RESTORE COOTES

North Bank of Spencer Creek, west of Ogilvie North Bank, east of Ogilvie (Metro Parking Lot) Lower Spencer Creek Trail, east of Dundas Street (Canadian Tire) Plastic caught in branches all along creek, both banks North side of creek near Cootes Drive bridge (near junction of Ancaster Creek and Spencer Creek) - High water levels have spread litter over the banks into surrounding wetlands

C ATCH News – March 26, 2010 Making the official plan official This week’s denial of the St Joseph’s Villa twin condo proposal could mark a shift in council’s approach to frequent official plan amendments. Councillors’ comments on the recent Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) rejection of a Dundas self-storage facility underlined their concerns that the city has been too eager to change the plan to accommodate development proposals. Brad Clark referenced the OMB decision when he moved the motion to deny the condo plans. He said Hamilton’s official plan might be better named “the official guidelines” and said it was time the city actively defended its plans – a task he suggested had instead been taken up most effectively by Dundas residents who had “methodically” shown that the condo proposal was not consistent with the city’s written policies. In seconding the rejection motion, Brian McHattie endorsed Clark’s position, while Bob Bratina argued that residential intensification projects sh...

Brenda Van Ryswyk, Conservation Halton Save lusty salamanders - avoid King Road TheSpec.com - Local - Save lusty salamanders - avoid King Road Ken Peters , The Hamilton Spectator BURLINGTON (Mar 27, 2010) They're lovers in a dangerous time. It's the weekend of free love ... Jefferson salamander style. Hundreds of the little amphibians with love on their tiny brains will brave a crossing of King Road this weekend. Those lucky eno...

PRESCRIBED BURN SCHEDULED IN ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS’ NATURE SANCTUARY This spring, Royal Botanical Gardens will be conducting several prescribed burns in order to restore rare oak woodland, oak savannah and tallgrass prairie habitat at Sassafras Point, Princess Point and York Boulevard Prairie of the Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary in Hamilton. Prescribed burns require specific weather conditions and accurate forecasting before a precise date can be established. A second notice will be posted on our website once the date is confirmed. Visit www.rbg.ca for a daily countdown to the burn day! Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savannah Management at RBG Today, less than one percent of Hamilton’s prairies and savannas remain. Prairie and savannah plant communities require frequent disturbances such as fire to be maintained. Without fire, woody plants and invasive species take over. Ecologists use low-intensity burns as a tool to restore these rare communities. In the past 30 years, highly success...

OMB nixes Dundas project TheSpec.com - Local - OMB nixes Dundas project The Hamilton Spectator DUNDAS (Mar 12, 2010) A businessman has lost his bid to build a self-storage warehouse on land the municipality wants to maintain as open space due to its proximity to Cootes Paradise. The Ontario Municipal Board ruled against J. Douglas Hammond of Ancaster in a 37-page ruling released yesterday. Hammond, the former owner of the Dundas Canadian Tire, appealed a 2009 decision by city council to reject his rezoning application for the two-hectare property on the northwest corner of King Street and Olympic Drive. The property, under the former town of Dundas, had been rezoned in 1998 as special...

Volunteers for VOLUNTEER MARSH - join us to clean up this neglected marsh, near the historical Desjardins Canal in the east end of Dundas. Meet at the entrance to Martino Memorial Park, King Street East between Olympic Drive and East Street, Dundas.For more information about Volunteer Marsh, please follow this link . If you are available to assist with removing debris and litter from this area, home to nesting turtles and other wildlife, please contact Randy Kay at 905-525-9140 ext. 26026 or e-mail dundastard(at)gmail(dot)com CLEAN UP DATE is SATURDAY, APRIL 10 at 11am View Larger Map

We have degraded, fragmented and paved over the majority of natural lands, and the RBG is nobly trying to preserve what they have managed to save. As we have noted before , conservation isn't enough, we need restoration. As population density increases, these natural lands will become further degraded. By focusing on limiting trails to save the remnant, we miss the opportunity to re-evaluate the larger context of roads, parking lots, and unsuitable development in natural areas. RBG protects endangered species TheSpec.com - Local - RBG protects endangered species Trails reworked, protection areas created Eric McGuinness , The Hamilton Spectator, March 11/10 The Royal Botanical Gardens wants to preserve the few remaining green spaces large enough to support endangered plants, amphibians and predator animals such as bald eagles and bobcats. To do it, four special protection areas are being created in Cootes Paradise and Hendrie Valley, pa...

I'm thinking that one day, the RBG will be able to have roads that cut through sensitive natural areas repurposed “ to create a balance between sensitive species, habitat protection, outdoor education and community enjoyment." In the meantime, bet on less hiking trails, a notion I first encountered here , and support in principle for the sake of restoration, but if we want to talk habitat disruption/restoration, Cootes Drive is a much much larger problem. RBG proposes keep-out zones to protect plants and animals TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - RBG proposes keep-out zones to protect plants and animals The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) plans to protect sensitive plant and animal habitat by creating no-go zones in its 900 hectare...