTURAL PEAT EXTRACTION TO PEATLAND RESTORATION: A JOURNEY IN THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY

During this three-day field trip, participants will learn more about the peatland restoration method developed by the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG), called the Moss Layer Transfer Technique. This method has been applied to over 100 restoration projects across Canada in the past 20 years. The tour will stop at eight different peatland sites: a pristine peatland, rewetted peatlands, peatlands that have been restored for 2 to 20 years, a restored site that was affected by a fire and a Sphagnum farming site. A regenerating fen will also be visited. Additionally, a visit of a peat production site peat where growing media is prepared will be offered. The importance and characteristics of peat as a substrate as well as the peat industry’s responsible management initiatives (such as the Veriflora Responsibly Managed Peatlands certification) will be discussed. 

The tour will take place mainly in Rivière-du-Loup, located 200 km east of Québec City in the coastal Lower St.Lawrence region. The program also includes a visit to the Kiskotuk Coastal Park, a renowned bird-watching area, as well as Kamouraska, one of the most beautiful villages in the province. 

Practical details: Since peatland terrain is often wet and sometimes muddy, bring rubber or hiking boots. A raincoat, sun protection, a hat, a water bottle and insect repellent are also highly recommended. This 3-days tour includes accommodation and all snack and meals. 

From Friday June 16th, 2023; 8:30 am to Sunday June 18th, 2023; 4:30 pm 
minimum 30 maximum 50 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Line Rochefort and Kathy Pouliot (Peatland Ecology Research Group, Université Laval), Stéphanie Boudreau and Marie-Claire LeBlanc (Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) & Peat and Sustrates Cluster) 
CAN $ 650

POST-6 - MAKING ORGANIC MATTER - COME FOR A TOUR OF ONE OF CANADA'S GREAT COMPOSTING FACILITES

Join our hosts -- The Compost Council of Canada and Englobe --for a visit to Englobe’s composting facility in Saint-Henri-de-Lévis. In operation for over 40 years, this composting facility – a member of the Compost Quality Alliance (CQA) - processes organic residuals from citizens and businesses, transforming them into nutrient-rich organic matter – compost – for return to Canadian soils. Combined with other Englobe facilities, over 470,000 tonnes of organic residuals were processed in 2021, creating 170,000 tonnes of compost. We’ll go for a tour of the facility as well as enjoy a visit to the surrounding area, with a light lunch provided by our hosts.

Friday June 16th, 2023; 8:30 am to 2:30 pm 
maximum 50 (For ISHS Members only) 
Departure/Return: Quebec City Convention Centre - 900 Honoré-Mercier, Québec
With Susan Entler from the Compost Council of Canada and Englobe 
CAN $ 25