Rotary Club of Peterborough Awards Nearly $10,000 To Advance Environmental Innovation

The Rotary Club of Peterborough and Cleantech Commons hosted the inaugural Rotary Environmental Innovators Awards Thursday evening, recognizing a number of local environmentalists.

Photos courtesy of the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The Rotary Environmentalist Innovators Fund (REIF) announced the first recipients of the 2023 Rotary Environmental Innovators Award at the event, hosted by Camp Kawartha.

"The response to our call for environmental champions has been phenomenal," said Rotarian Graham Wilkins, who is leading the REIF initiative. "The high-calibre applications we received are a testament to the environmental leadership and collaboration within our community. We look forward to bolstering our support for initiatives to address society's most pressing environmental challenges in new innovative waves.”

Three environmental innovators were awarded $3,000 each towards initiatives addressing environmental issues affecting the Peterborough region.

Carlotta James, Monarch Ultra: The Monarch Ultra raises awareness about the decline of monarch populations through its long-distance running events, social media channels, the media and partnerships with schools, non-profits and municipalities. This vear, they are planning Peterborough's first-ever Monarch Butterfly Festival and Race to bolster monarch butterfly conservation efforts. The organization is also planning festivals and races in the USA and Mexico.

Craig Onafrychuk, Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance (BCWA): A collaborative community initiative, the BCWA is dedicated to conserving and enhancing the local watershed. The Alliance is working with community stakeholders and government to monitor ecological systems in the Baxter Creek watershed, educate the broader community and implement innovative conservation initiatives to protect the natural heritage through landowner stewardship plans and conservation agreements.

Dylan Radcliffe, creator of a drone for large-scale environmental restoration projects: Dvlan has created a drone that broadcasts high-value tree and tallgrass seed with precision over large areas to help restore essential ecosystems. The drone operates autonomously with limited operator intervention and can be constructed with tools commonly available in school or library makerspaces. The intention is to release the project as an open-source design - a relatively new concept in the environmental sector.

"Helping start-ups and entrepreneurs bring their innovative green technologies to the market is at the heart of Cleantech Commons," said Martin Yuill, Cleantech Commons Executive Director. "Initiatives such as REIF are the launchpad for many high-impact advances that will move society forward while protecting the environment.”

Given the applicants' exceptional ingenuity and commitment to environmental conservation, two additional finalists received $300 each for their initiatives:

Zachary McCue, REPWR: REPWR designs and builds renewable energy systems for the intermodal shipping network, which provide clean power for the shipping industry and lower greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact.

Christa Plumley, Ava&Ziva: As a sustainable clothing brand, Ava&Ziva strives to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry by using deadstock fabric for its high-quality, small-batch garments.

The REIF partners have exciting plans for the coming months, including ramping up their fundraising efforts, networking, mentorship opportunities for applicants and introducing a youth award.

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City of Peterborough to Operate a Community Bio-Blitz Starting Friday

Peterborough is taking part in a community bio-blitz from Friday to Monday as part of the City Nature Challenge competition, announced by The City of Peterborough on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The City describes a bio-blitz as a ‘survey that identifies wildlife with the goal to understand the biodiversity of a location,’ according to a press release. Nature observations made are uploaded using the iNaturalist app and posted to the Peterborough event page. All natural areas in the city are eligible for nature sightings.

At the end of the bio-blitz, wildlife observations will be tallied to determine the winning communities in Canada.

On Saturday, the City of Peterborough and Peterborough Field Naturalists will host a bio-blitz at Jackson Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It features family-friendly nature walks for residents to learn how to make nature observations while exploring the park. Walks will be approximately one hour, with the first tour at 9 a.m. and the last at 2 p.m., with a break at noon. Guided tours start at the event base camp booth located near the Jackson Park pond and Pagoda Bridge. Residents can also participate in wildlife surveys throughout the park.   

A tree will be planted in Jackson Park to celebrate the event as part of the City of Peterborough’s Urban Forestry program.

More information is at peterborough.ca/bioblitz.

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Total Burn Ban Lifted for Selwyn Township

On Monday, Selwyn Township Fire Department has lifted the Total Burn Ban which was issued April 11.

photo courtesy of selwyn township.

Burn barrels are not permitted in the Township and open air burning is not allowed in built-up areas. Burn permits are still required for any fire that is not a campfire or outdoor fireplace.

To purchase a burn permit visit the Bridgenorth Fire Hall (833 Ward Street).

For more information, contact the Township of Selwyn Fire Department at (705) 292-7282.

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Photos: Volunteers Make Jackson Park A Little Greener With Earth Day Cleanup

Gunther Schubert (left) and Ken Clare (right) give up their day by cleaning up litter throughout Jackson Park and Jackson Creek Trail on Earth Day held on Saturday. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Several local community volunteers picked up litter along Jackson Park and Jackson Creek Trail during Earth Day on Saturday morning into the afternoon.

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Jackson Creek Environmental Remediation Update

The City of Peterborough announced that conditions have greatly improved on Jackson Creek at the outlet to Little Lake after environmental remediation work to contain and cleanup an oil sheen discovered on March 16.

file photo.

Monitoring March 18 through to the 20 reflected that the remediation efforts have been successful in containing and removing contamination.  

The source of the contamination has not been determined, but investigation and remediation efforts continue. There is historical contamination in the area. 

The City is working with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to investigate and to consider additional intermediate and longer-term measures. 

When the oil sheen was discovered on March 16, the City immediately took action to contain and clean up the contamination. 

Last fall and earlier this winter, the City undertook environmental remediation efforts on a nearby City-owned property that was approved by the Ministry of the Environment after an oil sheen appeared on Jackson Creek at the outlet to Little Lake in August. The source of that contamination was unknown, however, the City took precautionary measures to prevent contamination from its property.  

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Fleming College Students Tree Create Urban Forest Management Plan For Lindsay Golf and Country Club

The fairways are looking a little greener at the Lindsay Golf and Country Club as Urban Forestry Technician students from Fleming College are completing a tree inventory and creating an urban forest management plan for the golf club on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of FLeming College.

The plan helps the golf club decide which trees to plant and where they will go on the course.

The club’s tree population is predominantly Ash-most of which are infested by the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species that has significantly impacted urban and forested canopies across Ontario according to Fleming College. The insect is the cause of the trees becoming dead or dying and needing to be removed and replaced.  

The club anticipates planting 20 to 25 trees per year over the next several years.

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Otonabee Conservation Launches 2023 Seedling Program Encouraging Landowners to Enhance Their Property With Trees

Otonabee Conservation has launched its 2023 Seedling Program, encouraging landowners in the Otonabee Region Watershed to plant and grow trees to enhance their property and mitigate climate change announced on Wednesday.

MEREDITH CARTER, MANAGER OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AT OTONABEE CONSERVATION, HOLDS A BARE ROOT TREE THAT WAS ONE OF 4,500 TREES PLANTED AT A WATERSHED RESIDENT’S PROPERTY IN OTONABEE SOUTH MONAGHAN TOWNSHIP in the fall of 2020. PHOTO COURTESY of OTONABEE CONSERVATION

“Trees play an important role in maintaining a healthy and resilient natural environment; planting more trees will help provide habitat and mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Meredith Carter, Otonabee Conservation Watershed Management Program manager.“Last year, 115 landowners in our watershed purchased and planted over 14,000 trees and shrubs through our Tree Seedling Sales Program. This will translate to approximately, 2.5 million kg of sequestered Carbon over the lifetime of these trees.”

The Conservation offers various coniferous and deciduous trees and wildlife shrubs including White Pine, Eastern White Cedar, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Highbush Cranberry and Buttonbush, along with some unique species such as Tulip Tree, Bitternut Hickory, and Serviceberry. The minimum order is 25 seedlings of a selected species.

“Trees and forests also protect water quality in our rivers and streams,” said Carter, “They provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, and they add to the health of our communities by purifying the air and enhancing the environment that surrounds us.”

Pickups are scheduled for spring 2023 with an order deadline of March 20.

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City of Peterborough Addresses Environmental Remediation Update For Jackson Creek

The City of Peterborough has provided an update to Environmental Remediation Update For Jackson Creek which was contaminated through Bethune Street construction work that occurred on Aug. 24.

File Photo.

The City has assured that they are actively working on short-term cleanup and longer-term remediation. 

The Ministry of the Environment identified a fuel spill in Jackson Creek in the area of Townsend and Aylmer streets. The City had placed environmental protection measures immediately after the spill to prevent it form getting into Little Lake with help from Working with the Ministry of the Environment (MECP) according to a press release. They retained an environmental consultant, Cambium, to investigate the source of the contamination as well as an environmental remediation specialist, GFL, to support immediate cleanup activities.

The City says the investigation, cleanup and implementation of remediation is ongoing .

The City’s environmental consultant has created a Remedial Action Plan including MECP comments, which has been reviewed, accepted and overseen by MECP as the regulating body. The plan introduces a Geophysical Survey which was completed and discovered an unidentified tank containing limited free products.

While the tank was promptly removed, the City believes there are other sources of contamination now surfacing in Jackson Creek, pending the installation of a reactive barrier that is a more promising long-term solution. The Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) installation is also scheduled to begin next week.

With the recent weather, conditions in Jackson Creek have deteriorated according to the City. They are communicating with the MECP which directed them to retain a environmental remediation specialist full-time until conditions improve - GFL has deployed all the resources it has available as well as City resources. The City anticipates the contractor will be able to remove the temporary dam in place to support the construction activities and GFL will also support the additional skimming of free product available during the temporary dam removal.

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Kawartha Land Trust to Receive $1.7 Million from Environment and Climate Change Canada

Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is set to receive $1.7 million over five years from Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF), furthering its land protection efforts in the Kawarthas announced Monday.

Shoreline of Kawartha Land Trust’s new Otonabee River Property, secured with support from the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (Photo by Veronica Price-Jones/KLT)

As a direct result of the funding, KLT acquired 200 more acres of wetlands and forests in the Kawarthas through the securement of two new properties. They now protect over 5,070 acres of land in the Kawarthas, including 1,739 acres of wetlands.

The newly protected 200 plus additional acres of wetlands and forests includes 154 acres in Kawartha Lakes and 58 acres in Otonabee-South Monaghan township. Both properties include Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) and the Kawartha Lakes property is noted as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

The goal of this project is to protect CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) conversion through the protection of natural habitat in the Kawarthas by inspiring landowner participation in protecting carbon on their lands through a mix of land protection options and the outright purchase/protection of land with high carbon storage value vital habitat for plant and animal species, including a number of at risk species.

“We are so lucky in the Kawarthas to live where people have been caring for the land for generations, leaving a lasting natural legacy for today,” says John Kintare, executive director of Kawartha Land Trust. “The funding from ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solution Fund will allow Kawartha Land Trust to reach out to key landowners across our landscape to help them understand the part their land plays in our local ecosystem. We will work with all who are willing to secure important carbon stores and enhance land management so that our local lands can have a global impact.”

ECCC announced the details of the investment over five years to support KLT’s ‘Sequestering Kawarthas’ Carbon Through Partners in Conservation’ project through the ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

The NSCSF is a $631 million, ten-year fund to support projects that restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands and grasslands that store and capture carbon through nature-based solutions.

“Canada matters in the global fight to conserve and protect biodiversity. We are home to twenty four percent of the world’s wetlands, twenty five percent of temperate rainforest areas and twenty eight percent of remaining boreal forests,” says The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change. “These ecosystems are globally significant as they absorb carbon, mitigate against the impacts of climate change, and protect biodiversity.”

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Trent University Climate Change and Northern Ecosystems Scholar Appointed Canada Research Chair

Dr. Andrew Tanentzap has been appointed as Tier II Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Climate Change and Northern Ecosystems with the Trent School of Environment (TSE) announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

Prof. Tanentzap comes from the University of Cambridge. He is one of ten Canada Research Chairs, and among seven CRCs with an environmental focus to their research.

From the cycling of carbon and nitrogen to water quality to wildlife health, he brings his expertise and research-focused foundational knowledge about the benefits of nature and how climate change impacts those benefits. His work looks at the human impact on microorganisms and carbon across all levels of life, from genes to landscapes.

“One of the things that brought me to Trent was the impressive resources at the Water Quality Centre. The Canada Research Chair position will give me the opportunity to leverage the equipment and expertise at the Water Quality Centre to advance my research projects and help train the next generation of environmental leaders,” said Prof. Tanentzap. “A highlight will be establishing the Trent Organic Matter Research Opportunity (T-OMRO) Fellowship, a global competition to host visitors at the Water Quality Centre from groups that have been typically underrepresented in our research field.”

Trent School of Environment professor Dr. Ian Power was also recognized, being awarded a second term as CRC in Environmental Geoscience.

In Prof. Power’s environmental geochemistry lab at Trent, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students can work with state-of-the-art instrumentation to investigate Earth materials and perform carbon dioxide removal experiments.

He collaborates closely with mining companies to develop and implement geochemical CO2 removal technologies and further advances his research.

“We hear a lot about needing to reach carbon neutrality, which we do, but my work is focused on taking us beyond that,” said Prof. Power. “We need to become carbon negative, and minerals have sequestration properties that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

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