Peregrine Falcon in the ‘hood

Subject: Peregrine falcon
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2021 12:57:21 -0500
From: Daniel <dbuckles@sas2.net>

A Peregrine Falcon lives in Champlain Park too, when it is not roosting in a tower at Tunney’s Pasture. This photo from 12:45 today shows the endangered species sitting in one the community Heritage oaks feeding on a small bird it had captured, while a black squirrel looks on. Viewed through binoculars I could see the feathers flying as it feasted. A second photo from the fall shows a Perigrine Falcon on a Daniel avenue back railing.

We are blessed with biodiversity in our neighborhood. What have you seen today that shows the natural world in all its haunting beauty?

Christmas Tree Habitat

Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:48:44 -0500
From: Daniel <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Wondering what to do with your Christmas tree? Instead of putting it out at the curb, “plant” it in your yard where it will become winter habitat for birds and other gentle creatures. In the spring move it to your compost pile, or recycle at that point. Keeps the good cheer close at hand too.

Woodland Projects Update

Time for an update on what volunteers from our community have been doing in the NCC Woodlands.

NCC Woodland Trail Maintenance – Buckthorn Root Removal
Purple Martin Birdhouse Project
Japanese Knotweed Invasive Species Removal Project
Pollinator Garden ready for Winter
Tree Saplings doing well

NCC Woodland Trail Maintenance – Buckthorn root removal

[Buckthorn Team in the Woods] — Left to right – Kris Phillips, Catherine Shearer and Adrian Bradley showing some of the Buckthorn roots removed from the pathway as part of ongoing trail maintenance in making the trails safer and more accessible.

Continue reading →

Tree Planting on Northwestern Avenue

Subject: FW: Tree Planting on Northwestern Ave
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2020 16:28:11 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

This fall, the Forest Management Branch of the City of Ottawa is planning to put three new red oaks on the median at Northwestern Ave, and replace one that has not done well. Exact locations noted in the attached map.

20201017 Tree Planting 20S-38 Northwestern Ave.pdf

Pollinator Garden Update

Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:46:11 -0400
From: Daniel Buckles <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Thanks! Many neighbours brought leaves to the new pollinator garden, which now has all we need there. The leaves will protect the soil from the coming rains, harbour diverse insects and perhaps some field mice over winter and enrich the soil when more flowering Native plants are added next spring (contact Catherine Shearer and John Arnason, our resident plant specialists, if you have native species to offer: metshag@gmail.com).

More Clean leaves are welcome at our other sites, the Pontiac entrance to the woods across from the school yard and the entrance to the woods on Patricia near Clearview. Leave bags there.

Thanks too to those that brought large stones to the site, which are used to shore up the earth mounds. Thanks to Kris Phillips especially for his initiative and hard work. More stones are still welcome.

The garden will be magnificent.

Daniel Buckles, co-chair
Environment committee, CPCA

Need Leaves for the Pontiac Pollinator Garden

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2020 16:30:30 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Have leaves, will help

You may have noticed the pollinator garden emerging at Pontiac and the entrance to the river. We want to keep the soil in place and continue to improve it with leaves. Lots of leaves. Please bring bags of “clean” leaves (no roots and bits of plants other than tree leaves) to the area (the Planters at Pontiac) over the next week. We also need them at two other entrances to the Champlain Woods, across from the school on Pontiac and the entrance on Patricia near Clearview, where tree planting this year has continued.

Want to help build up a stone boundary for the pollinator garden? When out in the woods consider bringing stones to the Pontiac location, and add them to the pile in front. They will be used to mark the mound edges and help keep the soil in place.

From your neighbourhood Environment Committee

Tree Action Priorities

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2020 08:50:55 -0400
From: Daniel Buckles <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Trees, a tree canopy and access to Greenspace are a vital part of our neighborhood. While the City has made some progress in protecting and planting trees, we’re not where we need to be to ensure a healthy urban forest for Ottawa’s future.

Use this link to a blog on priority tree actions prepared by Daniel Buckles and Jennifer Humphries, with contributions from Heather Pearl, for the City-wide network “Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability” (CAFES). It offers Observations and examples relevant to our neighborhood and practical steps you can take to protect and plant trees, or influence policy in the city.
Continue reading “Tree Action Priorities” →

Progress with Forest Revitalization & Need a Truck

Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2020 18:32:01 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Progress with forest revitalization

Work on three sites in the Champlain Woods (NCC forest) is near completion, with the last section at the Pontiac closure wrapping up soon. Here, some old chain fence buried in shrubs is being removed, along with buckthorn (a non-native invasive plant that dominates much of the forest) and suckers from dead ash trees (unfortunately, ash saplings succumb to the Emerald Ash Borer once they develop thicker bark; the Ash may well never come back in North America). The wood from these will be laid in the cleared space and mounded with earth to create an environment for a butterfly garden while leaving the space open towards the river view (let us know if you want to help with the garden next spring!).

Do you have a truck, and are you willing to haul away the old chain fence to the dump or recycling? Please call Catherine Shearer by email: metshag@gmail.com.

Daniel Buckles
Champlain Park Community Association Environment Committee

Watering the Planted Trees

From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 18:10:31 -0400

Calling on all dog walkers and nature walkers, willing to water a tree!

Some 18 neighbours planted 62 native trees this week, right here in Champlain Park, in celebration of Canada’s National Tree Day. The trees include Black Elderberry, Black Cherry, Eastern Redbud, White Cedar, Red Pine, Eastern White Pine, White Spruce, White (paper) Birch, and (of course) the heritage Burr Oak of Champlain Park.

The trees still need a helping hand, so if you are walking in the Champlain Woods (the NCC woods) today and for the next few weeks please take a few litres of water with you and water a few tree saplings (about a litre a tree per visit). You can’t miss them as they are planted on mounds and protected with wire cages at three sites: Trout Lily Lane (trail access point on Pontiac on the north side of the school yard), the north side of the newly closed section of Pontiac, and The Little Woods entrance (along the length of the west side of Patricia).

Working with the NCC’s permission and a small grant from the City, volunteers planned and implemented a novel method for planting trees in areas with very thin and rocky soils (the case throughout the woods). Thanks to volunteers: Linda Landreville, Kris and Véronique Phillips, Natalie and Kris Wright, Heather Pearl, Louise Atkins, Wallace Beaton, Rita Blattman, Jen, Helena and Eden Neate, Ken Stevenson, and Erin Topping, her daughter and a friend, supported by members of the Champlain Park Community Association Environment Committee (Daniel Buckles, Catherine Shearer, John Arnason and Adrian Bradley).

Planting Trees Event in the Neighbourhood – September 20

Celebrate National Tree Day by Planting Trees in our Neighbourhood

COVID-19 compliant process in place.

Volunteers needed to move soil and plant trees using an innovative technique called Hügelkultur (tree mounds). Join the community environment committee on Sunday, September 20 between 10 am and 5 pm (any shift of an hour is welcome). Bring your own work gloves, face mask, and shovel. Wheel barrows urgently needed too. Meet on Patricia Avenue at Clearview (work also taking place on Pontiac near the school).

Please confirm you can help by sending an email to Catherine Shearer <metshag@gmail.com>

Daniel Buckles