RIDEAU VALLEY, May 4, 2021 – Your mother gave you the gift of life, and now you can return the favour.

Thanks to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s special occasions tree planting program, you can skip the grocery store bouquet and plant an environmental legacy in your mom’s honour, instead.

The native tree species are planted across the Rideau Valley watershed, from Frontenac to Smiths Falls to downtown Ottawa, helping to fight erosion, manage floods and keep contaminants out of our rivers and lakes. Staff tend to the new trees, helping them grow into maturity so they can thrive for decades – much like your mother did for you.

A single tree costs $25, while a grove of five is only $100. Ten trees cost $150 and a family grove of 25 costs $250 – just $10 a tree.

Online ordering makes it easy and fast. Under the RVCF’s Special Occasion Trees program, simply enter your donation amount and your information, and you’ll receive a charitable tax receipt to your inbox right away. You can even send your mom an e-card right from the foundation site.

The foundation is a registered charity that supports the work of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, which monitors more than 4,000 km² of waterways across 18 municipalities in Eastern Ontario.

The authority is responsible for monitoring water quality, flood risks and other hazards to keep people, property and the environment safe. Planting trees is an important part of the authority’s efforts to promote biodiversity, protect our drinking water and reduce the risk of flooding.

The RVCF plants a combination of white cedar, white pine, red oak and sugar maple.

To order your Mother’s Day trees, visit www.canadahelps.org and choose “Special Occasion Trees” from the drop-down list. Watch for your charitable receipt in your inbox!

For more information visit www.rvcf.ca or email . 

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RIDEAU VALLEY, April 30, 2021 – Ticks are notoriously bad at social distancing, and as you hit the trails this season it’s important you take precautions to keep them at bay. 

Black-legged ticks are on the rise in Eastern Ontario and can carry Lyme disease, which is passed to humans through tick bites. Left untreated, Lyme can cause chronic neurological and physical problems including memory loss, mobility issues and heart conditions.

But don’t let that stop you from getting outdoors, since taking reasonable precautions should prevent most tick bites: 

• Always stay on the path to avoid the long grasses and underbrush they live on
• Wear light-coloured long pants and sleeves
• Tuck your pants into your socks (for extra fashion points, too) 
• Use bug spray that contains DEET or picaridin 
• Sweep your clothes with a sticky lint roller before you leave the site 
• When you get home, do a thorough tick check of your entire body, including in your armpits, groin area, behind your ears and along hairlines.

If you do find a tick attached to you, remove it as soon as possible, being sure to leave the entire tick intact. Contact your doctor if the tick looks engorged or you think it has been attached for more than 24 hours.

If the tick was attached for less than 24 hours and its body does not appear swollen from feeding, you should still be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of Lyme disease for the next 32 days. If you do develop symptoms, see a doctor.

Protect against poisonous plants

Tick precautions can also help protect against noxious plants like poison ivy, wild parsnip and giant hogweed. These all have a presence in Eastern Ontario, lining roadside ditches, taking over empty fields and popping up along nature trails and woodlots.

Touching these plants or their sap can result in painful skin rashes and burns, particularly wild parsnip, which is sun-activated and can cause severe burns and even blindness in extreme cases.

Avoid contact with these plants by wearing long pants and sleeves and close-toed shoes and socks. The sap from these plants can contaminate your clothes, so be careful when undressing and handling your clothes after an outing.

If you do come in contact with the plants, wash the area with soapy water and stay out of the sun. If the sap gets in your eyes, wash immediately and contact a doctor.

And of course, in the midst of a global pandemic trail users are reminded to keep two metres distance and wear a mask around anyone not from their household, to turn back if the site looks too busy and to stay home if they’re sick. 

While these risks are real and must be managed, getting outside has never been more important, and the RVCA is committed to providing safe and beautiful trails to help watershed residents connect with nature. 

Find your local trail here: www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas

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WESTPORT, April 26, 2021 – Every day can be Earth Day with the help of a spring Outdoor Adventure Kit from Foley Mountain and its community partners.

Back by popular demand, families can pick up one of 200 free kits from any Rideau Lakes or Westport library branch, as well as the Lyndhurst and Seeley’s Bay branches of the Leeds and Thousand Islands Public Library beginning May 1.

The spring kits include materials and instructions to help families of all ages get outside and explore. Families can expect seed packets for starting a pollinator garden, a magnifying glass and nature journal to explore your wild and wonderful neighbourhood, and sensory exploration activities. The kit will also include some outdoor art challenges including how to customize a walking stick for your next hike, and a mini version of the Robert Munsch classic, Mud Puddle. 

“Right now under public health restrictions, there isn’t a lot for families to do,” said Foley Mountain site supervisor Rebecca Whitman. “But they can still be out in their backyard and they can still enjoy exploring the great outdoors together.”

The kits were made possible with support from the North Leeds Youth Co-ordinating Committee which distributes United Way Leeds and Grenville funds, Rideau Lakes Horticultural Society, the Township of Rideau Lakes, the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands, and the three public libraries.

“There was so much interest in the winter kits, and our partners and supporters have now allowed us to double the amount of kits available,” Whitman said. “We’re really excited to be able to do more and to stay connected to our community.” 

Parents can adapt and modify the activities to engage both younger and older kids, Whitman said. 

Families do not have to have a library card in order to pick up a kit. However, residents are reminded not to travel outside their region, in accordance with public health guidance to limit the spread of COVID-19. The kits will be available through contactless curbside pickup while supplies last.

For Rideau Lakes branches and hours visit www.rideaulakeslibrary.ca. 

For Westport library hours visit www.westportontariolibrary.wordpress.com.

For Leeds and Thousand Islands Public Library branches and hours visit www.ltipl.net. 

Questions about the kits can be sent to . 

More “Fresh Air Fun” activities can be found at www.rvca.ca and on our YouTube channel @RideauValleyCA.  

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RIDEAU VALLEY, April 20, 2021 – Although nobody can predict the weather – and despite some recent rain – 2021 is shaping up to be an abnormally dry year across the Rideau Valley watershed if the current trend continues.

Rideau Valley residents enjoyed a relatively easy winter with warmer-than-normal temperatures in every month except for February. Combined with below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures in March, all evidence points to a dry year ahead. 

Weather and water level conditions have been pointing in this direction since winter began in December 2020:

• Approximately 50 mm of rain fell across the watershed between December 24 and 25, resulting in short-term elevated water level and flow conditions in many lakes and rivers. Levels and flows receded by the end of January, with most regions dropping to below normal for much of February and March. 
• Snowfall was also limited. There were only two large snowstorms of about 20 cm each (one each in mid-January and mid-February) and several smaller snowstorms of about 5 cm each. Based on recorded snow fall amounts and RVCA snow monitoring results, the total amount of ‘snow water equivalent’ this winter was about 80% of normal. (To learn more about how we calculate the snow water equivalent, check out this video: youtube.com/watch?v=S30J86FfnZg)
• Monthly temperatures from November 2020 through January 2021 were, on average, 1 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal, with slightly cooler than normal temperatures in February. The overall warmer winter concluded with very mild temperatures in March.
• Daytime temperatures rose well above zero from March 9 through 12, which resulted in rapid snowmelt across the watershed and subsequent short-term elevated water levels/flows in most waterbodies. This was followed by a large rain event of 40+ mm in late March which caused water levels/flows to increase again, but they quickly declined with the limited rainfall into mid-April.

So, what does this all mean? All water levels and flows across the Rideau Valley watershed are currently well below normal for this time of year. Current flows on the Rideau, Jock and Tay Rivers and Kemptville Creek are all between 30 to 40 per cent of the typical seasonal averages. (For current and historical water level and flow information, see www.rvca.ca/watershed-conditions/streamflow-water-levels. For more information on low water conditions, check out this video: youtube.com/watch?v=-MIfvEDoDfs)

Flows on the Rideau River are routinely augmented by several reservoir lakes located in the upper watershed, west of Westport. These lakes store water in the spring and sustain flows throughout the drier summer months. Water levels and flows in the primary reservoirs (Bobs Lake and Wolfe Lake) are currently below normal for this time of year. Flow through lakes such as Christie Lake have also been affected and are trending well below normal. 

Parks Canada staff are carefully managing the outflows in the reservoir lakes and have indicated that if we receive normal precipitation amounts over the next couple of months, lake levels are expected to gradually rise to seasonal averages. 

Parks Canada staff also manage water levels and flows in the main body of the Rideau River from Big Rideau Lake through downtown Ottawa, including the Rideau Canal lock system. Parks Canada staff have indicated that navigation levels along this reach will be achieved by the long weekend in May. For more information from Parks Canada, see www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/rideau.

RVCA staff are currently preparing to meet with the Rideau Valley Water Response Team, which is made up of municipal and agency partners. The primary purpose of Water Response Team is to provide a forum for the sharing of information among water managers and water takers, and to facilitate co-operative decision-making on the conservation of limited water supplies at the early stages of and throughout drought events, as they occur.

For more information visit rvca.ca/watershed-conditions or email . For flood and drought news directly to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters here: www.rvca.ca/about-us/join-our-mailing-lists. 

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Modern Niagara pledges $300,000 to Conservation Foundation — Rideau Valley residents can count on cleaner water, healthier shorelines and more climate-resilient communities thanks to a ground-breaking agreement between the RVCA’s charitable foundation and building services giant Modern Niagara. Learn about this and other happenings in the watershed — click here.

If you enjoyed this story, why not read the rest of the Around the Rideau newsletter, or better yet, subscibe and the next edition will be waiting for you in your inbox! Subscribe here. 

RIDEAU VALLEY, April 22, 2021 – Just in time for Earth Day, Rideau Valley residents can count on cleaner water, healthier shorelines and more climate-resilient communities thanks to a groundbreaking agreement between the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) and Modern Niagara.

The national mechanical, electrical, integrated technology and building services corporation will provide $300,000 to the Foundation over five years to help acquire 375 more acres of local wetlands, shorelines and forests for perpetual protection.

This is the first deal of its kind for the RVCF and will provide it with much more flexibility to acquire sensitive natural areas across the watershed.

The agreement also kickstarts Modern Niagara’s journey to carbon neutrality by protecting lands that naturally absorb and store carbon dioxide. The company is working on other strategies to reduce its carbon footprint, as well.

The land deal safeguards vital environmental services for nearby communities. 

“This agreement is a huge win for the watershed’s residents, who rely on robust wetland and forest cover to provide flood, drought and erosion control and to keep our air and water clean,” said Diane Downey, executive director of the RVCF. “Protecting pristine natural areas is our first and best defence against the impacts of climate change.”

The RVCF currently owns, manages or supports more than 6,765 acres of unique, healthy ecosystems across the Rideau Valley. But these lands cost money to acquire and maintain; surveys, appraisals, legal fees, property taxes and public safety measures are all expenses the Foundation accepts when it acquires a property. 

The Foundation’s Steve Simmering Conservation Lands Endowment Fund is used to cover these costs, with the principal invested year after year to create a steady flow of cash. But until this agreement, the endowment required more principal to offset all of the annual and acquisition costs.

Today, thanks to Modern Niagara, the Foundation won’t have to say no to future land donations. The agreement gives the Foundation the flexibility and financial security to accept new lands, by covering the many land transfer costs that can add up. 

“Modern Niagara is proud to preserve our most sensitive natural areas while also doing our part to slow the impacts of climate change,” said Erin Oliver, Modern Niagara’s VP of Health, Safety and Sustainability. “Green and sustainable technology is at the core of what we do, and you can’t find a greener technology than allowing nature to do its work.”

Oliver said the Modern Niagara team is thrilled to be protecting local lands that have a direct impact on the health and sustainability of their communities.

“We are so excited for this partnership and can’t wait to see what beautiful parcels of local land will be protected because of it,” Oliver said. 

Want to get on board?

The RVCF welcomes corporations and organizations of all sizes to become a local environmental champion like Modern Niagara and our other legacy partners like LiVE 88.5 FM by sponsoring a property, supporting local tree planting, helping to upgrade our nature trails, supporting outdoor education opportunities or through their own visionary idea. 

Whatever your budget, we can work with you to find a method of support that suits your vision while keeping our watershed clean and healthy for generations to come.

Visit www.rvcf.ca for more information or contact Diane Downey at  to get started. 

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