Urban Bats (Ottawa)

We'd love to know more about this event held at the end of May at Macoun Marsh.  We had heard that they were going to use sonar to record the bats and determine what species could be found but if it was bat tagging - that would be a whole other level!

From St. Laurent Academy Blog: Bat research scientist Brian Hickey (St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences) will join us on Thursday, May 30 from 7:30 pm to 9:15 pm to search for Hoary and Little Brown Bats!  COME JOIN US AT MACOUN MARSH!  Mr. L.

From Biodiversity Matters Blog: We had a bat and night critters evening at the Macoun Marsh. Bat research scientist Brian Hickey (St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences) came out to search for Hoary and Little Brown Bats. Both were recorded.

From Pub Patio Playdate: The man accompanied little one’s preschool class on a field trip to the Macoun Marsh last week and had an awesome time. A few days later he attended a bat-tagging excursion at the marsh and he can’t wait to spend more time exploring the area’s rich biodiversity. I had to miss the field trip but am looking forward to checking this place out soon.


Update August 2013: Bat research continues at Macoun Marsh.

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(Friends of Gatineau Park had a Bat Night in June, where Rachel Hamilton, a graduate alumni from the University of Western Ontario, provided insight into bats, from the most unusual to those that can be found in backyards. She also discussed how researchers are able to study these flying friends and shared how bats impact on people's daily lives.)

The MNR has an educational Bat Fact Sheet which is part of their "Living With" series.

Tree Canopy Project (Ottawa)

Article from last fall (2012): Tree canopy project looking to gauge value to community, Old Ottawa South pilot to catalogue types, numbers - News - By Michelle Nash Ottawa West Local Community News

A tree canopy project taking place in Old Ottawa South plans to identify types of trees growing in area parks and the value the trees offer the neighbourhood and city.

On Oct. 11, a group of Old Ottawa South residents, Carleton University students, officials from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and Heather Hamilton, a former forests and green space advisory committee chairwoman, gathered to count the tree canopy in Brewer Park.

Hamilton said she got involved because she was looking for a fun community project and since the city is only taking stock of street trees but not in parks, it was just right.

"We're filling in the gap." she said.

The objective of the project, which is also taking a canopy count in Windsor Park, is to use the data collected to prepare a report which will include information on all the trees in the park. The report will include location maps and global positioning system data, pictures, species and size of the trees.

"It would be nice for us to get a picture from both the neighbourhood and city perspective," Hamilton said. "To see how much parks are contributing to the overall health of the city."

She explained such factors as a tree's contribution to controlling storm water run-off, air pollution and local weather temperatures.

"Without trees, it would be hotter, more polluted and your basement might be flooded," Hamilton said.

The catalyst for this project has been the emerald ash borer. The beetle has burrowed itself in ash trees all over the city and as a result thousands have been lost. For Mike Lascelles, chairman of the Ottawa South Community Association environment committee, this project will help the neighbourhood have a better understanding of what types of trees are in the parks and whether any existing ash trees are healthy.

This canopy count will help the Old Ottawa South community have an idea the amount of trees that will potentially be lost in the parks.

"We can put a plan together to replace the trees, if need be," he said. "Things are really in tough shape there (at Windsor Park), with 30 to 40 emerald ash that are on death row, wind damaged trees and vandalized trees."

Planting is nothing new for Lascelles and the environment committee. More than 15 years ago, he and other members of the neighbourhood planted around 300 trees in Brewer Park, along the river, in an effort to protect the habitat. The only thing is, at the time, they did not keep a record of what species were planted, so now they are taking note of the diversity, which is a difficult task,

Scott Danford and Dan Cooper from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority are also helping with the project.

"Sometimes it can be very hard, these guys are the experts, it is great to have them," Lascelles said.

Erika Rose, a fourth year environmental sciences student at Carleton is one of the students participating.

For Rose, being out in the field is the best kind of experience she can get and having the opportunity to do her research in Brewer Park, her neighbourhood, is even better.

"I thought it would be cool to do something in the neighbourhood where I interact and live," Rose said. "It is better than just reading about it. Here you are in the field, learning first hand."

The project, Hamilton said is something neighbourhoods across the city can also start.

"Anyone can do this, as long as you can access some sort of expert for the identifying," Hamilton said. "Certain aspects are not difficult, and some keen naturalists could do it."

The group will complete the Brewer Park and Windsor Park counts, Hamilton said, by mid-October.



Once the inventory is done will there be some thought in terms of planting more diverse and native trees as per Diana Beresford-Kroeger?

Urban River (Calgary)

Read about this interesting project the other day:

River park design firm Recreation Engineering & Planning received "an Award of Excellence (first place) in the categories of Community Development and Water Resources & Energy Production for Calgary’s Bow River Weir Project. This project was one of only two to double-medal at this event. REP played a key role in the project by completing its original feasibility design and planning, as well as the design and inspection of the park’s whitewater features. According to the judges, the development “demonstrates a highly technical project that enhances the community and environment, providing new and enhanced recreation opportunities for the public while enhancing the river ecosystems and fish habitats.” Says another, “The Calgary Bow River Weir project is an excellent example of how engineering ingenuity can revitalize a critically important natural resource, creating safe and sustainable opportunities that enhance and enrich the whole community.”

“All these parks re-connect the communities to their local rivers and help revitalize local economies,” says REP president Gary Lacy. “Plus, in many cases, they also convert liabilities into recreational amenities.”

Text from Playak.com: http://playak.com/article.php?id=12792

Vertical Forest (Milan)

This is so exciting!  Green skyscrapers are becoming a reality:

Bosco Verticale (in Milan, Italy) is a vertical forest design that will be open later this year.  It will include 900 trees, oaks and amelanchiers, 500 shrubs, and 11,000 ground plants—the equivalent of 2.5-acres of forest. If each residential unit had been constructed as individual stand-alone units, more than 50,000 square meters of land and 10,000 square meters of woodland would have been required.

Each balcony houses a mini-forest complete with a rainwater watering system and construction costs of Bosco Verticale are only 5% more than those required for the usual skyscraper, which will promote replication in other cities.  It will be the first of its kind - providing vital ecological and energy benefits within the confines of an urban area.

All information/images are from Great Ecology.

P.S.  Check out my latest "urban wild" nature blog: Wild. Here. (2016 update)

protecting the bobolink

Taken from a newspaper article (dated March 2012) from the Kawartha Lakes Region regarding the new species at risk legislation that is coming into effect.

"Anne Bell of the conservation organization Ontario Nature said it’s important to realize there are many different stakeholders at the round table, not just agriculture and conservation groups. She said the primary aim of the round table discussions is to find a solution that works for agriculture.

“The great thing about the Endangered Species Act is that it has a fair bit of flexibility,” she said.

“The focus for us (Ontario Nature) is research and best practices, such as are there ways to manage hay fields...but, the key to the round table is that whatever the solution, it has to work - for the farmers and the birds.”

(D & C Editor has heard that in the U.S. some farmers are compensated monetarily for the early crops that they cannot harvest in order to let Bobolinks nest safely and raise fledglings until they can leave the nest.)

Farmers vs Boblinks or Farmers AND Bobolinks?

Legislation will come into full force in 2014.

Image from Flickr Creative Commons: Amy McAndrews


Can We Have Urban Bobolink Habitat?

Manor Park (Ottawa) Wildlife Sightings 

The Quest to Find an Urban Bobolink