Ep. 17 East Cove Afternoons

So unfortunately tomorrow is my last official day with FOTC, but fortunately today was a hike day down to the East Cove where there is usually something cool going on and today was no exception!

Every week Mia and I seem to have an informal species of the day or species of the week. It could be because of something one of us read, saw on an walk or the inspiration from a visitor to the office. Species throughout the summer have included different flowers, trees, birds, amphibians, all different types of things.  This week conversation had been swirling around an unidentified bird picture we have in the office. Unlabelled but still a quality image we were unsure of exactly what it was we were looking at. In the last few days we identified our unknown species as a Black Crowned Night Heron (potentially the best bird name I have ever heard). To make things even better on our walk down to the East Cove trail late this morning we spotted a pretty fantastic trio fishing near the German-Canadian club. The Trio included a Great Blue Heron, a Kingfisher and a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron all hunting in a stretch of water no greater then 25 metres. A pretty cool sight considering spotting any one of these three alone is worth pointing out let alone them all in one isolated spot! With the Great Blue Heron stalking through the shallow water and the Night Heron standing up on a nearby perch we watched as the Kingfisher repeatedly dive-bombed the waters surface hunting alongside his larger feathered compatriots. Pretty wild to see I have to admit. A great addition to my last week here at FOTC.

On the rest of the walk I managed to snap some cool pics along the shore of the East Cove. Check em out and/or head down to the East Cove Trail yourself!

Left: (Juvenile)Black Crowned Night Heron
Right: Great Blue Heron

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

Turtles think they're soo sneaky 

Me w/ the Cove Sycamore

Great Blue Heron 

Ep. 16 Did You Feel That?

GooOooOOood AaaaAaaffftEErnnooooon EeeevvVVeryBooddDyyy.... Whoa did anyone else just feel that? Here at the FOTC office this afternoon we were not spared of a lil shake and rattle as a earthquake measuring 5.9 on the richter scale shook down the eastern seaboard. The quakes epicentre which was estimated to be around Mineral, Virginia (almost 145Km southwest of Washington) has been said to be the largest quake in that area since 1987. Apparently today's quake was a particularly shallow quake at a depth of 6Km, and information continues to come in on any damage.

Cubes prior to Thirst Mob Assembly

Shaking things up earlier was the Thirst Mob in downtown today between Centennial Hall and Victoria park. Members of the City of London, Friends of The Coves and other participants took part in the demonstration to get people talking about water conservation. Featuring 18, 1 metre cubes to represent the water used by one average London household a month.  Each cubed was affixed with water conservation facts and statistics to educate onlookers at the importance of being mindful of our water usage.

At 12 noon today those cubes were marched by thirst mob volunteers to Victoria Park and arranged in a large circle at the North end of the park. To add to the fun and celebration the Thirst Mob was filmed from a scissor lift by members of the Fanshawe College film program. The footage taken will be edited and posted on the City of London's YouTube Channel in 1-2 weeks. You can also check out the London Metro News in the coming days for coverage. If you'd like to see the result of the Thirst Mob then head down to Victoria Park today (Aug 23) and check it out yourself! A big thanks to Kalen Pilkington for the invite to the event, Mia and I both had a blast taking part!

Mia cubed 

Chas cubed

Filming lift

Final assembly of the cubes

Ep. 15 Thirst Mobbin'

Flash mobs are the fun, new way for groups of people to get together and spontaneously entertain and bring attention to their cause.  Some involve large choreographed dance moves while others are more of an assembly under a unified theme. London has played host to several flash mobs over this summer alone, some taking place at the JLC and others around any one of the 2011 summer festivals.  

Well your chance to be a part of a flash mob this summer is not lost! 

Tomorrow Tuesday August 23rd the CLEAR Network is assembling a "Thirst-Mob" to raise awareness about water resources.  

The CLEAR Network (City of London Environmental Awareness Reporting Network) is an organization aimed at educating specifically Londoners on important local environmental topics, ranging from waste management to urban planning to the Thames River. The network is made up of partners including the City of London, London Hydro and Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.  For more information on the CLEAR Network CLICK HERE

Tuesdays Thirst Mob will be starting at 12 noon @ City Hall and moving to Victoria Park. For those of you who are interested you'll need to be at City Hall for 1130am for preparation. However fear not... 

THERE WILL BE NO DANCING! #win.  

If you have any questions or would like to participate in the Thirst Mob please contact Kalen Pilkington 519-661-2500 ext. 7363 or email at kpilking@london.ca for full details 

Friends of The Coves will be there to show our support so we really hope to see lots of faces out tomorrow. 

The Thirst Mob will be filmed and uploaded to the City of London YouTube channel so if your looking for an opportunity to gain some exposure this is a great chance! Again, we hope to see a wicked turn out tomorrow, be thirsty! 

Ep. 14 TV Interviews and Tom Benner

The wait is finally over! For those of you who have been following The Cove Life throughout the summer you might remember that in Ep. 8 [Pollinator Power in Swallowtail Grove] I mentioned that Rogers television and MaryAnne McDonald with EcoVox TV had come by Swallowtail Grove to film interviews and footage as part of an episode on the importance of pollinators and pollinator sanctuaries. After several weeks waiting in self admitted nervousness [of appearing as a goof on television] the episode of EcoVox TV has finally aired! For the show times on Rogers Television London Click Here, the episode will be airing all week so you have several chances to see it. The episode which features myself & FOTC President Thom McClenaghan extends information on Swallowtail Grove, pollinator gardens and the importance of pollinators to our food chain and to our ecosystems.  Thanks again to Rogers Television, MaryAnne McDonald and EcoVox TV for joining us!

Photo: Dena Crain
Sculpture: Tom Benner

FOTC would like to announce as well that we are releasing vintage poster prints from Tom Benner's 1990 Coves exhibition. If you are unfamiliar with the name Tom Benner then  you may be familiar with his iconic aluminum sculpture of a rhino which stands outside Museum London at the forks of the Thames.  The posters which have remained stored at the FOTC office are prints of one of the original pieces produced by Tom Benner for the 1990 exhibition. Featuring mixed media iconic images from the coves including the majestic and brave sycamore tree which still stands today on the banks of the East Cove the prints are a beautiful example of what makes the Coves so great. If you are interested in purchasing a copy for yourself, friends or family feel free to contact us at the FOTC office. The prints are 16.5"x31" and are availible for $10 each tax included.  

                                          Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc
                                          111 Elmwood Ave East
                                          London, Ontario
                                          519 640 5397
                                          contact@thecoves.ca

Ep. 13 Pilot Projects About to Take Off

Before I get into the new pilot project FOTC is about to launch, I'd like to thank all our supporters for voting for Restore the Coves to it's Natural State, in the Share your Care Challenge. Nationwide we finished 4th overall! We may not have finished in the top 3 but with an amazing 1566 votes we can be nothing but thrilled at the outpouring of love from the Forest City. 

All that being said a MASSIVE congratulations is due to Reforest London and the Million Tree Challenge for taking top spot with over 3000 votes! Utilizing social media outlets like Twitter the buzz/trend created around share your care and the Million Tree Challenge influenced hundreds of people to show their support and vote day after day. We here at FOTC are so proud to have been a part of the campaign and to have collaborated with Reforest London over the last month, way to go!! As the winners of the Share your Care Challenge Reforest London will be receiving a $25,000 grant to put towards the Million Tree Challenge and their work around London from Fido and Evergreen.  

Now on to new business! FOTC will be embarking on an erosion awareness public outreach program this week. Many of the homes in the Coves sub-watershed back on to steep ravines and the banks of the cove ponds. These areas are all very prone to higher rates of erosion compared to other properties in the sub-waterhed and the city. To help local homeowners and residents, FOTC is putting together stewardship packages packed full of some helpful information and tools to encourage anti-erosion strategies. Our goal is to help people learn ways to maintain their property in a way which will discourage erosion and activities that maybe be inadvertently aiding the erosion process. The pilot project will be in select streets in the sub-watershed, however if the response is positive we will be expanding to include more neighbourhoods. 

Ep. 12 Before & After

Last week FOTC was visited by three masters of journalism students from UWO. We had the chance to show them around the coves, extend to them a little history lesson and even though the weather wasn't the most cooperative with the outing or their equipment we were able to have a great and informative afternoon. During the tour and prior to filming some brief clips and interviews in Swallowtail Grove we squired the aspiring Mustang reporters to the head of the East Pond. The East Pond has a beautiful lookout with two engraved benches overlooking the water, not that anyone would have been able to tell. It was very apparent that over time FOTC's nemesis European Buckthorn had overgrown the gap in the lookout and those benches now faced a wall of green. A side note was made during our tour that something needed to be done to re-establish this lookout as a place to enjoy the coves.

Before: As you can see. You can't see much

This morning, Mia and I set out to do battle with the buckthorn and clear out the dense ticket which had grown in just between the benches and waterline.  

With our arsenal of pruning tools, bit by bit, stem by stem we removed chunks of the buckthorn menace (did you ever think pruning could sound so exciting?). The dense mass of buckthorn and grape vines proved to be no easy task to remove. Needle sharp thorns held together with the tendrils of the grapes made the going slow initially. However with each piece removed the window began to open gradually and the light off the water began to show through. Not surprisingly we discovered that there was at least five individual buckthorns growing inside this area no greater then 5x3m. Each individual having around 7-10 stems and more sharp thorns then I would really care to remember. However FOTC came out victorious in the battle buckthorn and as you can see in the after photo the results were really something to smile about.  

After: Take that buckthorn, I'll be back for your stumps tomorrow

Finally you could see the waterline without have to search for it and the lookout had an comfortable location to sit and enjoy the East Pond. A small victory but a victory nevertheless. We here at FOTC encourage you to take a walk down to the East Pond lookout and have a sit and enjoy.  It's hard to believe a hidden gem such as this lookout exists not even 10min from downtown, let alone less then 20 metres from a major traffic artery like Springbank Dr. This might make waiting for the #5 Springbank just a little bit easier. Unfortunately the battle is not over at the East Pond lookout. The stumps that remain are exceptionally stubborn and I'm sure will be a battle unto themselves to remove. For now though I might as well sit back, relax and enjoy the view. :)

Ep. 11 The Coves Bloom Green

The trail behind this Canada goose shows the density of the bloom 

Within the last week or so members of FOTC as well as members of the public have noticed a drastic colour change in the water of the west cove pond. During this period of time the water of the west pond as well as parts of the south pond have turned a startling shade of green which can be attributed to a large bloom of algae.
These large blooms are not uncommon and we see them in many, many different aquatic systems.

As familiar as we are with the occurrence of these algae blooms many of us are not as familiar with how or why exactly they occur. Many, are also unaware of how a large scale blooms similar to that we are seeing in the coves currently can mean for the overall ecosystem. One of the main catalysts that can be attributed to blooms such as the one were seeing in the coves is phosphorus. Phosphorus naturally exists in aquatic systems in balance with the needs and requirements of the environment. However if these levels fall out of this balance it can have real effects that can be detrimental.

This balance of phosphorus in a natural system can be altered by the addition of extra phosphorus from outside sources. Common sources include: detergents, fertilizers and agricultural/urban runoff.

West Cove Flag

When an aquatic system falls out of balance it can lead to the increased growth rate of algae (which can also be referred to as cyanobacteria). This increased growth rate results in what we see in the west cove pond currently: an algae bloom.

The real danger of the increased growth of algae is that it will deplete the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. When a system is low in dissolved oxygen it is said to be in a state of hypoxia. This is a problem as anything living in the water requiring oxygen such as fish or other plants, would no longer be able to survive. The algae bloom can essentially suffocate the aquatic system.

In order to protect our aquatic systems appropriate phosphorus levels were determined and set by scientists that will help prevent large scale algae blooms. To maintain these levels we need to be conscious of our use of phosphorus and products that contain them as well as their disposal.  

Algae blooms can effect more then just the oxygen levels of our aquatic systems. They can impair animal habitats, disrupt light from penetrating into the water preventing aquatic photosynthesis, and interfere with human activities such as swimming, fishing and boating.

So what can we do to make sure we at home can help avoid adding excess phosphorous to our aquatic systems? Environment Canada made these three (3) suggestions:

• Compost your food waste instead of using a kitchen food waste disposal garburator. Keeping food out of wastewater treatment plants helps to reduce nutrient loadings into the lakes.
• Use phosphorus-free and slow release organic fertilizers on your lawn and garden, and use them only when it’s not raining or when rain is not being forecasted.
• Have your septic system inspected regularly and ensure it is properly used and maintained.

Ep. 10 Lots to see when Dundas goes Car Free!

For the 3rd time this year Dundas Street closed down to automobile traffic and played host to the London Car Free Festival. Encouraging people to use methods of transportation besides cars. The festival also showcased many different community groups, activities and entertainers throughout the afternoon. Of course Friends of the Coves was there and ready to meet the people!

Located between Richmond and Talbot, FOTC came armed with trail maps, seed bombs and information on our beloved Coves sub-watershed. I'd like to thank everyone who came by and said Hi!

Many of the different community groups who came out to participate had fun and interesting ways to interact with the participants. As well with appropriate permission from the City of London, outdoor licensed patios and live music all afternoon kept the people smiling, even with the risk of impending rain (which was limited to a few rogue drops, thank goodness (: ). Across from FOTC, volunteers with the Car Free Festival were whipping up smoothies with a blender that was completely pedal powered, a delicious way to gather support and the attention of festival go-ers.

Other entertainment included aerial silk performers (pictured below) and fire wielding buskers who used a range of flame engulfed instruments such as swords, hatchets and fans.

At the FOTC tent throughout the afternoon we saw a lot of interest in the many walking trails located inside the sub-watershed. The festival allowed us to reach out to the public who may have been only aware of the coves on a limited scale and even though they had driven over the Springbank Dr bridge spanning the west cove many many times, had no idea of the amount of accessible paths and trails available to the general public. So much so that we had run out of our trail maps by 3pm! To those who were not able to get a copy of the map, a digital copy has been posted on our website and is available for download and at home printing. 

Aerial performances

A lot of excitement and curiosity was centred around the FOTC seed bomb initiative as well. These mini eco-ordnance gave people the opportunity to participate in enhancing some of the wet meadow systems in the Coves. For those that need a reminder the two "bombing sites" are located in the north and south end of the watershed.  The first one just adjacent to Swallowtail Grove (look for the interpretive signs, they aren't hard to miss) and the second at the East end of Euston Park. If there are any questions as to what to do feel free to contact us at The Coves office. A big thank you to Ben Porchuk at Landscape Native for giving us the inspiration for the seed bomb program. If you would like to make your own seed bombs at home our recipe is included below (FYI: It's a messy process, but a lot of fun!).

The Car Free Festival was a real success and reached a lot of people. We had the chance to meet a number of individuals from the area and from other parts of the city and province who had no idea of the hidden gem in the heart of London. Again we'd like to thank everyone who came out, the organizers of the festival and we hope to see everyone and more out next time!

SEED BOMB RECIPE
1 Part compost/ hummus
2-3 Parts dry Mixed Seeds (Make sure to use seeds native to your area and to the ecosystems you are "bombing")
5 Parts dry clay powder
1-2 Parts fine sand
Add water as needed.

1. Mix dry ingredients (compost, seeds, clay, sand) in a bowl thoroughly
2. Add water slowly until the mixture becomes sticky "dough-mix"
Note - Make sure to avoid over watering or the mixture will be sloppy and not form well and/or will take a long period of time to dry
3. Heres the fun part - Get your hands in there and roll the mix into balls about the size of a golf ball
4. Place seed bombs out to dry on a plastic covered flat surface. Preferably in direct sunlight
-Takes 2-3 days to dry out depending on amount of water used

Ep. 9 Duke St. Drilling

First off, thank goodness the skies opened up last night and the Forest City received its first real rain shower in several weeks time. Much needed, much wanted, goodbye humidity for the time being!

On this misty moisty morning, myself and Mia received information on new work taking place at the "site at the end of Duke Street". This site whose owner I will leave un-named for the time being has been in the process of remediation (basically meaning, environmental recovery) following the take down of the industrial property that once stood there. Over the past few weeks we have seen a few trucks, personnel and survey crews but no evidence of major work being done during summer 2011. This morning however was quite to the contrary.

Upon arriving at the site the noise of generators and machinery was very indicative of the fact that something new was taking place. Multiple work sites on the property were visible from beyond the barbed wire and fenced perimeter with the sound of generators humming and whirring outside trucks and trailers filling the air around the site.

It was very difficult to tell exactly what was going on and one could only speculate based on equipment that we could see from a distance. So after snapping a few photos Mia and I returned back the the FOTC office to make sense of what it was exactly that we saw.  

Photo: C Jones

So here is 1 of the 2 lil beauties we saw running around today. The second of which was farther back onto the property which we were not privileged to enter. My initial speculation on the purpose of the machinery was that it was a drilling rig of some description. Following my return to the office and a few minutes searching through local drilling and geotechnical equipment sites and companies I came across what seems to be a match for this particular unit. To be clear I am no expert in geologic engineering.

What I discovered was that these units are or are similar to a 66 Series Geoprobe drilling rig. See one in action

The purpose of these rigs still remains somewhat of a mystery. The history of the site which was once the location of a paint and coatings factory makes me think that they are taking soil and/or water samples for testing. If we get to see the results anytime soon is the next question.

Although the purpose of these machines is still undetermined it is good to see that something of real substance is taking place at the "site at the end of Duke street" and it is no longer merely just under survey.

Ep. 8 Pollinator Power in Swallowtail Grove

Summertime work has begun in the Grove! Weeding, trimming, mulching and sweating, all taking place yesterday during FOTC's work party in the Swallowtail Grove butterfly garden. With a visit from MaryAnne MacDonald with EcoVox Tv & Rogers Cable and Thames Region Ecological Association it was excitement filled afternoon out in the gardens.

City of London: Thank you very mulch

Having a few moments in front of the camera both myself and FOTCSI's President Thom McClenaghan had an opportunity to talk about the importance of the being involved in the community, the work being done in the grove and the importance of pollinators both to the grove and to the overall community.

Since EcoVox won't be airing for a few weeks (stand by for exact date and time) from what we understand, this makes the perfect opportunity to relay the importance of insect sanctuaries such as Swallowtail Grove adjacent to Greenway park.

Here are two interesting facts regarding pollinating insects:
- Annually pollinators help produce over $1 Billion in fruits and vegetables
- 1 in 3 bites of food we take are the direct result of some form of pollination

Tiger Swallowtail
Photo: EduPic

Pollinators include more then just butterflies however. Bees, hummingbirds, beetles, bats and in some situations reptiles can all fill the role of pollinator in a community. These creatures transfer the plant's pollen, which contains its genetic material necessary to produce fruits and seeds. Almost 75% of the worlds plants rely on some form of pollination. Pollination is not a no-reward relationship for the animals involved. Pollinators feed on the nectar, pollen and oils of the flower which are high in nutrients. Bee's for instance can consume their body weight several times over in a day in nectar as they move from plant to plant pollinating.

Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar
Photo: Bev Wigney

In Swallowtail Grove the goal is to attract butterflies by planting certain varieties of plants, grasses, shrubs and trees who are favourite perches for different species of butterflies. Much like some of us who are picky eaters, butterflies although capable of extracting nectar and pollen from many different plant species, are very specific about which plants they lay eggs on and their larvae feed on.

For example: Monarch butterflies, one of the best known species in North America is well known for preferring the flowers of milkweed to pollinate and for the females to lay their eggs on.

Spicebush Swallowtail
Photo: Ohio Nature

Swallowtail butterflies, the same species type that the grove is named after are similar in that they prefer certain, but different plant species as their primary targets. For instance: Tiger Swallowtails are most attracted to Tulip Trees, some of which are planted in Swallowtail Grove.

So by extension by looking at a garden and the plant species included in the community you could make a guess at what species of butterfly you could come across.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar
Photo: Jay Cossey

Insect and pollinator sanctuaries such as Swallowtail Grove are becoming more and more important as naturally occurring pollinator friendly habitats are being lost via pesticides and human impact. Pollinators are a very important part of our natural system and they will cease to persist if no habitat exists. Maintaining these pollinator gardens helps ensure the health of our local ecosystems.

So something to think about when your planning out your garden for next season. Select some of your plants based on pollinators. Big bright flowers will not only add colour to your garden but help attract the pollinators who improve the health and biodiversity of the whole community.  A great way to improve your at home horticulture without having to add any new chemicals or techniques. Select some pollinator friendly plants and watch the success of your garden take flight.

Ep. 7 "Anybody missing a deep fryer?"

On Tues July 12, myself and some other friends of the Coves set out to clean up a ravine in Euston Park, which had become a receptacle for trash and debris. Mia (our project coordinator at Friends of the Coves) and I had discovered this treasure trove of trash on a walk through Euston Park several weeks ago and decided that something needed to be done. 

Some of what had been dumped in the ravine could have filled the list of a bad scavenger hunt:

Mia hard at work!

         

    Deep Fryer

    Most of a BBQ

    Little girls toy pram

    Shopping Cart

    Canadian Flag

    Air Conditioner

    Screwdriver

    Rain Jacket 

    Fireworks

    Traffic cone  

     and the list goes on...

Thanks Gary & Kim

When FOTC arrived on the scene the water and leaf debris had turned a burnt orange color from the old paint cans and other metal objects left rusting in the small stream that that flowed through the bottom of the ravine. That mixed with a combination of the trash, broken off branches and lumber the small ravine was inundated with junk.  This caused the small stream to back-up and form an almost standing pool of water with very minimal flow. Making an ideal breeding ground for pesky insects like mosquitoes. Fortunately a few other Friends of the Coves came through to give us a hand clearing out all this stuff and the before and after photos of the ravine really told the story! By the conclusion of our project the debris had been cleared, glass removed and the stream, which had been pooling at the foot of the ravine began to trickle down unobstructed again, removing the bug breeding ground. All in all the clean up was a great success and I’d like to take a second to thank Gary and Kim for helping Mia and I!

Check out the photos to see the before and after of the Euston Park ravine.

BEFORE 

AFTER 

Ep. 6 Rewind: A River Used to Run Through It

What a crazy week! Share Your Care campaign is in full swing and Restore the Coves has received over 150 votes in less then a week’s time!!! Thank you everyone for supporting, let’s keep it going through till August 14^th and really do something great for London and the Coves. Keep voting everyday and share with everyone how he or she can support the cause and help! To close out the week here at The Cove Life, I felt this would be an appropriate time to provide a brief history (or rather geography, I suppose) lesson in the creation of the special area we now know as the Coves.

So what brought the coves into existence? How did London become graced with this horseshoe shaped collection of three small bodies of water? Today, walking along the banks of any of the coves ponds you can see a collection of wildlife, flowers, insects and various habitats all made possible by this particularly special and unique landform. What, however was the means of its creation?

Made up of the East, West and South ponds, the Coves are the remains of what was a large looping meander in the Thames River. Referred to as oxbow ponds, these 3 small bodies of water were once one oxbow lake, abandoned naturally by the flow of water and left to form the specialized communities that now lie in south London.  

The formation of the oxbow lake that would later form the Coves is the result of erosion and deposition over time by the actions of the water flowing through the Thames. At bends in the rivers course, the effects of erosion on the outside bank and deposition on the inside bank of the curves cause the change in the rivers shape over time.  In the case of the Coves, the loop of the meander over time became wider and wider as the neck narrowed, eventually to where it disappeared all together and the water cut a straight path across what was the neck of the meander.

For a time the land inside the former bend in the river was an island completely surrounded by water. The original meander now connected at the neck then begins its transformation to an oxbow lake.

To become its own independent body of water the central branch of the Thames had to abandon the old course all together from the main flow of water. This was accomplished again by the action of deposition of silt and material by water passing through on the new and more efficient course the river had cut itself.  Silt deposition at the start and exit of the oxbow built up over time, closed off and isolated the U-shaped oxbow lake. Separating it from the main river flow.  This is where we first see the creation of the coves we see today. A U-shaped body of water isolated from the main branch of the Thames.  The further transformation to the 3 ponds we see today is the result of continued silt collection from land run off and human involvement & land development; development for recreational space, homes and roadways.  This process has taken over 200 years to bring the Coves to where they are today, a unique and important part of London both geographically and historically for not only the people of London but for the ecological and environmental community. 

Ep. 5 Share Your Care: Friends of the Coves Shortlisted in FIDO/Evergreen Contest!

       image: shareyourcare.ca

This morning Friends of the Coves received some FANTASTIC news! We have been shortlisted as one of the only 20 groups across the country eligible to compete for funding as voted by you!

Share Your Care, a joint effort between FIDO and Evergreen have selected twenty environmental issues & projects to compete for a part of $100,000. Funding will be determined by number of votes cast for each project. Each project nominated has received $2,500 regardless of results which is great news for all the 20 worthy participants!

Voting will take place between today, July 5 and close on August 14. Funding for the top 3 projects/ issues will be distributed as such:

Most votes - $25,000
2nd place - $15,000
3rd place -  $10,000

Friends of the Cove Subwatershed is incredibly excited about this opportunity and our office is a buzz with enthusiasm! What we are asking you to do is head over to Share Your Care and vote for the Restoration of the Coves. To vote all you need is your Facebook account and 60 seconds. You can vote once a day through August 14th! Any funds we receive from FIDO and Evergreen will be put towards outreach projects, planting and other materials to help restore the Coves to its natural state!

We need the support of everyone we can get! Friends, Family, Social Groups, Teams, anyone enthusiastic about The Coves or even just about our beautiful Forest City of London!!

To vote for Restoration of The Coves CLICK HERE 

Ep. 4 Hitting DELETE on iTrash

image: roundedoff.com

Think back to you or your family’s first television, and then think back to your first desktop computer, printer, cell phone or Walkman. Now think of how many different versions of each you've had since. Dot-matrix printers, tube televisions and dilapidated CPU towers, many people have at least one or two of these still kicking around their house collecting dust. 

Electronic technology, especially over the past 2 decades has advanced so much that it seems every month or so such that a new platform, version or model appears on the market. Television, to the personal computer and onto laptops, mp3 players, smart phones & tablets. These products were all  invented to make our lives more enjoyable, productive and connected. However for all the good these products have brought us in business, entertainment and bringing us closer together they have also brought with them their own problems. As technology changes and the demands on these devices become more advanced the previous generations are left behind and the old, broken and deemed obsolete devices are thrown away for more current versions, creating E-Waste.

E-Waste refers to not only the shells of these devices but the circuitry and internal components of our discarded electronic equipment. These internal components contain any combination of potentially toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium. If not properly processed, these internal components can leak and leach these harmful compounds into the environment where they can cause serious damage not only to the natural system but to anything which comes in contact with them by proxy, potentially causing major biological harm.

The Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES), a recently formed not for profit organization aimed at promotion of proper E-Waste processing and recycling published their first annual report in 2009-2010 and highlighted a number of baffling statistics about E-Waste in our province. During 2009/2010 in Ontario the OES collected and diverted 17,302,667 Kg of discarded electronic equipment from landfills. This breaks down to 1.3Kg of E-Waste per person in Ontario in 2009/10.  

To combat this issue here in London the city has decided to no longer accept E-Waste in regular curbside garbage pickup. Concurrently with this 3 locations for E-Waste disposal are available, these 3 sites are of no charge to use and are open to all London residents and local businesses. 

Household Special Waste Depot                  Oxford St Community EnvDepot

     3502 Manning Dr                                                     1450 Oxford St W

                                    Clarke Rd Community EnvDepot

                                                    28 Clarke Rd

Friends of the Coves for the month of July will be running an E-Waste collection program from our main office here in Wortley Village. We will be collecting your old, used broken and unwanted electronics and delivering them to one of the depots free of charge. If you would like to take part in this program feel free to contact our office at:

Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc
111 Elmwood Ave East
519 640 5397

For more information on E Waste and where you can drop off your old equipment check out:

Ontario Electronics Stewardship 

City of London Electronics Recycling

Ep. 3 A Buckthorn in my side

Since joining FOTCSI I have had the chance to get out and explore the sub-watershed and the different communities in and around the Coves, Silver Creek Ravine and Euston Park.  Not unlike many, many, sites across southern Ontario the Coves sub-watershed has become inundated with the invasive species:  European Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). 

To most, European Buckthorn looks like just another member of the forest community.  However Buckthorn represents a real threat to native species as it is rapidly pinching out available growing space, light and is seriously hindering the growth of seedling and saplings of important native plants in southern Ontario.

What unleashed this forest scourge? Environmental vanity. European Buckthorn’s original purpose for import was for use in gardens for it’s aesthetic value.Buckthorn is now #2 on the Ontario noxious plant list, and it’s potential to spread rapidly is very real as birds and animals that feed on the berries transport the seeds and promote the further growth, spread and germination of new Buckthorn. 

To locate Buckthorn here in London you don’t need to look very far; woodlots, fence lines, pastures and unused farmland are all very common locations to find patches and thickets full of Buckthorn.  Controlling and removing Buckthorn is dually important as the plant also acts a host for puccinia coronata, a fungi which causes a disease called crown rust in Oats. This may not be an immediate danger in urban setting but on agricultural land this could be potentially hazardous to the cereal crop.  All this considered it’s hard to believe European Buckthorn is still available at some nurseries.

To identify European Buckthorn invasions of your own neighborhood use these characteristics:

Size: Multi-stem shrub to a bushy small tree up to 6m tall

Leaves: Typically opposite (2 per node) in arrangement, oblong shape, with 2-4 strong veins arcing to the leaf tip from the midrib, may have fine teeth on leaf edge.

Stem: Individuals over a year old will develop thorns at tips of stems

Fruits: 5-6mm in diameter, black/purple in color

Flower: Green/yellow, clustered at base of leaves.

Ep. 2 ReForest London's Million Tree Challenge

Last Friday June 17^th, ReForest London (a not for profit organization here in the forest city) kicked-off for their Million Tree Challenge.

Attended by a number of honorable guests including London mayor Joe Fontana (Pictured below), Members of Provincial Parliament Chris Bentley & Deb Matthews and Member of Parliament Ed Holder, ReForest London launched their plan to plant a million new trees in the forest city over the next 10 years.  Already responsible for planting over 8,000 new native trees and shrubs since 2008 ReForest London is calling out to all London businesses, individuals and organizations to take part and help achieve their goal.  

The first act of the challenge is to plant one tree for every Londoner over the next three years, over 330,000 trees.  Deb Matthews, MPP for London North-Centre and Ontario Minster of Health briefly spoke on the goals of ReForest London saying that “audacious goals, achieve audacious results” and further commenting on the provinces own audacious plans to plant 100 million trees between now and 2020. 

The next move in achieving these “audacious” goals belongs to all the people, schools, community organizations, businesses and institutions of the forest city. ReForest London continues to look for new partners at every level to pledge to plant new trees and register their planting with ReForest London so they can accurately track progress over the coming years.  London’s tree cover, which is currently just shy of 25%, is set to potentially double over the next decade as the challenge presses forward. Community partners such as London Health Sciences Centre have committed to planting more trees on their campuses and more partners are climbing on board to support the grass-roots movement to ReForest the Forest City.  

Here at Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc we have committed as a community partner to promote the mission of the challenge and are encouraging the members of the Coves community to both take part in the planting and to register with the Million Tree Challenge website.  We will also be running our own planting events in the Coves come the fall.

To pledge your support and to get involved with ReForest London and the Million Tree Challenge  you can visit their websites at www.milliontrees.ca or www.reforestlondon.ca 

Ep 1.1 - Geography of The Coves ESA (Environmentally Significant Area)

To set the scene for the rest of the summer the area highlighted above in yellow represents the geographic location of the Coves. The Coves themselves were formed by what was previously a meander of the Thames river which presently flows from the Forks just northeast of the Coves. The formation that makes up the Coves is called an oxbow lake (my later episodes will illustrate exactly how these form).
The ESA itself primarily includes the three main oxbow ponds of the coves which were once part of the original Thames river section and the connected ravine which extends south. This region outlined in red represents the Coves subwatershed. Subwatershed identifies that the ground water runnoff for this immediate area will collect and drain into the coves ponds & ravines.

Ep. 1 Summer in The Coves

Hello and welcome to the inaugural episode of The Cove Life!

My name is Chas and I am the summer student here at Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc (FOTCSI).
Friends of the Coves is a not for profit environmental organization located in Wortley village in south London. Our mission is that the quality of life in our community is enhanced through the protection, conservation and stewardship of The Coves. Over the next 11 weeks I will be blogging about my experiences with FOTCSI and covering many events throughtout the summer! As well I will be posting weekly episiodes on the history, community and issues related to the Coves including helpful tips and suggestions on how you can have a positive impact on your own environment. 

All that being said welcome again to The Cove Life!