By JULIE BARIBEAU
Ottawa Riverkeeper
WHITEWATER REGION (La Passe) – On Wednesday, November 7, members of the the community of La Passe, Ottawa Riverkeeper and Watersheds Canada are joining forces to naturalize part of the shoreline in La Passe. Volunteers are encouraged to come help out! We will plant around 175 plants that will enhance the Ottawa River’s shoreline. Local Ottawa Riverkeeper volunteer Riverwatcher, Vince Gervais, who has been championing this initiative is looking forward to seeing a variety of plants flourish along the river.
“This is a flagship project for our community and we are excited to see it coming together,” he said. “We hope it will inspire others to do the same in their own communities!”
When added to shorelines, native plants can provide a number of benefits. They can help prevent pollutants from entering the water. They also help to control erosion and provide habitat for birds, other wildlife, and fish. With 85 different fish species in the Ottawa River including Walleye, Sturgeon, American Eel, and Muskellunge, having healthy shorelines can benefit all of these species. Good news for fishermen and nature enthusiasts.
“Some community members might be concerned about losing the view to the river,” said Larissa Holman, Riverwatch Co-ordinator at Ottawa Riverkeeper. “However, they can rest assured that it’s quite easy to control the height by pruning the native plants while getting all their awesome benefits for our water quality and wildlife.”
So, with all these advantages in mind, we hope that you will join in for this planting event on the 7th! It will also be a great opportunity to learn more about the ecology of shorelines from Ms. Holman while mingling with other interested in helping to protect the Ottawa River.
The planting event will start at 10 a.m. behind Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parish Church (88 Lacroix Bay Rd) and will be followed by the Parish Catholic Women’s League’s monthly soup and sandwich from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ottawa Riverkeeper and Watersheds Canada will also present more information about the project during the heartwarming lunch.
For more information, please contact Ms. Holman by email, [email protected] or call her, 613-321-1120.
