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