Stittsville high school students help to care for 100-year-old woodland

The Kemp Woodland is getting some much needed care thanks to students at Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Stittsville.The Students, along with the guidance of their Grade 11 Environmental Science teacher, Glenn Carr will partner with the Ottawa Stewardship Council (OSC) and The City of Ottawa to help protect the 100 year old cedar forest. Kemp Woodland is a 8.9-hectare forest west of the school adjacent to the Trans Canada Trail.

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The City of Ottawa’s Waste Management Program funded the project for the OSC and Sacred Heart by donating $25,000. At least $10,000 will be will given to Sacred Heart High School to help with the ecological monitoring in the forest and will cover equipment and research costs. The students will get great in-field experience working within the woodland. Some students will work towards a specialized environmental diploma. This is a great way to ensure future generations are educated to work and protect the forests in their community.

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Janet Mason is chair of the Ottawa Stewardship Council. She along with her colleagues proposed to the city that OSC would choose a woodland to care for every few years. The city offered them some high priority forests to begin their work on. Stittsville and the Kemp Forest was their choice for 2014-2015. You can view the project outline on their website at: http://www.ottawastewardship.org/stittsvillecedargrove/ The OSC will work with Sacred Heart in their research by helping to identify species  of plants and trees, planting, and building interpretive signs for visitors to place at the forest entrance. The on-going stewardship of the woodland however lies with the students at Sacred Heart School, a great way for students to promote and protect a community green space alongside their curriculum.

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