February 2nd marks an international day to celebrate our world’s wetlands. On this day in 1971 the Convention on Wetlands, an international treaty about sustainable use and protection of wetlands, was signed in Ramsar, Iran. Later in 1997, the signing of the convention was first celebrated as World Wetland day to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands for people and the planet. To celebrate … Continue reading World Wetland Day
by Jessie Lozanski, PERC Intern Citizen science is a means by which ordinary people who are not formal experts or professionals can volunteer in helping their world. Scientific research within environmental fields is generally limited because, unlike in a lab, elements of nature like wildlife, water, and air span large ranges and diverse locations such that there are simply not enough researchers to observe every … Continue reading Citizen Science- a Way to Help Make Our World a Better Place
Over 400 million years ago the first land plants made their way onto the harsh rocky contours of Earth’s surface. These early plants did not have roots, but they had tiny structures called rhizoids that allowed them to cling onto the barren rocks. What was unknown until very recently is that these rhizoids were discreetly secreting chemicals into the rocks, breaking them down and transforming … Continue reading Celebrating World Soil Day
This submission comes from current PERC intern Jessie Lozanski, and features a quote from renowned poet and farmer Wendell Berry. In his newest book, Berry emphasizes living fully in the present, saying also that “All we can do to prepare rightly for tomorrow is to do the right thing today.” Jessie is a Canada Conservation Corps alum and artist, who also created the Wild Stittsville … Continue reading Comics & Cartoons: Conservation Art
by PERC Staff Christine Toulouse is a member of Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation, and has divided her time between there and Ottawa for most of her life PERC: Thanks for taking some time to talk with me, Christine, Your artwork is beautiful. Could you talk a bit about how you got started with quillwork or art in general? Christine: I started quillwork around seven years … Continue reading Christine Quills: Local Indigenous Artist Speaks About Traditional Art & Cultural Connection, Healing, Sustainability
By Jessie Lozanski, PERC Intern This article is a highlight of some of Ottawa’s species that you might see during Fall. Use this as inspiration to explore the natural spaces in our city! Fungi: Although all seasons are technically fungi season, a large majority of mushrooms start emerging in fall as a result of the cool damp weather. Mushrooms are a type of fungi that … Continue reading Lessons from Our Land: Autumn
Today we celebrate Earth Day! Continue reading Celebrating Earth Day With PERC
By Johanna Mercedes The clothes we wear daily are immense contributors to plastic pollution and have a negative impact on aquatic welfare. Household laundry is unsuspectingly one of the leading contributors to marine plastic pollution. During each cycle of laundry, the non-biodegradable plastic microfibers within textiles by-pass laundry and water plant filters and pollute freshwater and oceans. In the study “Me, My Clothes and the … Continue reading Household Laundry: Undercover Plastic Pollution
Do you love listening to podcasts? Today, we are here to share with you some great podcast recommendations. If you have been looking for some more podcasts to listen to, then keep reading because we have some great ones that you are not going to want to miss. All of today’s podcast recommendations are environmentally themed. So, if you’re interested in topics like the environment, … Continue reading Podcast Recommendations #1-The Environment
Are you looking for a way to give this holiday season? Consider donating to a wonderful cause like the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s Steve Simmering Conservation Land Endowment Fund. It is an especially great time to give to this fund because between November 20, 2020 and December 1, 2020 Enbridge is matching up to $5000 in donations. So, donate between these days and your donation … Continue reading Donate To Protect Local Lands
Ottawa Peace & Environment Blog 