Monthly Archive

Foundation becomes GiveShop's first environmental charity

RIDEAU VALLEY, June 1, 2021 – What do the dusty exercise bike in your basement and the abandoned dress in your closet have in common? They can now both become cash donations to Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation!

The RVCF is thrilled to become the first environmental charity partnering with GiveShop, an Ottawa-based online community marketplace.

Like other buy-and-sell platforms, GiveShop users can post new and gently-used items for sale on the app or website. But in an innovative twist, sale proceeds are donated directly to the seller’s charity of choice and the seller gets a charitable tax receipt for the full amount. 

This is an exciting new donation option for RVCF supporters, and offers huge benefits for everyone involved: 

• the seller clears out their space and gets a charitable tax receipt;
• the buyer gets a great deal; 
• the item is spared from landfill;
• users support an innovative local business;
• and the Foundation receives much-needed funds to continue supporting critical environmental programs such as tree planting, water quality research and outdoor education. 

“GiveShop expands donation options for our supporters while contributing to a more sustainable future,” said Diane Downey, RVCF’s executive director. “Partnering with this local start-up dovetails perfectly with what we are trying to accomplish in the Rideau Valley watershed.”

The Foundation is a registered environmental charity working to help protect and conserve the lands and waters of the Rideau Valley watershed in Eastern Ontario. The Foundation complements and supports the work of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority by raising funds and in-kind gifts for three major areas of conservation work: land care through tree planting, trail maintenance, and picnic tables, benches, boardwalks; river care through water quality monitoring, biodiversity monitoring, wetland inventories, invasive species removal and clean water projects; and conservation education through outdoor learning experiences, accessible programs and public events. 

How to support RVCF on GiveShop: 

1. Using www.GiveShop.ca or the GiveShop app, create an account and choose Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation as your preferred charity. Verify your account through your email.

2. To sell an item, click “Give” and choose RVCF as your charity. Post photos and a description and wait for buyers to bid or buy outright. Once an item has been sold, the funds are sent directly to the Foundation – you don’t handle the cash! You can then arrange a pick-up time with the buyer. Watch for your charitable receipt in your inbox.

3. To buy an item, visit the Foundation's marketplace page or click “Shop” and choose RVCF as your charity. Buy an item you love and enjoy it knowing it supports a more sustainable future for you and your community!

In light of COVID-19 public health guidance, we ask that all GiveShop users follow social distancing policies when meeting up to exchange items. Sellers should thoroughly sanitize items before pick-up and leave items by the door or follow a "curb-side" model when handing off the item to the buyer.

Happy shopping! For more information contact . 

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Public sector member wanted for local Source Protection Committee

MISSISSIPPI AND RIDEAU WATERSHEDS, May 27, 2021 — The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region (MRSPR) is seeking a Source Protection Committee member who is interested in protecting municipal drinking water sources in the Mississippi and Rideau Valley watersheds. 

The MRSPR Committee was established in 2007 as a result of the Province’s Clean Water Act. The committee guides local efforts to protect drinking water at the source and is made up of one-third municipal, one-third economic and one-third public sector representatives. The composition ensures that a variety of local interests are represented at the decision-making table as the committee works to oversee the implementation of science-based source protection plans. 

The committee is looking for one public sector representative to liaise on behalf any of the following seats: environmental, non-governmental organizations, First Nations and general interest. 

“If you have experience and knowledge in this sector and have an interest in protecting drinking water sources, we hope you will apply,” said Marika Livingston, Mississippi-Rideau Source Water Protection Project Manager. “Among other qualifications, these positions require a multi-year commitment, an ability to understand scientific and technical reports and attendance at the two or more Source Protection Committee meetings held each year. Applicants must also live or work in the Mississippi or Rideau watersheds.” 

Future work of the Committee includes the review of new scientific and technical information to ensure that the Source Protection Plan and its supporting reports remain current and relevant. 

Further details regarding these part-time positions including descriptions of roles and responsibilities and an application form are available online at www.mrsourcewater.ca. A small per diem as well as expenses (mileage and meals) will be paid while working on Source Protection business. 

Applications will be accepted until July 5, 2021. 

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2020 Annual Report highlights successful pandemic pivot

RIDEAU VALLEY, May 20, 2021 – 2020 was a year like no other, but Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) staff and conservation partners worked diligently to serve the watershed while keeping everyone safe during the global pandemic. 

“We are very proud of how quickly and efficiently RVCA staff were able to pivot in 2020,” said Sommer Casgrain-Robertson, RVCA General Manager. “We faced challenges head on and were busier than ever.”

The RVCA’s 2020 Annual Report highlights a banner year for some departments, including a 50 per cent increase in visitors to its 11 conservation areas and record numbers of planning and development applications. Staff also navigated significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, introduced in the final weeks of 2020.

The RVCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities across the province tasked with watershed management to protect people, property and environment. For 55 years, the RVCA has provided quality programs and services based on this watershed model for the people who live, work and play in the Rideau Valley watershed. Programs range from tree planting to water quality monitoring to flood forecasting. They serve a watershed of more than 4,000 km², stretching from Central Frontenac to Merrickville-Wolford and downriver to the City of Ottawa. Through science, stewardship and education, the RVCA strives to manage local natural resources sustainably to ensure a healthy watershed for the future.

“Our programs protect the health of our watershed and the people who live here,” said Casgrain-Robertson. “But we don’t do our work alone. We are grateful to our many partners that help us achieve our goals – our municipalities and countless individuals, organizations and businesses.” 

2020 Highlights

• 300,000 visitors to RVCA’s 11 conservation areas (an increase of 50 per cent).
• $396,488 in grants allocated to farmers and landowners for projects to improve water quality, valued at more than $1.3 million. 
• 231,050 trees planted in the Rideau Valley watershed, bringing our total to 6.6 million trees planted since 1984.
• 14,554 trees and shrubs planted on 92 waterfront properties to naturalize shorelines.
• 1,844 students participated in curriculum-based outdoor education programs, before staff pivoted to providing online resources for teachers and parents. 
• 1,422 Planning Act applications reviewed, 1,099 property inquiries completed through Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act and 724 septic system applications processed for new or replacement sites in Ottawa and Tay Valley Township.
• 1,385 free butternut seedlings distributed to replace dead and dying endangered butternut trees.
• 156 sites sampled for water quality on lakes, rivers and major tributaries.
• 44 sites sampled in spring and fall for the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network.
• 3.1 kilometres of shorelines naturalized with trees and shrubs. 
• 8 Rideau River and 3 Ottawa River flood messages issued.

Significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act were also introduced in late 2020. The RVCA is grateful for the local support for conservation authorities that resulted in improved amendments and inspired the province to work more collaboratively with conservation authorities and municipalities moving forward.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us through a challenging year,” said Ms. Casgrain-Robertson. “We are grateful for your continued support and commitment to watershed health and resilience.”

For your copy of the RVCA 2020 Annual Report, visit www.rvca.ca or call 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 for a hard copy.

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