Out to Learn – supporting outdoor education programs for children

https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/a-bequest-in-your-will

“A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.” – Greek proverb

“A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.” – Greek proverb

OTTAWA, Jan. 7, 2021 – Ottawa race organizer Somersault Events has turned its sustainability practices upside down, starting with a carbon neutral certification through the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation. 

Under new ownership since October 2021, the local race organizer has pledged to offset any emissions from its events, including travel to and from races for all participants and staff. 

This translates into 263 native seedlings planted locally across the Rideau Valley watershed to absorb the company’s annual carbon over their 80-year lifespans. 

But these trees don’t just store carbon dioxide: they also reduce the impacts of floods and droughts, clean the local air and water, provide critical habitat for wildlife and improve the Rideau Valley watershed for all who live here.

“We welcome Somersault to the carbon neutral family,” said Foundation executive director Diane Downey. “Supporting local, native tree planting is a big part of creating a sustainable future for Eastern Ontario and the planet.”

On top of the carbon neutral certification, new owner Adam Kourakis said Somersault has been working hard to reduce its footprint by more than 90% ahead of its first race of the pandemic, scheduled for Feb. 20 as part of Winterlude.

Kourakis has already sold the company’s seven cars, with plans to rent low-emissions vehicles when needed. Six of the company’s seven trailers have also been sold, with only one trailer needed at each event. 

Free t-shirts made overseas won’t be an automatic part of the participant package anymore; instead, participants can choose to buy a shirt, with a portion going to a carbon offset. The events will also replace single-use plastics with compostable and recyclable materials, and most maps and other printed hand-outs will only be offered digitally. 

“A lot of these actions were really simple, but it’s part of a whole plan to make the company more sustainable,” said Kourakis. He noted the company has been around for 35 years and got set in its ways. “A lot of businesses can use a jab in the arm in terms of environmentalism.”

Somersault is Canada’s second-largest sporting events company, organizing about a dozen events across Eastern Ontario each year. Kourakis purchased Somersault in October 2021 after 18 years as a participant, volunteer, race director and event sponsor through his other company, velofix. Velofix is also carbon neutral certified through the Foundation.

To learn more about the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s carbon neutral program and to become a partner, visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/carbon-neutral-program. 

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KARS-ON-THE-RIDEAU, Dec. 2, 2021 – You’ve heard it before: to understand a person, you must walk a mile in their shoes. 

A local Cub Scouts pack did just that recently when they walked – and rolled – in the shoes of people with disabilities at Baxter Conservation Area south of Manotick. 

Gathered at the trailhead on Nov. 7, each young hiker from the 1^st Greely Cubs was assigned equipment to simulate a physical limitation: taped goggles for vision loss, noise-cancelling headphones for hearing impairment, thick gloves for dexterity limitations and wheelchairs and crutches for mobility issues. 

The goal was to attempt their regular hike and activities while experiencing the barriers people with physical disabilities face every day. 

“I planned each part purposely so they would feel frustrated and upset, and fully experience the many accessibility barriers built into the world around them,” said Scouter Tara Charron, whose sons are part of the group. She said it was the most tangible way to demonstrate the challenge of living in a world that is not accessible to you.

And it was tangible, alright: a wheelchair user got stuck in the mud, those with limited vision fell off the side of the boardwalk and those with limited hearing missed instructions for most of the activities along the hike. 

Charron was surprised by their reactions: rather than sticking with their buddies or asking for help, many withdrew quickly and became unusually quiet. Some were visibly frustrated. But the 8- to 10-year-olds put the pieces together quickly. 

“I was very impressed by how quickly they got it,” Charron said. “They were able to just understand that this should be designed for everybody. I was really proud of my Cubs.” 

The hike was in support of an ongoing capital project to transform Baxter into Eastern Ontario’s most inclusive nature destination. Work is already underway to bring the gold standard of accessibility features to Baxter’s boardwalks and marshland bridge, which are being rebuilt with extra-wide decks, accessible sightlines and large, barrier-free learning platforms.

The Greely Cubs spent their next meeting discussing the hike and designing fundraising signs for the Baxter project to post around the community. The kids also plan to sell hot chocolate at the park this winter to help with fundraising efforts. The Baxter project will cost an estimated $1 million or more to complete. 

Called Nature For All, the project is spearheaded by former world ski champ Mike Nemesvary, who frequently visits Baxter in his power wheelchair and long dreamed of creating a more inclusive park for people with disabilities. He partnered with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to make his vision a reality. 

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KARS-ON-THE-RIDEAU, Dec. 2, 2021 – You’ve heard it before: to understand a person, you must walk a mile in their shoes. 

A local Cub Scouts pack did just that recently when they walked – and rolled – in the shoes of people with disabilities at Baxter Conservation Area south of Manotick. 

Gathered at the trailhead on Nov. 7, each young hiker from the 1^st Greely Cubs was assigned equipment to simulate a physical limitation: taped goggles for vision loss, noise-cancelling headphones for hearing impairment, thick gloves for dexterity limitations and wheelchairs and crutches for mobility issues. 

The goal was to attempt their regular hike and activities while experiencing the barriers people with physical disabilities face every day. 

“I planned each part purposely so they would feel frustrated and upset, and fully experience the many accessibility barriers built into the world around them,” said Scouter Tara Charron, whose sons are part of the group. She said it was the most tangible way to demonstrate the challenge of living in a world that is not accessible to you.

And it was tangible, alright: a wheelchair user got stuck in the mud, those with limited vision fell off the side of the boardwalk and those with limited hearing missed instructions for most of the activities along the hike. 

Charron was surprised by their reactions: rather than sticking with their buddies or asking for help, many withdrew quickly and became unusually quiet. Some were visibly frustrated. But the 8- to 10-year-olds put the pieces together quickly. 

“I was very impressed by how quickly they got it,” Charron said. “They were able to just understand that this should be designed for everybody. I was really proud of my Cubs.” 

The hike was in support of an ongoing capital project to transform Baxter into Eastern Ontario’s most inclusive nature destination. Work is already underway to bring the gold standard of accessibility features to Baxter’s boardwalks and marshland bridge, which are being rebuilt with extra-wide decks, accessible sightlines and large, barrier-free learning platforms.

The Greely Cubs spent their next meeting discussing the hike and designing fundraising signs for the Baxter project to post around the community. The kids also plan to sell hot chocolate at the park this winter to help with fundraising efforts. The Baxter project will cost an estimated $1 million or more to complete. 

Called Nature For All, the project is spearheaded by former world ski champ Mike Nemesvary, who frequently visits Baxter in his power wheelchair and long dreamed of creating a more inclusive park for people with disabilities. He partnered with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to make his vision a reality. 

To learn more about Nature For All or make a donation, visit www.RVCF.ca/nature-for-all.

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OTTAWA, Nov. 16, 2021 – More than 200 new native trees will be planted in the Rideau Valley watershed this year thanks to the Foundation’s newest carbon neutral partner. 

Elephant Print, a local print and graphic design shop co-owned by Ryan Boland and Naheed Hicks, has committed to offsetting its eight tonnes of annual carbon emissions by planting 201 local seedlings through the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s Carbon Neutral program. 

Boland said their firm had previously offset its emissions through other providers, but they were drawn to the local impact of the Foundation’s program. 

“We wanted our offsets to directly benefit our community here in Ottawa, so it was a good match,” Boland said. 

Trees not only capture and store carbon dioxide, they also reduce the impacts of floods and droughts, clean the local air and water and provide critical habitat for wildlife. 

“We are thrilled to have Elephant Print on board,” said Foundation executive director Diane Downey. “This is a meaningful step towards a sustainable future for Eastern Ontario and the planet.”

Along with offsetting emissions, Boland said his business is committed to taking as many other meaningful steps as it can: from switching to more energy-efficient LEDs to reusing packaging from suppliers and crafting notebooks out of old stock.

“We feel like everyone should do a little bit to help out,” he said. Elephant Print is a member of the UN’s Climate Neutral Now pledge campaign, and its servers are hosted by GreenGeeks, which replaces its energy usage by three times in wind energy credits. 

Boland also addressed that other elephant in the room: the fact that they’re planting new trees to offset emissions from a paper-based business.

“It is kind of an odd combo, but its why we’re committed to it even more,” he said. “A lot of our paper products are made from recycled materials and we use sustainable forestry products as much as possible. Planting these trees takes it a step further.”

To learn more about the Foundation’s carbon neutral program or to become a partner, visit https://www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/carbon-neutral-program.

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RIDEAU VALLEY, Nov. 18, 2021 – An investment in nature is an investment for the future – and with its generous Giving Tuesday matching pledge, McCooeye Wealth Management is helping to generate some big returns.

McCooeye Wealth Management, an advisory team with Mandeville Private Client Inc., will match up to $5,000 in donations to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s Steve Simmering Conservation Land Endowment Fund between Nov. 18 and Giving Tuesday, which lands on Nov. 30 this year.

This generous gift will help the Foundation cover annual maintenance costs for more than 6,760 acres of natural lands across the Rideau Valley watershed – costs like property taxes, fencing and signage. It’s mundane work, but it’s crucial to preserving these donated lands in perpetuity, as promised to the families who left them in the Foundation’s care. 

In Canada and across the world, natural lands are being recognized as important allies in the fight against climate change. Wetlands and forests especially offer critical green infrastructure that can capture and store huge amounts of carbon, reduce the impacts of extreme weather and help clean our air and water. They provide thousands of dollars’ worth of environmental services which taxpayers would have to replace if these lands disappeared. 

Even natural, undeveloped land costs money to maintain – up to $60,000 per property over time – and interest from the Steve Simmering endowment covers these annual costs each year. The principal remains invested to create a steady flow of cash year after year.

With McCooeye Wealth Management’s matching pledge, donations will do double duty to protect our current lands and give us the resources to accept new ecologically significant properties across the region in the future.

This giving season, let McCooeye Wealth Management double your impact and keep our watershed green forever. Visit https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/rideau-valley-conservation-foundation/campaign/giving-tuesday/ to donate today. 

Mandeville Private Client Inc. is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

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OTTAWA, Oct. 7, 2021 – 

A thriving local forest serves as a living legacy for the many Rideau Valley families served by Hulse, Playfair & McGarry Funeral Homes over the past 20 years. 

Since 2001, the long-standing family business has worked with the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to plant local, native seedlings in honour of each of the families they’ve served. 

In 2021, the funeral home topped a total of 30,000 trees planted, reforesting an estimated 37.5 acres of local land to create new habitat, clean the air and water, capture carbon and contribute to vibrant, healthy communities. 

President Sharon McGarry said that in addition to environmental and community benefits, the memorial trees bring comfort to the families they have been honoured to serve.

“Memorialization is very important in the work we do,” McGarry said. “We felt it would be comforting for families to know that a seedling was being planted on their behalf representing new life where there was loss”.

The Foundation’s executive director Diane Downey said this partnership has been a mainstay of the memorial trees program over the past 20 years and continues to support a thriving watershed for all who live here. 

“We are grateful for their support and the example they set as community builders and leaders,” Downey said. 

Memorial trees have the unique ability to provide long-lasting peace for family and friends.

“At times of loss, the stability of living trees gives peace to the family,” Downey said. “These trees will give back to the community and the planet for 80 years or more.”

To learn more about memorial trees, visit www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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CROW LAKE, Sept. 7, 2021 – A new plaque at Meisel Woods Conservation Area pays homage to one of the park’s most earnest caretakers: Joe Slater. 

Joe and his wife Sandi moved to the village of Crow Lake around 1999 to enjoy a quiet retirement outside the big city. They quickly became good friends with their neighbour, Dr. John Meisel, who owned 130 acres of pristine Precambrian Shield surrounding a small lake.

John graciously welcomed the couple to enjoy walks on his informal trails that followed the lake (called Bass or Beaver Lake depending who you ask), which they embraced as part of their new daily routine.

Even after the property was donated to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation in 2000, in those early years few outsiders visited the property. The Slaters often had it to themselves and cared for it as though it was their own. 

But tragedy struck in May 2003 when Sandi died suddenly, leaving Joe to walk the paths alone. In her memory, John and Joe worked with the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation to create the Sandi Slater Memorial Trail later that fall, which Joe diligently maintained until his death in November 2019. 

“Staff from the conservation authority would show up to do some work and find that my dad had already done it,” said Sheryl Slater, Joe’s daughter. 

Joe expanded and formalized the trail around the lake. He used his background in civil engineering and called on old colleagues, including family friend Graydon Knights, to help design the 40-foot bridge at the south end of the trail. His put his son Jeff’s University of Waterloo swim team to work clearing paths and building rock cribs while they were up to train in the lake each summer. 

“My dad really committed himself to it,” Jeff said. “They wanted to give something back to the community and this was the best way he saw that he could do that.” 

Volunteers like Joe are key to making sure such pristine properties can be enjoyed by all watershed residents for decades to come, said RVCA’s Conservation Lands manager Chelsey Ellis. 

“We are delighted to support the installation of this plaque," Ellis said. "It is our small way of thanking Joe for all his hard work – hard work that can never truly be repaid."

But the out-and-back trails are still unfinished. A 3.5-km rugged trail heads south around the lake, while another 1.5-km trail heads north. But due to a wetland at the north end of the lake, they don't connect. Adding a bridge would be a difficult and costly endeavour, but Jeff and Sheryl hope someday to complete the loop so visitors can enjoy more of the beautiful bluffs and lakeshore that their parents came to love. 

For more information about Meisel Woods Conservation Area visit www.rvca.ca/conservation-areas/no-fee-required/meisel-woods-ca. To learn more about donating land or supporting land maintenance through Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation, visit www.rvcf.ca. 

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