25,000 reasons to vote in this contest

This has nothing to do with the upcoming election, and all to do with helping the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) win $25,000 from, gulp, an oil company. The plan is to use the cash to re-naturalize the famous "Burlington Heights" overlooking Cootes and the Hamilton Bay, reversing 200 years of environmental degradation

The RBG describes the project this way:

Royal Botanical Gardens will carry out the following activities:

- Recreate pre-settlement vegetation communities by planting native plant species and removing non-native plant species that pose a threat to the area's environmental sustainability. This will also alleviate the need for power mowing, which will help reduce our carbon footprint.

- Rejuvenate the land by converting an abandoned parking lot to a natural setting, to promote the growth of new vegetation from surrounding woodlands.

- Convert a former maintenance works area to seasonal wetlands.

- Highlight the area's historical and natural significance through various educational signs.

On that last point, I hope the area's importance to First Nations people is recognized, including being the birthplace of Kahkewaquonaby ("Sacred Feathers") who became known as the Reverend Peter Jones. Currently the historical signage honours mostly european settler war-related events.

Anyway, please consider casting your votes for this project which would enhance the natural setting and the integrity of Cootes Paradise.

Contest deadline is October 31, 2011.

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