Baxter Outdoor and Environmental Education Programs
Baxter Conservation Area offers outdoor and environmental education programs for students and community groups from preschool to grade 12 and beyond. Join us in our outdoor classroom and give your students the opportunity to explore and connect with nature. Our education programs provide students and visitors with interactive, hands-on, curriculum-based experiences where they will learn about the natural world and their relationship with it. We also offer outdoor education programs where students will learn navigation and outdoor survival skills as well.
Baxter can accommodate up to 60 students per day. All equipment is included in our programs and each program runs approximately 1.5 hours in length. Below please find descriptions of each of the programs we offer. Descriptions are offered as general guidelines — if there are specific objectives that you would like to accomplish, please let us know. Although grade levels are recommended for each program, these are also only guidelines. Please select any desired fields to narrow your search.
| Half Day Program | $200 / group * | maximum 30 students, 90 minutes with an RVCA instructor |
| Full Day Program | $275 / group * | maximum 30 students, two 90 minutes with an RVCA instructor |
| Self-directed | $2.50/person * | Interested in just visiting the conservation area with your class but not booking a program? The cost is $2.50/person. This does not include the use of buildings other than access to public washrooms. To reserve facilities, contact staff. Staff must still be contacted to book a self-directed visit. |
| Overnight Tent Camping (accommodations only) | 1-15 people - $75/night * 16-30 people - $150/night * 30+ people - contact for pricing * Additional buildings also available for rent (link to facility rentals) |
Take you class on an overnight adventure to our group camping area! Plan your own activities or book our education staff to provide programming during your stay (see above for pricing). |
* plus applicable taxes
Baxter’s Cancellation Policy: A minimum of fifteen (15) business days notice is required to cancel education programs at Baxter Conservation Area.
This policy gives schools/groups on our waiting list sufficient time to try and fill the program opening. If Baxter Conservation Area is notified of a cancellation less than 15 business days in advance of your scheduled visit, a cancellation fee of $50.00 will be charged.
In the event of severe weather conditions (i.e. thunderstorms, snowstorms, etc.), Baxter staff will make contact with your school/group by 7:00 AM the morning of your trip if we need to re-schedule or cancel the program on that day. There will be no charge for a cancellation made due to school bus cancellations or severe weather conditions on the day of your trip.
Baxter Education Program Descriptions
Super User
Jock River Fish Habitat Embayment Creation Project
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, with their partners, has built a fish habitat embayment at the Richmond Conservation Area, located in Ottawa, Ontario. The project involved converting an existing grassed park area into a small wetland embayment along the shore of the Jock River. Raab Construction helped construct the wetland with the assistance of many dedicated volunteers.
Construction Highlights
- 1,000 square metres of new spawning, nursery, rearing and feeding habitat created to support the 40 species of fish that reside in the Jock River
- 9 days of construction took place in October 2014
- 108 truckloads of fill were removed from the Jock River floodplain
- 100 metres of new shoreline created by re-grading the existing slope and planting a shoreline buffer around the perimeter of the new embayment
In 2014, the Jock River Embayment Creation Project won the Top Canadian Fishing Industry Conservation Project Award.
Project Partners
- Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada — Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program
- Muskies Canada Ottawa Chapter
- National Defence Fish and Game Club
- Community Foundation of Ottawa
- Ottawa Fly Fishers Society
- Shell Fueling Change
- Fendock
Information
Jennifer Lamoureux
Aquatic and Fish Habitat Biologist,
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
613-692-3571 ext. 1108
RVCA Celebrates 50 Years of Conservation
Special guests and dignitaries gathered to celebrate 50 years of conservation at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s Anniversary Celebration on November 30. Surrounded by watershed representatives, politicians, past and present staff along with numerous friends and partners, RVCA Board of Director Members looked to acknowledge the many people, projects and partnerships behind a conservation movement that started in the early 1940s.
“This was our opportunity to thank those who have helped us towards our goal of a thriving and sustainable watershed,” said Lyle Pederson, RVCA Chair and Elizabethtown-Kiltey representative. “Conservation of our land and water is not something you can do alone. It takes a great deal of municipal support along with many staff, partners and volunteers to get the job done.”
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was in attendance and spoke to the crowd of over 70. He reflected on Ottawa Mayor Don Reid’s drive to bring the then 41 watershed municipalities together to form a local Conservation Authority in March 1966. Mayor Watson praised the Board Members, staff and partners for their past and ongoing work.
Also in attendance was Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation Chair Jason Kelly who spoke of the continued support the Foundation has for the Authority’s on-the-ground efforts throughout the watershed. He took a moment to thank BMO for their support of the anniversary event and brought greetings and congratulations from Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod.
“Tonight was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, reminisce and reflect on our many shared accomplishments,” said Master of Ceremonies and RVCA Vice Chair Ed Hand. “Now it is time to look forward to another 50 years of conservation — it’s time to get back to work so we have clean abundant water, natural shorelines, rich forests and wetlands, diverse habitat and sustainable land use.”
How to Naturalize Your Shoreline
Every shoreline is unique and requires different approaches to naturalization. Current and desired land use, existing conditions, soil type, availability of sunlight and moisture, and naturalization goals all play a significant role in selecting the appropriate naturalization methods. Some methods may include:
- Creating a “no-mow” zone near the shoreline and allowing vegetation to re-establish on its own.
- Active planting of native trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers and/or aquatic plants in the buffer area.
- Placing or allowing the accumulation of woody debris along shoreline.
- Removal or “softening” of existing hard structures like retaining walls, gabion baskets and rip rap.
- Utilizing various bioengineering methods such as coir logs, live cuttings, and brush mattresses to control or reduce erosion.
Active Planting
1. Assess Your Property
- Think about how you use your shoreline. How do you access it? Where would you like to maintain views/sight lines?
- Find your high water mark and the location of your property lines.
- Determine site conditions such as soil type, moisture and compaction, drainage patterns and availability of sunlight.
- Does your property have excessive erosion? Problems with your septic system? Planning to install a new dock? You may want to address these issues before planting your shoreline.
2. Develop a Planting Plan
- Map out where you want to plant and determine how many plants you will need.
- In general, shrubs should be planted about 1 metre apart, and trees should be no closer than 2.4 metres (remember to consider mature plant height and width when spacing plants).
- Place low growing shrubs, wildflowers and grasses in areas where you want to maintain views. Placing larger trees along the edges of your property helps delineate property boundaries, maintains privacy and doesn’t block views of your shoreline.
3. Select Plant Species
- Select plants that are appropriate for your site conditions (soil, sunlight, etc.).
- Choose native plant species grown from local seed sources as they are best suited to survive local climate conditions and provide the greatest benefits to wildlife (exercise caution when purchasing native species from commercial nurseries as plants that appear native may actually be similar exotic species or cultivars—purchase plants from a native plant nursery whenever possible to ensure authenticity).
- Choose flowering or fruit bearing plants for maximum wildlife benefits.
- Look to see what is growing locally—there is a good chance that these plants will do well on your property too.
- Decide what size/type of plant you want to use:
- Bare Root-bare root seedlings have exposed roots, so they need to be planted while the plant is dormant (early spring). Bare root plants are inexpensive and easy to transport. They must be properly handled, stored and cared for to reduce transplant shock and ensure good survival rates.
- Potted- Potted plants come in a variety of sizes. They are more expensive, can be difficult to transport in large quantities, can have good survival rates if cared for properly and can be planted at any time during the growing season.
4. Plant
- Prepare you site as needed. Examples of site preparation include mowing of tall grass, soil amendment, and removal of sod, ornamental plants or invasive species. Often, plants can be planted directly into existing ground conditions.
- Keep plants moist and shaded until ready for planting. Ensure that proper handling and planting techniques are used.
- Water plants after planting.
- Remember to take lots of before and after photos!
Potted Planting
Diagram: On the Living Edge: Your Handbook for Waterfront Living
Bare Root Planting
5. Maintenance & Aftercare
- Mulches improve growing conditions and promote faster growing by supressing competitive weeds and grasses and by keeping in moisture. They also make it easier to locate small seedlings in overgrown areas. Different types of mulches include:
- Coir mats: Coir mats are portable, biodegradable, mats made from coconut fibre.
- Loose mulches: Loose mulches include woodchips, bark and straw. While affordable and useful in some circumstances, loose mulch is easily eroded and should be limited in flood-prone shoreline areas. Always choose non-dyed mulch.
- Others: Cardboard, wet newspapers, old carpet, biodegradable plastic brush sheets.
- Tree guards should be installed around deciduous trees to prevent mice and vole damage.
- New plants will need to be watered depending on site conditions and recent weather.
- Weeding, pruning and trimming around plants may be required to reduce competition.
- Replace dead plants as necessary.
- Do not fertilize.
Softening a Hardened Shoreline
In the past, shoreline erosion problems were often dealt with by the “hardening” of shorelines through installation of retaining walls constructed of armour stone, rip rap, old railroad ties, gabion baskets, and other materials. While these structures offer a temporary solution to erosion, they can actually result in more damage to downstream/neighbouring properties and even the shoreline they were intended to protect.
Retaining walls interfere with natural shoreline processes and currents. Overtime, the increased impact of water on the vertical walls in combination with surface water runoff behind the walls leads to slumping, eroding gullies, undercutting and eventual failure of the wall.
In response to the issues caused by retaining walls, there has been a push towards “softer” shoreline protection options such as vegetated buffers and bioengineering techniques. In cases where a retaining wall is already in place, erosion can be reduced and the life of the wall can be protected by planting native shrubs around the wall, or in the case of a rip rap shoreline, planting between the rocks. The roots of the plants will help hold the soil in place, and overhanging branches and foliage will soften the impact of wave action.
Bioengineering
Bioengineering is the combination of engineering techniques with the use of natural materials like live plant material and geotextiles to stabilize soils. It is often used as a means of repairing/remediating shorelines from the effects of erosion with the intent of minimizing the overall impact to the environment. The end goal is a self-repairing shoreline that stabilizes soils, minimizes erosion and contributes to healthy habitat.
Bioengineering is an excellent alternative to rip rap or hardened shoreline structures because it is:
- low maintenance and self-repairing
- cost effective
- less Invasive
- promotes good habitat for fish and wildlife
- allows for the establishment of native plants
- protects shorelines from erosion
Bioengineering is not an appropriate solution for all erosion problems. Existing site conditions such as waterfront access, erosion type/source, soil type, existing vegetation, wave action and fluctuating water levels all need to be considered for bioengineering projects.
Coir Log
A flexible log made of biodegradable coconut fibre material that can be staked in along the shoreline to help absorb wave energy and allow vegetation to establish. Intended for use with upland planting.
Live Stakes
Live cuttings taken from dogwood and willow species can be used to re-vegetate shoreline areas.
Live Fascine
Live dogwood and willow cuttings can be bundled together to form a log that is staked in along the shoreline. The live cuttings will begin to root creating a protective wall of shoreline vegetation.
Brush Mattress
A layer of live cuttings are placed along a shoreline slope and held in place with twine or rope. The cuttings will begin to root creating a protective layer of vegetation. A fascine is typically used to secure the base of the mattress.
Soil Wrap/Brush Layering
One or more layers of live cuttings are partially covered with compacted soil and allowed to root and establish. Soil layers are often wrapped with a geotextile material for extra stability.
