with Julia Sutton
Location: Riverside Drive park (near Billings Bridge Mall)
Meeting Spot: Mouth of Sawmill Creek (north-east of Bank) along Riverside (Link to Map)
Across from the Pebb Building - 2197 Riverside Drive
Tour Details:
Around forty people came out to learn about Ottawa's urban streams and the City Stream Watch Program. Julia Sutton from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority explained the history and the successes achieved by all the volunteers and took the participants up the creek to talk about the urban pressures on city streams.
Later in the day, discussion focused on aquatic insects and fish and what they need for instream habitat. Healthy streams are important in regards to the larger watershed ecosystem and the river systems that are vital to all of us. Sawmill Creek was surveyed in 2003 and 2008 by City Stream Watch and it was a great backdrop for the day with participants sampling for aquatic insects in the creek and identifying them in trays. Thanks to everyone who came out!
- More information about the RVCA City Stream Watch Program here.
- Sawmill Creek's Stream Watch Annual Report from 2008 (pdf)
Tour Guide Bio:
Julia has been the Coordinator of the City Stream Watch program from 2008 to present. City Stream Watch is a program run out of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, in partnership with the Ottawa Flyfishers Society, National Defence Headquarters Fish and Game Club, Heron Park Community Association, Rideau Roundtable, City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Stewardship Council that works on 22 streams around the City of Ottawa with community members.
Julia has a joint degree from Trent University in Resource Management and International Development and a postgraduate certificate in Ecosystem Restoration from Niagara College. Prior to City Stream Watch, she worked at South Nation Conservation for two years on a medicinal plant project.
