Please Support the Stewardship Plan for the Beaver Pond Forest

Hello Friends of the Beaver Pond Forest!

This seemed like the simplest way to share this great vision for the Beaver Pond Forest.  There is also info here.

First, the Cover Letter that was sent to Ottawa City Councilors on 4 October 2010.

Second, the Stewardship Plan itself.  Highlights for me are pages 9, 10, 11, 12 and neat survey on page 18 (5.1).

Third, some pretty pix, and my own pictures from recent visits.

And below is my own letter to City Councillors and the Mayor.  At this point, probably best to just email them all, but personal, individual letters would work best.  And here is another example.  If you love the vision in the above Stewardship Plan, PLEASE let the Mayor and all City Councilors know!  Everyone can do that.  Residents of Ottawa can also try to get your own Coucillor on board, write to him or her to vote yes to the motion to buy the Beaver Pond Forest on 6 Oct.  Thanks!!!

UPDATE: on 6 October, the motion was deffered.  The Forest is safe until the vote at next City Council meeting, 19 November.  STAY TUNED!!!

To: (Depending on your email system, you may need to replace the semicolon (;) beween each address with a comma.)
Larry.OBrien@ottawa.ca; Georges.Bedard@ottawa.ca;
Michel.Bellemare@ottawa.ca; Rainer.Bloess@ottawa.ca;
Glenn.Brooks@ottawa.ca; Rick.Chiarelli@ottawa.ca; Alex.Cullen@ottawa.ca;
Diane.Deans@ottawa.ca; Steve.Desroches@ottawa.ca;
Clive.Doucet@ottawa.ca; Eli.El-Chantiry@ottawa.ca;
Peggy.Feltmate@ottawa.ca; Jan.Harder@ottawa.ca;
Diane.Holmes@ottawa.ca; Peter.Hume@ottawa.ca; Gord.Hunter@ottawa.ca;
Rob.Jellett@ottawa.ca; Kitchissippi@ottawa.ca;
Jacques.Legendre@ottawa.ca; Maria.Mcrae@ottawa.ca;
Bob.Monette@ottawa.ca; Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca;
Doug.Thompson@ottawa.ca; Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca

Regarding: 6 October 2010 Motion for the City to obtain the lands north of the Beaver Pond

Dear Mayor O’Brien and Ottawa City Councillors,

I am writing to encourage you to vote in favour of the motion to obtain the lands known as the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata North, presented by Councillors Marianne Wilkinson and Clive Doucet.  I am also writing to express my whole-hearted support of the Stewardship Plan presented to you today (4 October), which outlines how purchasing this Forest is an investment in Ottawa’s future.

I am a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.  My Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded research is on Environmental Education through Wildlife Clubs with the Makushi in Guyana, South America.  I would especially like to highlight page 9 of the Stewardship Plan, Section 2. “World Class Ecological and Cultural Education Centre” which describes the plan to create an Education Centre which could serve K-12 as well as University students.  This immediately made me think of my partner organization for my research, the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (http://www.iwokrama.org/wp/).

I want to emphasize to you that the Stewardship Plan demonstrates excellent vision for Ottawa.  This idea of establishing an Education, Research, and Ecotourism Center is sound, and has been successful elsewhere.  Iwokrama’s Field Station attracts researchers from around the world.  It also attracts tourists, who get even more out of their visits from the opportunity to see researchers at work.  School children visit the Field Station and the nearby Canopy Walk.  The Iwokrama Forest is co-managed with the Amerindian communities nearby.  These communities benefit economically from the jobs at the Field Station as rangers, guides, and research staff.  They have also benefited socially and culturally from keeping and using their traditional lands, and from the preservation archeological and sacred sites.

We can do this here!!!  An Ecological and Cultural Education Centre will attract researchers, graduate students, and tourists to Ottawa.  Which will also attract research funding and tourism dollars.  Our school children will benefit from field-trips right in the City.  Recreation and fitness groups will benefit.  Everyone who goes to this beautiful and irreplaceable forest will benefit.

Iwokrama and other research and ecotourism centers around the world have shown how wild spaces like the Beaver Pond Forest are worth far more kept standing proud than being cut down.  Please do the Right Thing on 6 October.  Please vote FOR the motion to obtain the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata.  Please give us the chance to make this inspiring vision a reality.

Sincerely,

Julie Comber

PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education

University of Ottawa/Université d’Ottawa

julie.comber@uottawa.ca

http://ideg-gedi.org/en/members/julie-comber

 

garding: 6 October 2010 Motion for the City to obtain the lands north of the Beaver Pond

Dear Mayor O’Brien and Ottawa City Councillors,

I am writing to encourage you to vote in favour of the motion to obtain the lands known as the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata North, presented by Councillors Marianne Wilkinson and Clive Doucet.  I am also writing to express my whole-hearted support of the Stewardship Plan presented to you today (4 October), which outlines how purchasing this Forest is an investment in Ottawa’s future.

I am a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.  My Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded research is on Environmental Education through Wildlife Clubs with the Makushi in Guyana, South America.  I would especially like to highlight page 9 of the Stewardship Plan, Section 2. “World Class Ecological and Cultural Education Centre” which describes the plan to create an Education Centre which could serve K-12 as well as University students.  This immediately made me think of my partner organization for my research, the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (http://www.iwokrama.org/wp/).

I want to emphasize to you that the Stewardship Plan demonstrates excellent vision for Ottawa.  This idea of establishing an Education, Research, and Ecotourism Center is sound, and has been successful elsewhere.  Iwokrama’s Field Station attracts researchers from around the world.  It also attracts tourists, who get even more out of their visits from the opportunity to see researchers at work.  School children visit the Field Station and the nearby Canopy Walk. The Iwokrama Forest is co-managed with the Amerindian communities nearby.  These communities benefit economically from the jobs at the Field Station as rangers, guides, and research staff.  They have also benefited socially and culturally from keeping and using their traditional lands, and from the preservation archeological and sacred sites.

We can do this here!!!  An Ecological and Cultural Education Centre will attract researchers, graduate students, and tourists to Ottawa.  Which will also attract research funding and tourism dollars. Our school children will benefit from fie

Regarding: 6 October 2010 Motion for the City to obtain the lands north of the Beaver Pond

Dear Mayor O’Brien and Ottawa City Councillors,

I am writing to encourage you to vote in favour of the motion to obtain the lands known as the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata North, presented by Councillors Marianne Wilkinson and Clive Doucet.  I am also writing to express my whole-hearted support of the Stewardship Plan presented to you today (4 October), which outlines how purchasing this Forest is an investment in Ottawa’s future.

I am a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.  My Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded research is on Environmental Education through Wildlife Clubs with the Makushi in Guyana, South America.  I would especially like to highlight page 9 of the Stewardship Plan, Section 2. “World Class Ecological and Cultural Education Centre” which describes the plan to create an Education Centre which could serve K-12 as well as University students.  This immediately made me think of my partner organization for my research, the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (http://www.iwokrama.org/wp/).

I want to emphasize to you that the Stewardship Plan demonstrates excellent vision for Ottawa.  This idea of establishing an Education, Research, and Ecotourism Center is sound, and has been successful elsewhere.  Iwokrama’s Field Station attracts researchers from around the world.  It also attracts tourists, who get even more out of their visits from the opportunity to see researchers at work.  School children visit the Field Station and the nearby Canopy Walk.  The Iwokrama Forest is co-managed with the Amerindian communities nearby.  These communities benefit economically from the jobs at the Field Station as rangers, guides, and research staff.  They have also benefited socially and culturally from keeping and using their traditional lands, and from the preservation archeological and sacred sites.

We can do this here!!!  An Ecological and Cultural Education Centre will attract researchers, graduate students, and tourists to Ottawa.  Which will also attract research funding and tourism dollars.  Our school children will benefit from field-trips right in the City.  Recreation and fitness groups will benefit.  Everyone who goes to this beautiful and irreplaceable forest will benefit.

Iwokrama and other research and ecotourism centers around the world have shown how wild spaces like the Beaver Pond Forest are worth far more kept standing proud than being cut down.  Please do the Right Thing on 6 October.  Please vote FOR the motion to obtain the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata.  Please give us the chance to make this inspiring vision a reality.

Sincerely,

Julie Comber

PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education

University of Ottawa/Université d’Ottawa

julie.comber@uottawa.ca http://ideg-gedi.org/en/members/julie-comber

ld-trips right in the City.  Recreation and fitness groups will benefit. Everyone who goes to this beautiful and irreplaceable forest will benefit.

Iwokrama and other research and ecotourism centers around the world have shown how wild spaces like the Beaver Pond Forest are worth far more kept standing proud than being cut down.  Please do the Right Thing on 6 October. Please vote FOR the motion to obtain the Beaver Pond Forest in Kanata. Please give us the chance to make this inspiring vision a reality.

Sincerely,

Julie Comber

PhD Candidate, Faculty of Education

University of Ottawa/Université d’Ottawa

julie.comber@uottawa.ca http://ideg-gedi.org/en/members/julie-comber