Wednesday morning, four bur oaks in the Champlain Park neighbourhood of Kitchissippi Ward were officially marked as heritage trees by Forestry Ontario as part of an initiative to grant 150 trees heritage designation in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. The ceremony noted the importance of honouring natural heritage, especially in a nation such as our own, which is known for its natural resources.
The ceremony began at Steve and Kay Kot’s Cowley Avenue residence where Rob Keen from Forestry Ontario attached a heritage plaque to the Kot’s 180-year-old bur oak. Keen spoke about the importance of recognizing these “biological monuments” as part of the project to protect our urban forest. The Kot family, who moved into their home in 1957, shared the important role this tree has played in their lives. Debra Huron of the Champlain Oaks Project was present – dressed festively in a bur oak costume – and urged the crowd to become more knowledgeable about the trees that surround us. The ceremony then moved on to Daniel Ave., where three more bur oaks were honoured, all ranging between 150 and 200 years old.
This summer, I provided some of our intern Julie's research time to a group called Waste Watch Ottawa. They've created a report looking at Ottawa waste diversion that will be unveiled tomorrow. Here's Waste Watch Ottawa's media release ahead of the event. I've offered to post the report for distribution, and it will go live tomorrow morning during the news conference.
WASTE WATCH OTTAWA
Media and City Council Advisory – News Conference
Poor Performance of Ottawa’s Recycling and Green Bin Programs Compromises Disposal Capacity and Life Expectancy of the City’s Trail Road Landfill Site
