Local Students Install Rain Garden and Shrubbery at New Beavermead Campground Gatehouse

Otonabee Conservation and Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board students from the Youth Leadership in Sustainability (YLS) program installed a rain garden at Beavermead Campground on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

The garden was designed to capture runoff from the roof of the gatehouse, temporarily storing it in the garden during a storm event and slowly draining it away to reduce flooding, filter pollutants and channel runoff into the ground.

“This project will create a welcoming entrance to Beavermead Campground and highlight best practices for habitat enhancement and water conservation,” said Janette Loveys Smith, Otonabee Conservation CAO and secretary-treasurer.

Over 100 native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers planted are to enhance habitat and increase biodiversity in the City of Peterborough according to a press release.

Purple coneflower, big bluestem, red osier dogwood and black-eyed Susan were chosen for this site to provide a habitat for pollinators. These plants are drought-tolerant and will require minimal maintenance and watering.

YLS students breaking ground to plant over 100 trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers. Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

“In the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis, it’s so important that students have opportunities for hands-on activities like this where they are engaged in constructive, restorative, solutions-based work,” said Cam Douglas, teacher and YLS program coordinator.

The community is encouraged to visit the park and campground to see the native plant species and learn about the benefits of water conservation. 

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Recap: Peterborough Family Literacy Day

Trent Valley Literacy Association, Literacy Ontario Central South and Peterborough Family Resource Centre worked together to celebrate Family Literacy Day recently at Peterborough Square.

Free books were donated by Frontier College for all ages to encourage reading and literacy.

Booths were set up from many local businesses such as Music for Moppets, Healthy Families Centre, Catholic District School Board and Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.

[Words and Picture by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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One (Or More) of Peterborough's High Schools May Close

Imagine your high school that you are attending, or attended, closing. Well that's now become a distinct possibility for four Peterborough schools—Adam Scott, Kenner, TASSS and PCVS—as Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board will review the possible closure of at least one of these schools due to plummeting enrollment at the schools. This is sure to be a controversial process, and the school board is welcoming input from the community at a series of community meetings starting in February.

[chextvDOTcom; Peterborough Examiner]

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