Conservation Volunteers wanted for a property clean up on Kettle Island in Gatineau
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is seeking volunteers who want to get involved in the protection of extraordinary natural areas in the Outaouais. The not-for-profit conservation organization invites citizens to a clean-up of the Gatineau’s Kettle Island, with a meeting point in Ottawa, on Saturday, September 16th, 2023.
Activity
Conservation Volunteers are needed to help protect habitat on Kettle Island by helping clean up its banks. Picking up trash along its shores helps maintain clean, important habitat for the species that live there. Volunteers with a boat are also needed to help transport volunteers to the island and to help bring back waste. Link
Habitat
Kettle Island is the third-largest island in the Ottawa River, after Île aux Allumettes and Grand-Calumet. Almost entirely covered by moist forest, the island is home to a silver maple grove as well as stands of basswood and hackberry, a species likely to be designated threatened or vulnerable in Quebec. There are also several swamp areas, which are preferred habitat for species such as northern watersnake, map turtle and butternut tree. This island acquisition for protected area purposes has been funded through the private stewardship assistance programs of the Gouvernement du Québec.
Date and time
Saturday, September 16th from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Meeting point
- For participants based in Quebec and Ontario: Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Ottawa Riverkeeper, at 501 Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway, Ottawa (Ontario) K1M 2K7. 45.457469, -75.678297 – Google Maps. The NCC team will be there to welcome you. There will be a shuttle service to get to the island from the meeting point at the Ottawa Riverkeeper River House.
- For participants using their own boat : Meet at 9:30 p.m. at Pointe Duval (southwestern tip of the island) directly on Kettle Island: 45°27'56.3"N 75°40'22.4"W - Google Maps.
Additional information
- Participants should be at least 14 years old. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
- Ticks and poison ivy are present in the area.
- The activity will be postponed to the next day in the event of heavy rain. Participants will be informed on Friday, September 15th around 4 p.m., if applicable.
- Please prepare for weather conditions of the day.
- A moderate level of fitness is required to participate in this activity.
- Tools will be provided by NCC.
- All local authority health and safety COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines must be followed.
To sign up
Registration deadline: September 13th, 2023
To learn more about this activity, please email francisco.retamaldiaz@natureconservancy.ca.
Acknowledgements
This activity is made possible thanks to financial assistance provided by the ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, through the Partenariat pour les milieux naturels project. Thank you to Ottawa Riverkeeper and the Navy League of Canada – Ottawa Branch for their collaboration in this activity.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. In Quebec, close to 50,000 hectares have been protected. With nature, we build a thriving world.
The Projet de partenariat pour les milieux naturels (PPMN) is a four-year grant of more than $53 millions from the ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques to NCC. It provides support for voluntary conservation initiatives to ensure the protection of natural areas of interest by establishing financial partnerships with conservation organizations in the province. The PPMN thus aims to develop and consolidate Québec's network of protected areas located on private land. It follows the Ensemble pour la nature project, which ended on March 31, 2020, and had similar goals.
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