34 ENVIRONMENTAL CONNECTION / THIRD QUARTER 2025 / IECA.ORG fosters healthier root systems, showcased through increased root diameter and length, reduces the rate of erosion to 1% to 2% of previous sediment runoff and enhances the resilience of coastal areas. HNH designs condition-specific native plant groupings for each job, with the goal of optimizing healthy, rapid and dense root development. Factors are considered such as soil composition, incoming energy (solar, wind, water, etc.) and plant species characteristics. Each design specifies the plant species, groupings and density that will be most resilient to change, even when challenged by climate issues. Over hundreds of projects, a series of low-tech, low-cost green techniques were developed and refined for planting on steep and eroding slopes, such as those in Prince Edward Island (Figures 1 and 3). Erosion chevrons, wattle fencing and veggie groynes are a few of the methods used to successfully establish plantings in very challenging terrain conditions. These methods add no inorganic materials to the site, which prevents pollution and allows the site to re-naturalize with minimal further intervention (Figure 3). Abundance is an all-natural concentrate root booster that helps plants establish new roots, reduces transplant shock and plant loss, permanently improves nutrient and water uptake, and permanently improves disease resistance. It is applied in all Living Shorelines and other restoration projects and is also provided as a standalone product. Abundance is enriched with essential nutrients and minerals from land and sea. This award-winning soil booster ensures that plants thrive naturally. It won the Kelp Fest 2024 Product Award from the Ecology Action Centre. The formulation includes kelp iodine concentrate (typically 50 ppm/L or 50 mg/L) with over 70 minerals, vitamins, trace elements, amino acids and citric acid. The produce is specifically formulated with mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria, with total nitrogen 11%, available phosphate 0.5% and soluble potash 7%. It is 100% biodegradable. >> CALL FOR INNOVATION PEER REVIEW The formula has been developed through rigorous scientific research and extensive testing. The research and innovation sector of Lambton College, Ontario, Canada, conducted a study on the tensile strength of HNH plant recipes combined with Abundance. The study concluded that “overall better results were obtained” from the use of Abundance. In particular, it was found that by month three, yellow willow plants treated with Abundance and an additional biomass layer experienced overall growth by 384.4%, compared to plants with no treatment experiencing only 16.7% growth. This significant increase underscores the impact of Abundance in promoting plant growth and stability, which is crucial for erosion control projects. In addition to tensile strength studies, rigorous rainfall tests were conducted to further validate the effectiveness in erosion control. Three rainfall tests were conducted, with each lasting 15 minutes and conducted biweekly. The rainfall intensity was set at 100 mm/h (4 inches/hour), based on rainfall intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curve data specific to the Sarnia, Ontario region in which the tests were conducted. The tests were performed on a slope set at 45 degrees to simulate challenging real-world conditions. Water runoff was measured, and soil runoff was collected, dried and weighed. These tests demonstrated that Abundance significantly reduced soil erosion and water runoff to 1% to 2% of the runoff measured without the use of bio-stimulant. Reference 1. Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada — Atlantic. 2007. Understanding Nova Scotia's Coastlines, p. 2. About the Expert • Emillie Rose is the project manager at Helping Nature Heal in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada. She has an advanced diploma in fish and wildlife technology and is certified at Level 2 by Green Shores. Figure 3. Living shoreline construction, Prince Edward Island (PEI) (2022). Photo credit: Helping Nature Heal. Figure 2. Shoreline stabilization (2023). Photo credit: Helping Nature Heal.
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