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Still doing garden work? Don’t buy leaf litter bags! Instead, pick up all you need from the stash created by the neighborhood leaf drop (450 bags of compostable leaves collected). Pick up in front yard of 201 Daniel avenue, asap.
![[Paper garden waste bags on Daniel Avenue in 2022]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/extraleafdropgardenbags2022.jpeg)
Daniel Buckles
Category: Environment Committee
Messages from the Environment Committee. Also see their web site at https://urbanforestgreenspaces.wordpress.com/
Leaf Drop Job Done!
2022 Champlain Park “Help Build a Forest” Leaf Drop
NO additional leaves are needed to protect and mulch trees at the Pontiac street mini-forest. Thank you to all that contributed their “community leaf wealth” to the cause. It keeps the organic matter in the community, and makes for a great growing environment.
![[Lots of Leaves for the Forest and Garden winter cover in October 2022, photo by Kris Phillips]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/20221028leafdropfull.jpeg)
Champlain Park Community Association – Environment Committee
Last Chance Leaf Drop – October 30
2022 Champlain Park “Help Build a Forest” Leaf Drop
The final week of our leaf collection campaign is here – a very big thank you to those who have already contributed! Be sure to bag-up your tree leaves and bring them to the north end of Champlain Park (the de-paved section of Pontiac Ave,) between Cowley Ave. and Carleton Ave. No garden waste or other materials, please. Volunteers will accept your tree leaf donations (in compostable bags) at the concrete planters or on the terraces from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m..
![[Leaf drop zone on October 23, 2022, with bags of leaves lined up]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/20221023leafdrop.jpeg)
Your leaves will be put to good use in our neighbourhood’s newest tree planting sites. Leaf bags will be inspected on your arrival at the drop-off site. Volunteers also plan to collect bagged leaves from neighbourhood driveways on the City’s regularly scheduled waste collection day. Please help them out by slightly separating your tree leaf waste bags from other yard waste on collection day.
Thank you for all of your support in helping us to rehabilitate our community’s natural green spaces!
Champlain Park Community Association – Environment Committee
Leaf Drop – October 23, 30
2022 Champlain Park “Help Build a Forest” Leaf Drop
Week two of our leaf collection campaign is here-a big thank you to those who have already contributed! Be sure to bag-up your tree leaves and bring them to the north end of Champlain Park (the de-paved section of Pontiac Ave,) between Cowley Ave. and Carleton Ave. No garden waste or other materials, please. Volunteers will accept your tree leaf donations (in compostable bags) at the concrete planters from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following Sunday mornings: October 23, and 30.
![[Leaf Drop Zone on Pontiac]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/2022leafdropzone.jpeg?w=863)
Your leaves will be put to good use in our neighbourhood’s newest tree planting sites. Leaf bags will be inspected on your arrival at the drop-off site. Volunteers also plan to collect bagged leaves from neighbourhood driveways on the City’s regularly scheduled waste collection day. Please help them out by slightly separating your tree leaf waste bags from other yard waste on collection day.
Thank you for all of your support in helping us to rehabilitate our community’s natural green spaces!
Champlain Park Community Association – Environment Committee
Leaf Drop – October 16, 23, 30
2022 Champlain Park “Help Build a Forest” Leaf Drop
What do you do when “Leaf Peeper” season is over? All those brightly colored leaves are covering your lawn, in your gutters, and in your garden. Bag ‘em up and bring them to the north end of Champlain Park (the de-paved section of Pontiac Ave,) between Cowley Ave. and Carleton Ave. Volunteers will accept your tree leaf donations at this site, open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following Sunday mornings: October 16, 23, and 30.
The Champlain Park Environment Committee will put the leaves to good use in our neighbourhood’s newest tree planting sites! Only ‘clean tree leaf litter’ in compostable paper bags will be accepted and bags will be inspected on your arrival at drop-off site. No garden waste or other materials, please. There is a possibility that we can offer a leaf pick-up service on Oct. 23 for those who cannot bring bags to park. More information to be confirmed in reminder posts every Thursday in October.
Happy raking and thank you for all of your support in helping us to rehabilitate our community’s natural green spaces!
Champlain Park Community Association – Environment Committee
The Champlain Park Environment Team Needs YOU!
The ‘green season’ is upon us and we need your help to care for and advance the environmental work we’re doing in our neighbourhood. We’ve got activities that suit all ages, physical / skill ability ranges, and energy levels! If you like ‘low tech’, and love trees, then we’ve got what you’re looking for.
All you have to do is register with us (https://champlainpark.org/environteers/) and then you will be free to work when you want, on any project we’ve got, for as long as you like – 5 mins or 5 weeks, we have a spot for you!
We’ll provide the coordination, an orientation session, and a ‘report back’ contact so we can track what is getting done. It’s almost too easy!
Some activities planned for this season in Champlain Woods and Champlain Park include:
- ‘Adopt a Tree’ care program (May/June-spongy moth countermeasures featuring the ‘burlap wrap’ in the Park)
- Invasive plant species control (garlic mustard, baby buckthorn, Japanese knotwood, dog strangling vine, etc)
- Insect pest patrol and general care of new planting sites and the pollinator garden
- New tree planting projects
To get involved, just go to the “Environ-teer Registration” link noted above. Once registered you will begin receiving notices about orientation sessions, work party updates, and any tasks that may require immediate attention. From that point, you are free to chip-in to our projects when you’re able.
Minors are welcome to participate – parental/guardian permission and supervision are currently required at the time/location of participation.
We look forward to seeing you. Have a great summer!
Herongate Call for Gardening Donations – March 20
Our environment people work on the “bring your own tools” model for our projects (we don’t have storage space), but we do welcome donations of soil, rocks, leaves in the fall, money, etc. to Champlain Park projects. However, we’re happy to encourage the Herongate people in their gardening work, so if you have some extra old tools…
Subject: Call for gardening donations
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:35:51 +0000 (UTC)
From: Herongate Tenant Coalition <herongatetc@gmail.com>
To: Champlain Park Community Association <champlainpark@gmail.com>
Dear Champlain Park Community Association,
Please share far and wide with your members in Ottawa!
Do you have gardening supplies like tools, stakes, or seeds lying around you aren’t using anymore? Support Herongate gardeners by dropping off gardening supplies on Sunday, March 20th between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM at the corner of Baycrest Drive and Cedarwood Drive.
Continue reading “Herongate Call for Gardening Donations – March 20”
How to become Carbon Neutral
Champlain Park and climate change – how to become carbon neutral and climate-resilient
Local impacts of climate change
Champlain Park is feeling the impacts of climate change already, for example there is increased extreme weather such as hotter summers, more ice storms and icy sidewalks, more freeze-thaw cycles, more extreme rainfall and river flooding, increased vector-born pests such as ticks carrying lime disease in our woods and the spread of the emerald ash borer and of course there are impacts on our vegetation and wildlife as the climate gets hotter.
Want to do your part for the climate and be carbon neutral and climate-resilient?
All of us can do our part, so in addition to ensuring that your elected officials know that climate change is a priority and encouraging governments and companies to take action every individual can take direct action to lower their own carbon footprint.
Here’s some tips on how to get there. Your carbon footprint essentially comes from 3 things: from the heating and electricity for your house, how you get around and what you buy. Generally options include being more energy efficient and/or switching away from fossil fuels (natural gas, oil, gas) to electricity for heating/transportation.
Continue reading “How to become Carbon Neutral”
Greener Greenspace Award
via Daniel…
Champlain Park has been recognized by The Society for Organic Urban Land Care (SOUL) as a 2021 Greener Greenspace award winner. The evaluation committee “particularly appreciated that your project makes the most out of the opportunity to turn a paved street into regenerative gardens and model forests that not only benefit local wildlife and the urban forest but provide opportunities to engage the public.”
Yahoo! And thanks to the volunteers that made it happen (Daniel Buckles, Kris Philipps, Catherine Shearer, John Arnason, Adrian Bradley, Joscelyn Coolihan), and to the Champlain Park Community Association for moral and financial support.
![[Greener Greenspace round logo]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/greener-greenspace-recognition-medallion-2021-for-online.jpg?w=863)
![[Rectangular Certificate]](https://champlainpark.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/champlain-park-certificate-of-recognition.jpeg?w=863)
Greener Greenspace Champlain Park Certificate of Recognition 2021.pdf
Encore! Biodiversity Celebration Continues – October 6
Encore! Biodiversity Celebration Continues Wednesday, October 6, 4:00 to 5:00 pm.
Some 15 hardy souls braved the cool wet weather on Saturday to plant more than 40 trees into our latest “Tiny Forest”, including a collection of “Carolinian Forest” species to complement our “Native Pollinator Garden”.
See details on each through the links above, and tour the site with local experts on Wednesday, October 6 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Location? The north end of Champlain Park, at Pontiac and Cowley Avenue in Kitchissippi Ward, Ottawa. Plant acorns from our Heritage Bur Oaks and share ideas on how to start your own neighbourhood biodiversity and tree canopy projects.
Continue reading “Encore! Biodiversity Celebration Continues – October 6”
Champlain Park Community 