Displaying items by tag: volunteer

April 11, 2019 - As volunteers go, Larry Hum’s a real humdinger.

The retired telecoms engineer has been volunteering with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) since 2015, helping staff remove invasive plants, survey streams and sample for aquatic animals.

“It’s something I always wanted to do, working in the field,” said Mr. Hum, who lives in Bells Corners. He didn’t excel in biology as a student, so he pursued engineering instead. But he still wanted to explore his childhood interest. “It’s an opportunity for me to work in bioscience without going into the heavy, heavy science.”

Since joining the volunteer crew Mr. Hum has helped with a number of City Stream Watch aquatic surveys, headwater sampling, lake and stream monitoring and benthic monitoring (assessing insect populations to indicate water pollution levels).

He’s also helped with tree planting projects, garbage clean-ups and invasive species removal.

Ripping out invasive plants is an especially satisfying job, he said.

“Sometimes the task seems insurmountable, but as we take it one season after season the results are encouraging,” Mr. Hum said. “And it always feels good when you yank out those undesirables.”

City Stream Watch co-ordinator Rosario Castanon Escobar said Mr. Hum has been an invaluable part of their team.

“He’s an enthusiastic volunteer,” said Ms. Castanon Escobar. “We love working with him.”

Growing up in urban Montreal, Mr. Hum’s family didn’t have the resources to go explore the countryside.

But he’s more than made up for that as an adult. On top of his RVCA work, he’s given considerable time to EarthWatch, an international environmental charity. With them he has spent time on the ground helping researchers study elephants in Africa and black bears in Minnesota. He also helped researchers study the effects of climate change in Trinidad.

In the spirit of National Volunteer Week (April 7 to 13), Mr. Hum encouraged watershed residents to get involved with their local conservation authority – even just one time.

“Give it a whirl. If you don’t like it, you can always stop,” he said. “I find it quite enjoyable and rewarding.”

There are many ways to volunteer with the RVCA this spring, starting with two community clean-ups on April 27 and May 4. Tree planters are also wanted for a shoreline naturalization project at Black Rapids on May 11.

To sign up to be a City Stream Watch volunteer, join the mailing list at https://www.rvca.ca/about-us/join-our-mailing-lists#city-stream-watch-mailing-list. 

A volunteer orientation will take place May 25. RSVPs are required for all events.

Keep an eye on our volunteer calendar for other opportunities throughout the year, as well: https://www.rvca.ca/calendar-of-events/monthcalendar/2019/4/82

Upcoming RVCA volunteer events:

Glad Clean up the Capital Event – Pinecrest Creek

When: Sat. April 27, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (RSVP required)

Where: Connaught Park – baseball diamond (Located at Connaught Avenue)

In partnership with the Queensway Terrace Community Association, City Stream Watch will be conducting a clean-up in Pinecrest Creek within the Connaught Park area along the National Capital Commission’s Pinecrest Creek Pathway. Participants will pick up litter from the stream and shorelines surrounding Pinecrest Creek. We will meet in the baseball diamond for 9:00AM.

What to wear: Dress for the weather! Wear waterproof boots, long socks (if wearing chest waders), long pants and a hat

What to bring: Bring a water bottle

What we will provide: We will have drinking water to replenish empty bottles, some snacks, chest waders, garbage bags and gloves.

Glad Clean up the Capital Event – Sawmill Creek

When: Sat. May 4, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (RSVP required)

Where: Towngate Shopping Plaza (Located at Bank St. and Hunt Club Rd. intersection)

In collaboration with the Canadian Forces Ottawa Fish and Game Club, City Stream Watch will be conducting a clean-up in Sawmill Creek along the Towngate Shopping Plaza region. Participants will pick up litter in the stream and shorelines surrounding Sawmill Creek. There are several areas in the region that tend to accumulate garbage, and we will divide the group out across these locations. We will meet up in the south (back end) of the Towngate parking lot for 9 a.m.

What to wear: Dress for the weather! Wear waterproof boots, long pants and a hat

What to bring: Bring your own water bottle

What we will provide: We will have drinking water to replenish empty bottles, some snacks, chest waders, garbage bags and gloves.

Shoreline Naturalization Project – Black Rapids Creek

When: Sat. May 11, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (RSVP required)

Where: Black Rapids Creek Site (near the Woodroffe Ave. and Fallowfield Rd. intersection, north of the train tracks)

The RVCA Shoreline Naturalization Program will be planting trees and shrubs along the shoreline of Black Rapids Creek. Participants will help plant trees and shrubs; a planting demonstration will be given beforehand. The site has difficult terrain to work in and is not suitable for young children. We will be meeting at 9 a.m. on site.

Meeting location: Park at the nearby Park and Ride and walk across Woodroffe Ave to the NCC Greenbelt Pathway. Follow it north until you cross the railway tracks. RVCA staff and vehicles will be along the path.

What to wear: Dress for the weather! Wear sturdy shoes (steel toe boots recommended but not required), long pants and a hat

What to bring: Bring your own water bottle

What we will provide: We will have drinking water to replenish empty bottles, some snacks, shovels and gloves.

Spring Orientation/Training Session – Sawmill Creek (Riverside Dr)

When: Sat. May 25, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (RSVP required)

Where: Rideau River Eastern Pathway – Parkland beside Sawmill Creek/Riverside Dr

Our annual City Stream Watch Spring Orientation and Training Session for new volunteers will take place along the shoreline of Sawmill Creek along Riverside Dr./Rideau River Eastern Pathway. If you have joined us for stream surveys in the past or have come out to a training session before, there is no need to attend the training session again. Also, if you are can’t attend but still want to help survey, we always provide on-the-job training.

Meeting location: We will be meeting on the Rideau River Eastern Pathway along the shoreline of Sawmill Creek. Park at Billings Bridge Shopping Centre, walk north on Bank Street to the Rideau River, turn right onto the Rideau River Eastern Pathway and walk towards Sawmill Creek. RVCA staff will be at that location.

What to wear: Dress for the weather! Wear sturdy shoes, socks, long pants and a hat

What to bring: Bring your own water bottle

What we will provide: We will have drinking water to replenish empty bottles, some snacks, chest waders, and equipment for the purpose of demonstrations.

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May 13, 2019 — Do you love being outside, getting your hands dirty and doing some good for the planet? Are you interested in science or biology, but want to skip the degree? We’ve got just the job for you.

The RVCA’s City Stream Watch program needs volunteer ‘citizen scientists’ to help monitor, protect and clean up the city of Ottawa’s many urban and rural streams. From invasive species removal to assisting with aquatic wildlife surveys, citizen scientists are the backbone of the program that monitors the health of urban and rural tributaries flowing into the Rideau and Ottawa rivers.

This is the best time to get involved, since a volunteer training session will be held May 25 to welcome new recruits and introduce them to the basics of stream sampling and environmental data collection. 

Long-time volunteer Larry Hum encouraged residents to “give it a whirl” – especially if they’ve got an interest in biology or the environment.

“It’s an opportunity to work in bioscience without going into the heavy, heavy science,” he said.

Acting program co-ordinator Rosario Castanon-Escobar said it’s volunteers like Mr. Hum that make this program such a resounding success, year after year.

“The result of our work together is that our streams continue to be valued, respected and cared for to ensure these streams remain a point of pride within our communities,” said Castanon-Escobar.

This year’s volunteer training session is scheduled for Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to noon along the shores of Sawmill Creek near Billings Bridge. All necessary equipment is provided and there is no cost to volunteers. Interested participants must pre-register for the event by contacting Castanon-Escobar at .

The 2019 program will collect data on Cranberry Creek in Kars, Hunt Club Creek in Hunt Club, Ramsey Creek in Gloucester/Mer Bleue and Borthwick Creek in Gloucester/Mer Bleue. Sampling activities will focus on assessing the habitat, water and shoreline conditions of the streams. The team will also organize several cleanups, shoreline planting events and invasive species removals throughout the season.

In the 17 years since its inception, City Stream Watch has enlisted the help of more than 3,100 volunteers, contributing more than 15,000 hours toward conservation projects and monitoring. All are welcome to participate. Results from our 2018 efforts are available online at www.rvca.ca.

The program is a community-based partnership, which includes the City of Ottawa, the Canadian Forces Fish & Game Club, the Ottawa Flyfishers Society, the Rideau Roundtable, the Ottawa Stewardship Council, National Capital Commission and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

For more information about the program, including the reports of streams previously studied, please visit www.rvca.ca/volunteer/city-stream-watch.

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OTTAWA, April 29, 2022 – Ready to make a splash as you help your local environment? You’re in luck: after a two-year pause, the City Stream Watch program is finally back – with a lot of catching up to do. 

The RVCA-led program has monitored Ottawa’s 25 urban and rural creeks and streams since 2003, relying on enthusiastic volunteers to help with annual garbage clean-ups, invasive species removals, fish and water sampling, habitat assessments and shoreline naturalization projects. 

But all of that came to a grinding halt in the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic limited RVCA’s ability to welcome volunteers to help conduct this crucial work.

Two years is a long time to go without any maintenance (remember your pandemic haircut!) and now RVCA is keen to catch up with as many volunteer clean-ups and monitoring sessions as possible throughout the warmer months.

Garbage clean-ups will be plentiful this season, according to RVCA aquatic biologist Jennifer Lamoureux. She said the city’s creeks are suffering from two years’ worth of trash that has blown in from nearby neighbourhoods and roads. 

“These urban waterways need special attention to remain clean and healthy habitats for the many fish and other aquatic species that live there,” Lamoureux said. “Some of these areas are highly built up, so we need to ensure the habitat that exists is actually liveable for all of the fish, frogs, turtles and waterfowl that rely on it.”

Volunteer groups will be needed on a variety of weekends to help clean up their neighbourhood streams, from Nepean to Orleans to Barrhaven and everywhere in between.

As well, the program is seeking a team of dedicated citizen scientists who can help staff measure water temperatures, assess shoreline and instream habitat characteristics and monitor local fish populations. This work will be limited to four waterways across the city this year: Sawmill Creek in South Keys, Black Rapids Creek in Nepean, Cardinal Creek in Orleans and Barrhaven Creek in Barrhaven. Monitoring efforts rotate annually between the 25 urban and rural streams, and this set hasn’t been monitored for more than six years. Volunteers will help staff collect this crucial data on dozens of sections of each stream between May and October. 

Interested volunteers can sign up at www.rvca.ca/volunteer/city-stream-watch or email . An orientation will take place May 28. RSVPs are required for all events. 

About City Stream Watch:

The City Stream Watch Program is a community-based partnership which includes the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Heron Park Community Association, Ottawa Flyfishers Society, Rideau Roundtable, Canadian Forces Fish and Game Club, Ottawa Stewardship Council, City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission. 

To read past monitoring reports visit www.rvca.ca/watershed-monitoring-reporting/reporting. 

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MISSISSIPPI AND RIDEAU WATERSHEDS, September 22, 2022 — The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is seeking a dedicated new Chairperson to lead the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee.

Under the Clean Water Act of 2006, 19 local watershed-based source protection committees have been established across the province. These committees include representatives from local watershed stakeholders such as municipalities, agricultural groups, landowners, industry, environmental organizations and the public at large. As outlined in the legislation, the Minister is responsible for appointing a Chair to each of these committees.

Each committee, under the leadership and guidance of their Chair, is responsible for upholding and implementing the source protection plans that have been developed to protect municipal drinking water systems across Ontario, as well as their terms of reference and assessment reports. Chairs play an important role in guiding their committees in reporting on implementation of these plans and ensuring they remain relevant through future updates.

“If you have leadership experience and an interest in protecting drinking water sources, we encourage you to apply,” said Marika Livingston, Mississippi-Rideau Source Water Protection Project Manager. “We are proud of the work that has been done to ensure our region has a strong safety net to protect our drinking water, but there is more work to be done. We need a leader willing to guide and support our committee as we work though some major program updates and changes.” 

Among other qualifications, the Chair position requires a multi-year commitment, an ability to understand scientific and technical reports and attendance at the several Source Protection Committee meetings held each year. Applicants must also live or work in the Mississippi or Rideau watersheds.

Further details regarding this part-time position, including descriptions of roles and responsibilities and an application form, are available online at https://www.pas.gov.on.ca/Home/Advertisement/750.  A small per diem as well as expenses (mileage and meals) will be paid while working on Source Protection business. 

Applications will be accepted until October 3, 2022. 

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Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley Source Protection Authorities
Marika Livingston, Project Manager
3889 Rideau Valley Drive, PO Box 599
Manotick ON  K4M 1A5
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1148

MISSISSIPPI AND RIDEAU WATERSHEDS, March 28, 2023 — Do you care about the health of your drinking water? The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region (MRSPR) is seeking a Source Protection Committee member who is interested in protecting municipal drinking water sources in the Mississippi and Rideau Valley watersheds.

The Source Protection Committee oversees the implementation of science-based source protection plans to protect municipal water sources in the Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley watersheds. It meet several times a year in various locations across the region.  

The committee is looking for one public sector representative to liaise on behalf any of the following seats: environmental, non-governmental organizations, First Nations or general interest. 

“If you have experience and knowledge in this sector and have an interest in protecting drinking water sources, we hope you will apply,” said Marika Livingston, Mississippi-Rideau Source Water Protection Project Manager. “Among other qualifications, these positions require a multi-year commitment, an ability to understand scientific and technical reports and attendance at the two or more Source Protection Committee meetings held each year. Applicants must also live or work in the Mississippi or Rideau watersheds.”

The MRSPR Committee was established in 2007 as a result of the Province’s Clean Water Act. The committee guides local efforts to protect drinking water at the source and is made up of one-third municipal, one-third economic and one-third public sector representatives. The composition ensures that a variety of local interests are represented at the decision-making table as the committee works to oversee the implementation of science-based source protection plans. 

Future work of the Committee includes the review of new scientific and technical information to ensure that the Source Protection Plan and its supporting reports remain current and relevant.

Further details regarding these part-time positions including descriptions of roles and responsibilities and an application form are available online at https://www.mrsourcewater.ca/en/apply. A small per diem as well as mileage will be paid while working on Source Protection business. 

Applications will be accepted until April 28, 2023. 

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Mississippi Valley and Rideau Valley Source Protection Authorities
Marika Livingston, Project Manager
3889 Rideau Valley Drive, PO Box 599
Manotick ON  K4M 1A5
613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1148