Category: Trees

Tree discussions and other related material. There are lots of trees in the neighbourhood, and a fair amount of tree related conflict with development, which means quite a few posts are tree related. Not everything is Champlain Oaks Project, thus this more general tree category.

Pollinator Appreciation Day – June 20

Join the celebration

Pollinator Appreciation Day

Saturday, June 20th, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Ottawa
Hosted by Wild Pollinator Partners
Free tickets at EventBrite.ca

Wild Pollinator Partners is all about appreciating pollinators. We love how they make sure we have fruit and vegetables to eat and beautiful flowers in our gardens.

This year’s theme is “Start with a Native Tree” which features how important planting native trees are to our environment and how planting a single key native tree can be a game-changer for increasing pollinator biodiversity.

A variety of experts representing organizations or themselves will be on hand to share information and answer questions including:

[Background is a big tree, a distant forest and blue sky with clouds, foregound is someone watering a newly planted small tree]

  • Wild Pollinator Partners
  • Master Gardeners of Ottawa
  • Ontario Invasive Plant Council
  • Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library
  • Ecology Ottawa
  • City of Ottawa
  • Friends of the Earth
  • Monarch Teacher Network
  • Ottawa Stewardship Council
  • National Capital Commission
  • CAFES Ottawa

  • Come and enter our contest to win a free tree to provide habitat and food for pollinators.
  • Come see an interactive display that maps tree planting, pollinator gardening and greening initiatives in the city by ward and neighbourhoods.
  • Find out how to start a pollinator plant project at your local school or park. Recognize invasive species to keep these problem plants out of your yard.
  • The Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library will be there giving away native plant seeds and providing information on how to grow them.
  • Find out how Ottawa is promoting Right-of-Way (ROW) gardening, learn about the “Plant a Tree” program and what is going on with the Community Gardening and Greening Initiative program.
  • Bird Friendly Ottawa members will take you on a tour of the FWG to show you how birds contribute to the distribution of some of our native plants and trees. They’ll also explain how to keep your yard safe for birds.

Enjoy these activities and more. Find out why everyone wants to help pollinators and grow trees.

Full URL for EventBrite tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ottawa-pollinator-appreciation-day-tickets-1976357525561

Christmas Tree Recycling

Recycle your Christmas Tree at the Champlain Park Baseball Diamond, anytime in January!!

It’s now time to collect trees in our neighbourhood at the park, as I am reminded by the appearance of the now traditional Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail / Facebook post:

Now accepting Xmas trees. Drop off at Remic Rapids parking lot ONLY. Please remove all tinsel and other foreign objects. (But don’t rush it! Enjoy your tree as long as you can.)

The ones dropped off at the park will get used, though we’ll divert some for decorations for the Winter Carnival and rink windbreaks.

[Christmas Trees Recycled around the Rink, January 2024]

Christmas Tree Recycling

Recycle your Christmas Tree at the Champlain Park Baseball Diamond, anytime in January!!

It’s now time to collect trees in our neighbourhood at the park, as I am reminded by the appearance of the now traditional Kichi Sibi Winter Trail Facebook post:
[Facebook post by the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail people on recycling Chrismas trees - 20241230]

Give your old Christmas tree a ‘second life’ by donating it to the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail. Trees will be used to create wind breaks and safety barriers/cordons at various locations along the Winter Trail at Remic Rapids. Trees can be brought to the North East corner of the Champlain Park baseball diamond or to Remic Rapids anytime in January, 2025. The Winter Trail team will then make sure they get to where they are needed. Some may show up around the rink too!

[Christmas Trees Recycled around the Rink, January 2024]

Thank you from the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail Team, and happy skiing!

193 Keyworth Tree Removal on Citizen Front Page

On the cover of this morning’s Ottawa Citizen paper edition, there is an article about the recent loss of an ancient oak tree in our neighbourhood.

The online version of the article (and not too surprisingly, a few comments too) is available at:
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/urban-forest-champlain-park-residents-mourn-oak-tree

it starts out…

Champlain Park residents outraged after massive bur oak cut down

By Joanne Laucius, Published Oct 28, 2024.

The residents of Champlain Park were shocked on Oct. 21, when machinery moved in to remove a pre-Confederation oak tree on a building site on Keyworth Avenue.

By the end of the day, even the stump of the massive burr oak was gone, said Catherine Shearer, whose lot backs onto the building site.

[… lots of background info and stories, see the surprisingly comprehensive newspaper article …]

“This tree was there in the days of Confederation. It had 150 years left to live,” Johanis said. “There has to be something that can be done to protect this kind of tree.”

[20241029 Ottawa Citizen Front Page with Keyworth Oak Tree Article]

Leaves Wanted for Forest – Update

Here’s an update from Facebook on where they want the leaves dropped off. Also I don’t hear anything about picking up leaves…

Catherine S. says:
The ONLY place we need leaves is the Carleton to Northwestern section.

Ann L. says:
Hi there is there need for bags of leaves for the pollinator garden at the end of Carleton

Catherine S. says:
We would LOVE leaves on the stretch between Carleton and Northwestern … toss the leaves over the fence or leave bags near the ‘tiny forest’ sign.
We will spread them around the trees

[Bags of leaves piled up on the Pontiac Street fence in fall 2023]

Leaves Wanted for Forest

From Facebook…

Ann L. says:
Hi there is there need for bags of leaves for the pollinator garden at the end of Carleton

Catherine S. says:
We would LOVE leaves on the stretch between Carleton and Northwestern … toss the leaves over the fence or leave bags near the ‘tiny forest’ sign.
We will spread them around the trees

[Bags of leaves piled up on the Pontiac Street fence in fall 2023]