Fall Paddle and Garbage Pick-Up
Kettle Island, Ottawa/Gatineau, 10AM to 3:30PM - Saturday, October 20, 2007
Help us spread the word – Print a poster
and hang it at work or in your local cafe.
Bring your canoe and your friends and
join our clean-up efforts
at the third annual Fall Paddle and Garbage Pick-Up.
This year we are taking on a new adventure: Kettle Island. This island is situated in the Ottawa River, accessible from Gatineau and Ottawa. It is beautiful – and badly in need of stewardship and care.
We will have food and beverages for those that come out and join in our efforts to keep one of the jewels of the Ottawa River shining.
Kettle Island and Ottawa-Gatineau Alluvial Islands
Over the centuries river currents have deposited massive amounts of sand and silt in particular areas, first forming bars and eventually islands upon which flood dependent habitats have developed. A string of such virtually unique, constantly shifting creatures of the river have evolved with upstream Kettle Island being the largest and the Petrie Islands being most ecologically diverse. One of the flood-tolerant habitats that has established on these islands in the Hackberry – Ostrich Fern swamp, believed to occur nowhere else in Canada but the lower Ottawa and perhaps adjacent St. Lawrence River. Demanding site conditions have traditionally reduced but not eliminated development pressure on these aesthetically appealing sites and several are now in one form or another of protective status. All have negatively impacted, however, by head pond flooding from the Carillon Dam some 150 km downstream.
Event Details
If you have a canoe/kayak and the required gear, there will be a check in area where you can unload and register. For those without boats, there will also be a shuttle service to and from the island via motorboat.
The shuttles will leave from 10AM onward from 2 locations:
- Gatineau – meet your welcome crew at Parc Sanscartier
- Ottawa – meet your welcome crew at the Ottawa New Edinburg Club
p. Washrooms are available at each starting points, but not on the island.We will have our Riverkeeper draw and auction along with food and drink on the island at lunch time.
The garbage is all over the island and can be picked up on foot and brought back to base camp. The collected litter will be removed from the island by boat. We will delegate “quadrants” on a squared off map to people and check them off as the area is completed. There will be an “area control” spot, so that we limit volunteers going over the same areas. During phase one, the beach area around the tip of the island and inland of the point (not deep in the woods) will be cleaned-up.
Suuggested apparel: gloves (garden/leather), appropriate to weather wear (rain gear), hiking boots or rubber boots
This is a great opportunity for high school students out there to sign off some volunteer hours. The Riverkeeper will be ready for you!
Registration
We would appreciate it if you could pre-register for this event to help us organize food and shuttles. Please confirm your participation by October 10th – If you need a boat and will be on the island for lunch, please contact Laurel Rosene.
Walk-ins are also welcome.Project Partners
1st Glen Cairn Venturers, Bowater, City of Gatineau, MEC, Trailhead, Ozile’s Marina and Tackle Shop, Camp de Base, lifewithoutplastic.com, Ottawa New Edinburg Club, YMCA-YWCA Canoe Camping Club, Sobeys Kanata, Loblaws Gatineau, Paddle Shack, Brebner Repairs and Manufacturing
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