WESTPORT, March 1, 2021 – Get out and enjoy everything winter has to offer with a free outdoor adventure kit from Foley Mountain Conservation Area. 

Beginning March 2, families can pick up one of 100 kits from any Rideau Lakes or Westport library branch. 

The kits include materials and instructions to identify and follow animal tracks in the snow, explore the wonderful world of snowflakes, do an experiment with a jello mouse, create a backyard birdfeeder, make snow ice cream and more. 

“This is just another way we’re keeping connected with local families and promoting outdoor education,” said site supervisor Rebecca Whitman. “We hope people will be inspired to get outside more and enjoy all the fun winter has to offer.”

The kits were made possible through generous donations from Friends of Foley Mountain and the Township of Rideau Lakes, support from Kudrinko’s grocery store in Westport and distribution services from the libraries.

“This is the first time we’re doing this and we’re thrilled to have so many partners involved to keep families engaged while they’re at home,” Whitman said. 

The kits can be adapted for all ages; parents can modify the activities as needed to engage both younger and older kids.

While signs of spring are starting to appear, there could still be another six weeks of winter – and this is the time when families start to feel the fatigue of the coldest months. 

“I’m hoping these kits will help families pull through the last stretch of winter and keep the wonder of nature and the great outdoors at their fingertips,” Whitman said.

Questions about the kits can be sent to . 

More “Fresh Air Fun” activities can be found at www.rvca.ca and on our YouTube channel.  

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OTTAWA, Feb. 22, 2021 – The spring melt is just around the corner, and what better way to prepare for it than a new and improved flood data website for waterfront residents?

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s flood forecasting webpage now includes access to several new data sets that will help residents in flood-prone areas of the Rideau Valley watershed and parts of the Ottawa River watershed prepare for flood season. 

These updates include: 

• Real-time water level and streamflow tools, including new gauges in the vulnerable communities of Cumberland, North Gower, Richmond and Brantwood Park;
• Neighbourhood flood mapping for several vulnerable Ottawa communities along the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers;
• Periodic water level data for some lakes in the Rideau Valley; 
• Historic Rideau Valley snowpack measurements going back 40 years;
• Historic Rideau River water level and stream flow data from as far back as 1933. 

The data and maps can be customized, downloaded, printed and shared. The hope is that, armed with historic trends as well as real-time flood forecasting from staff at the RVCA, residents will be better prepared to avoid, limit and manage flood damage in the future. 

“Our number one goal is to keep people and property safe, and the best way to do that is with information,” said Brian Stratton, RVCA’s manager of engineering. “The more knowledge residents have about the potential for floods in their neighbourhoods, the better.”

Particularly exciting is the installation of four real-time flood gauges in several vulnerable communities within the City of Ottawa. Cumberland was hit hard by the Ottawa River floods in 2017 and 2019, and the new gauge will help residents compare current water levels to past floods. This will help them predict what’s coming and prepare accordingly, Stratton said. Three other communities – North Gower, Richmond and Brantwood Park – will also benefit from new real-time gauges. 

Homeowners in other vulnerable communities within the City of Ottawa can also access new neighbourhood flood mapping that shows where and how floodwaters could breach their communities during 2-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 50- and 100-year floods. These maps will help residents decide how to best protect their properties when the waters rise, whether by sandbagging in the best spot or moving important items to higher ground. 

The historical data covering snowpack measurements, lake water levels and Rideau River water levels are also important resources – not just for flood forecasting, but also for spotting weather trends, monitoring local climate change impacts and informing future hazard mapping, municipal planning and zoning decisions. 

All of these tools can be found at www.rvca.ca/watershed-conditions. 

Should flooding occur, the first response is up to property owners. Make sure you have emergency contact information for your municipality on hand, and create an emergency plan to minimize flood-related property damages and to keep people safe. If you don’t have a plan, now’s the time to make one – there are plenty of excellent resources online, including on the RVCA website. You can also refer to RVCA's 2021 Flood Contingency Plan for detailed flood response information. 

The first step for flood preparation is staying informed about the watershed’s current conditions. To receive notifications about flood risks and warnings, subscribe to our Flood Forecasting and Warning newsletter at www.rvca.ca/about-us/join-our-mailing-lists.

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WESTPORT, Feb. 19, 2021 – A new story trail adventure at Foley Mountain Conservation Area is bringing new meaning to Ontario’s winter wonderland as families get outside this winter. 

“Over and Under the Snow” by Kate Messner with art by Christopher Silas Neal brings to life the magical world happening under the snow while teaching kids how different animals survive the winter. 

From hibernating bumblebees to “tough guy” chickadees, the book “evokes a lot of imagination,” said site supervisor Rebecca Whitman, who is also the lead outdoor educator at the park. 

“Kids can connect the words to what’s happening in the forest around them,” Whitman said. “It also gets kids thinking about animals that aren’t front and centre in the winter, like bees and frogs. It’s not always about the snowshoe hares.”

The book has been posted page by page along the beginning of the Blue Trail, which starts at the Spy Rock picnic area. At each stop, there are fun activities to try along with the pages.

Visitors can follow the story and then circle back on the road for a total hike of about 1 km, or they can hike the entire 3.2 km Blue Trail after they finish the story. And everyone should check out the unique winter view of Westport from Spy Rock before they go.

Whitman said the new Story Trail will stay up as long as the snow is on the ground – and it might even be especially exciting to visit once the snow starts to melt, because that’s when evidence of animal activity might be more visible.

This is not the first Story Trail for Foley Mountain. Last year Whitman posted The Gruffalo along the Mobility Trail near the interpretive centre, but the road to that trail is not always accessible in the winter.

While the park is open to all visitors, Whitman said those who don’t live in the local green zone should consider a hike in their own community instead, in accordance with provincial health guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19.  Visitors should bring a mask for crowded areas and be prepared to turn around if the park is too busy. Whitman said local visitors can avoid crowds by visiting on weekdays or early in the morning. Washrooms are currently available at the Education and Group Camping Area and Interpretive Centre.  Other facilities are closed, and visitors should pack out any garbage or waste.

For complete details about Foley Mountain, including trail maps, rules and advance parking payment, visit www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas/fee-required/foley-mountain-ca. For complete COVID-19 rules in our conservation areas visit www.rvca.ca/covid-19.

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OTTAWA, Feb. 8, 2021 – Rural Ottawa landowners can access an additional 40,000 trees thanks to a generous donation from One Tree Planted. 

RVCA’s tree planting program helps private landowners turn farm fields and other marginal land into thriving forests of the future.

This is the second year of support from One Tree Planted, which will transform 20 hectares of idle land into functioning green infrastructure. Forests protect soil from erosion, improve nearby water quality, reduce flooding risks, capture carbon, improve wildlife habitat and increase biodiversity. Environment Canada recommends 30% forest cover in any community to sustain biodiversity and enjoy all the environmental services that forests provide. 

“We're thrilled to help make a positive impact with reforestation alongside the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and local landowners,” said Diana Chaplin, Canopy Director at One Tree Planted. “It's really a team effort when it comes to environmental restoration."

Our forestry staff plant more than 250,000 trees on private land across the watershed each year – that’s more than 6.6 million since we started in 1983. The cost per seedling should be about $3, but with support from partners like One Tree Planted and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation, RVCA can offer landowners highly affordable large-scale planting at just $0.15 per tree. 

This includes a custom planting plan that’s good for the land and landowner, choosing species such as sugar maple, red oak, burr oak, white spruce, white pine and cedar depending on the site’s unique qualities and the landowner’s vision. Our staff then oversee the site’s preparation and tree planting process. We follow up three and five years after the trees are planted to see how they’re growing and replace struggling trees to ensure maximum survival rates.

“Support from partners like One Tree Planted is critical to ensure landowners are motivated to invest in tree planting on their properties,” said Forestry Manager Ian Cochrane. “Tree planting is one of the most practical ways to take care of our watershed and the wider environment.”

If you have land you’d like to reforest, consider planting trees through our program! Contact Ian at  or visit www.rvca.ca/stewardship-grants/tree-planting for more information. 

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Watch the Hutton Marsh Come Alive — The Hutton Marsh near Lombardy is in transformation, and now you can watch it happen! We’ve got exciting drone footage of the construction from winter 2020, and a glimpse of the new and improved marsh from last summer. Check out our new Hutton Marsh Restoration video on RVCA’s YouTube channel @RideauValleyCA — and don’t forget to subscribe! For more information contact DAN at . 

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