We have all heard about Ottawa’s greenbelt, but what do we know about the city’s wild side? “Ottawa is unique in the world as a city that has a forest of old growth trees and species at risk and a diverse habitat in this small area.” The small area in question is the South March Highlands, a conservation area that consists of 457 hectares of municipally owned land near the north of Kanata. The quote reproduced above is from a video produced by a group of citizens - Paul Renau, Gord Stephen, Sherry Leavitt and Steven Hula - that states that if action is not taken, a unique ecological treasure will be lost to development.
The video argues that the construction of the Terry Fox road and accompanied developed is leading to the destruction of this ecologically significant area. The highlands are part of an corridor that provide protection to a number of plant and animal species, rids the city air of greenhouse gases and offers a bulwark against invasive species. Renau and his team cite scientific studies (anyone know the source) which claim that 440 plant species, 164 species of bird and 75 species of mammal, fish and reptile live in the area. Without even counting insects, this makes it one of the most ecologically diverse parts of the city.
Click to continue reading “Ottawa’s wild island: The endangered South March Highlands”
