On the Ground

The National Capital Greenbelt Slack Dune Conservation project has written an overview article of the restoration process completed after the first year of the project. This will be published in Biodiversity Journal in the On the Ground section in issue 12 (4) available online from the Taylor and Francis website in early January. The documentation process is well under way to create a model for future dune conservation initiatives.
The first year of the sand dune conservation project has been an enormous success both in terms of the restoration work accomplished and in the outreach to the community and volunteer participation. The photo above shows a typical Sunday restoration session.

Media 'Friendzy'

The Slack Road Sand Dune restoration has generated an unprecedented amount of media attention over the first few months of the project. CBC Radio, CBC TV, EMC and Metro News print editions have all covered this initiative with strong interest. More photos and information are also available on the Tropical Conservancy website.

The photo at the left shows part of our OGSDC restoration team.

So why all of the interest. Well, not only are sand dunes in critical condition all over Canada, but this dune in particular has a healthy nucleus that if restored could provide a model for other restorations in the future. A Ghost Tiger Beetle, the lighter sand-coloured beetle on the left, relies on the fine white sand of this dune for its survival.  The tiger beetle below is a more common species seen on a number of sand dunes in Ontario.

Ottawa's only inland sand dune

Few people know that Ottawa has a relict inland sand dune right in the National Capital Greenbelt. Tropical Conservancy has initiated a restoration project at the Slack Road Sand Dune to restore a core area of this endangered habitat, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and carried out in collaboration with the National Capital Commission. This blog will track the progress of the restoration that was started in early May 2011.