RVCA (1140)
Children categories
Department (68)
Main Office Phone Numbers : 613-692-3571 / 1-800-267-3504
Staff Directory
July 18, 2019
Stay safe this summer: stay on the trails!
July 19, 2019 – It’s a great time to be outdoors, but be aware: certain pests and poisonous plants are getting in on the action, too. As you hit the trails, remember to stay on the path and dress appropriately to protect against ticks, poison ivy, wild parsnip and other hazards. Ticks: 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 keep you inside! Reasonable…
Published in
Media Release
August 14, 2019
Fight the invaders! Free workshop taking aim at invasive species
Aug. 14, 2019 – Did you know? Your beautiful backyard garden could be harbouring dangerous enemy invaders: sneaky, ruthless agents of destruction, ready to launch a coup at any opportunity. We’re talking, of course, about invasive species. They can be hard to spot – sometimes distracting you with their gorgeous blooms or glittery shells – but a workshop this weekend can help you identify these interlopers and keep them under control. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, Rideau Valley staff will lead a free, public workshop at the conservation authority’s headquarters in Manotick. Participants can get up…
Published in
Media Release
August 15, 2019
Ottawa Greek Fest goes carbon neutral!
Aug. 15, 2019 – Ottawa Greek Fest is one of the capital’s hottest summer festivals, but this year it’s keeping it cool with a pledge to go carbon neutral through the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation. The charitable foundation helped the festival calculate its estimated carbon footprint from the gas, propane, diesel and electricity used over the course of its 11-day food, music and art extravaganza at the Hellenic Centre near Hog’s Back Falls. That calculation will translate into 120 trees planted locally across the Rideau Valley watershed, adding to Eastern Ontario’s forests and natural spaces and offsetting the event’s carbon…
Published in
Media Release
August 07, 2019
Wildlife reclaiming restored wetlands near DND campus
August 7, 2019 —You know what they say: "If you build it, they will come." But that old adage isn't just for haunted baseball fields – it also applies to wetland projects right in the heart of Ottawa's greenbelt. Last fall, staff at the RVCA and the National Capital Commission created 10,000 square metres of new wetland habitat along Stillwater Creek, just south of the new DND headquarters off Moodie Drive and Highway 417. Thanks to observations from the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre, which is located nearby, staff at the NCC and RVCA discovered the wetland had been suffering annually from extreme low water conditions. Most of the year the wetland was completely dry, dominated by long, reedy…
Published in
Media Release
July 29, 2019 – Custom-built smartphone apps are changing the way staff at Rideau Valley Conservation Authority get their work done – and saving time, money and headaches in the process. This spring, the RVCA launched its latest app, this one for classifying shorelines – something no other conservation group is doing digitally. Gone are the bulky clipboards and windswept papers of previous surveys. And vanquished are the days of tedious data entry after a long season on the water. These days, with the tap of an app staff can quickly analyze a shoreline, take a photo and input all the relevant data into a digital database, all from the…
Published in
Media Release
June 14, 2019 - Everyone wants a nice, quiet spot where they can get away from it all, without driving hundreds of kilometres into the woods. That will become a reality this summer at Chapman Mills Conservation Area with the installation of a new, accessible public dock. Thanks to a generous donation to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) from Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund, the installation will replace the conservation area’s old dock in a more accessible location, creating a better place to catch a fish, launch a canoe or just dip your toes in the mighty Rideau River. The…
Published in
Media Release
June 10, 2019
Shoreline program now booking to protect against floods
June 10, 2019 – Planting trees and shrubs along your shoreline can protect your property from flood damage – and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority is now booking site visits to help get the job done. The RVCA’s Shoreline Naturalization Program offers landowners low-cost technical guidance, project management and all the native trees and shrubs you need to build a robust natural buffer along your waterfront. These strategically-placed plants have hearty roots that hold soil in place so it doesn’t wash away during periods of high water, or in high-wake areas. There’s no need for expensive rock “rip rap” or…
Published in
Media Release
JUNE 6, 2019 – A new batch of butternut seedlings have been sent into the world to help pull the endangered tree back from the brink – but this spring’s lot may have been the last. Landowners flocked to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s specialized cold storage facility on Dilworth Road this spring to pick up their baby butternut trees, carefully grown at the Ferguson Forestry Centre from resilient seeds harvested across Eastern Ontario. Butternut trees in Canada and the US have been decimated by the butternut canker, an incurable fungal disease scientists believe originated in Asia. Since 2005, the…
Published in
Media Release
May 23, 2019 – Looking for ways to green your backyard? Need inspiration from your most dedicated neighbours? Want the scoop on river-friendly development trends? The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority invites you to subscribe to its new blog, The River Reed. From green waterfront living to cute critters to special features, we’ve got life in the Rideau Valley watershed covered! The blog will focus on the people, projects and policies making our watershed a healthy, liveable place for all – people and wildlife included. Subscribers will get tips for green waterfront living, learn about landowners making a difference, and access…
Published in
Media Release
June 03, 2019
RVCA to update Ottawa flood, hazard maps
June 3, 2019 — More of the Rideau Valley watershed will be mapped for flood risks and other hazards thanks to a new agreement between the City of Ottawa and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). Over the next three years, the RVCA will update existing hazard mapping reports and map new areas along four waterways inside the City’s boundaries: Mud Creek in Manotick, Stevens Creek in North Gower, Mosquito Creek in Riverside South and Monahan Drain in Kanata South. Previously known as “floodplain mapping” or “regulations mapping,” these studies show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as…
Published in
Media Release
More...
May 14, 2019
Opinion: Flood prevention cheaper than clean-up
May 14, 2019 – As homeowners and municipalities look to clean up after another record flood on the Ottawa River, the need to prevent such damage from happening again and again is clear. We don’t yet know how much the 2019 flood will cost, but we know it will be much more than prevention. Hundreds of homes were damaged, millions of sandbags were filled, residents were evacuated, public infrastructure was compromised, and military and government staff logged significant overtime. And don’t forget the incalculable loss of photo albums and family keepsakes floating in soggy basements, and the exhaustion of homeowners…
Published in
Media Release
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.…
Published in
Media Release
May 7, 2019 – As thousands of Canadian students walked out of class to protest climate policies on May 3, a group of Nepean High School students were taking their protest back to basics. Shovels in hand, the 14-person crew braved wet weather to plant 500 trees at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre in Cumberland. Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) provided the seedlings and taught the students how and where to plant them. “I like that we’re taking real action, we’re out here actually planting trees,” said Emily Drummond, a Grade 9 environment club member. The club had planned to join the…
Published in
Media Release
April 11, 2019
Volunteer makes a splash with conservation authority
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…
Published in
Media Release
