Exploring the Past, Plotting the Future

I spent a few hours with some most excellent company at the Royal Botanical Gardens archive this morning, and have a lovely map now, showing not only the trail system, but more detail into the vegetation and the type of landscape a visitor to Coldspring Valley would have encountered before McMaster got hold of it and paved it in 1969.

Click on map to see larger image.

In the near future Restore Cootes will also be sharing some textual descriptions of the trails and the lands as described at the time by W. J. Lamoureux, RBG's Conservationist. A description of the area now would only need mention the asphalt of Parking Lots M, N, O and P, unfortunately. However, the map and historical descriptions will help with broad strokes when it comes time for restoration of the valley.

Some say history repeats itself, which I will take to imply the return of Coldspring Valley as a natural area.

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Slow Sign and Turtle Time

THEY SAY: Information Report: April 3, 2017 SUBJECT/REPORT NO: Rare Turtle Recovery, Wildlife Corridor Issues and Roads of Issue at Cootes Paradise (PW16024a) - (City Wide) Traffic Issues on Cootes Drive Traffic Operations & Engineering has been working with the Ward 13 Councillor on traffic signage along Cootes Drive. Four (4) traffic signs (with flashing lights) operating during turtle migration season will be installed in the spring of 2017. The migration period for turtles is generally around the months of June, early July and September but can vary due to weather conditions. The traffic signs are useful in alerting motorists of potential turtle crossings on that roadway. RESTORE COOTES SAYS: Is it working? Is there any evidence that it is helping turtles or even slowing vehicles? We're betting it has little to no impact - the light is always flashing, if turtles are present or not, the road is built for speed and it makes it dangerous to slow down. We hope

Moving toward MacMarsh at McMaster

Some interesting approaches to looking at rehabilitating a McMaster parking lot to become a coldwater wetland. I'll be on the panel discussing the historical aspects of the site, with other smarter people, 10am Thursday, October 25, 2018. Two days prior, Patricia Johanson will be speaking about the way she uses art, site-specific art, to help heal the earth. Should be inspiring. Hope you can make it.

Urquhart Butterfly Garden speaker series

A lovely butterfly garden is the perfect setting for this annual speaker series. August 4, 2018, Guest speaker: Doreen Nicoll You cannot have Monarch Butterflies without milkweed. Doreen Nicoll has recently become a heroine for monarch butterflies, by insisting on her rights to grow milkweed in her naturalized garden in Burlington. Doreen Nicoll has long understood that garden with nature and not against her is the best thing for our planet. She also knows that native plants are great at attracting butterflies and bees of all species. Doreen will be the first presenter in the Summer Series at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden and her topic will be Monarchs and Their Milkweed and naturalized gardening. She has wealth of information and is fun as well! The session will begin at 11 am Saturday on August 4 and last approximately one hour. Please bring a chair. If it rains the session will be cancelled. For more information about the Urquhart Butterfly Garden please visit ur

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