Frozen site archive of 2015/01/17.  Visit www.petrieisland.org for current site.
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Edible Wild Plant Walk

Friends of Petrie Island would like to invite you and your families to our Edible Wild Plant Walk.  On this walk, you will learn all about the plants that can be eaten, brewed and its other edible uses.  Talk about living off your own backyard!

When: Saturday July 6th @ 10:30am

Cost: Child 5$   Adult 10$    Family 20$
 

For further information please contact Caleigh Delle Palme at caleigh_dellepalme@carleton.ca

 

Summer 2013 Programs

Junior Naturalist program, (ages 2 – 5),  approximately 2 hours

  • Every Wednesday at 10:30 am until the second last week of August

  • Meet at the Nature Centre (include a short lesson, nature walk and craft)
  • 2$ per child and parent/ guardian must be present at all times
  • Please e-mail friendsofpetrieisland@hotmail.com to register your child
  • * If Wednesdays do not work for you, please send us an e-mail of a day that would work for you and we'll try to start up a second session.

Youth  programs (ages 7 – 12),  approximately 2 hours

  • Every Thursday at 6:00- 7:30 pm until the second last week of August
  • Meet at the Nature Centre (include a short lesson, nature walk and craft)
  • 2$ per child and parent/ guardian must be present on the island
  • Please e-mail friendsofpetrieisland@hotmail.com to register your child
  • * If Thursday do not work for you, please send us an e-mail of a day that would work for you and we'll try to start up a second session.

 

Environmental Youth Program (ages 12-14)

  • Every Friday evening at 6 pm, starting June 7

  • cost $2

  • Come meet other kids your age who love nature and care about the evironment

  • Explore our nature trails with student scientists and local naturalists as guides

 

  • Home Schoolers programs May and June

  • Tours of the Island for Schools, Youth groups, Seniors, Home Schoolers  - approximately ½ hour to 1 ½ hours.

The Nature centre can be opened anytime during the season, (May 1 to end of Oct)  for interested groups. It will normally be open daily from June 1 to end of August, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We will continue events such as: Clean ups, Turtle day,  Wildflower walk. We are also participating at events:  Jane’s Walk in  May  and Canada Day on July 1.

This information will be updated when more details are available.

For information contact Al at: hatweddle@rogers.com 
or Caleigh  at friendsofpetrieisland@hotmail.com

 

OLYMPIC SPRINT KAYAK PROGRAM 2013

FOPI will also be partnering with the Rideau Canoe Club to run ½ day two week camps at Petrie Island where participants will have the opportunity to get involved in hands on stewardship projects as well as the Olympic sprint kayak program.

Contact  for further information  Rideau Canoe Club: (613) 225-5546, or through their website @ www.rideaucanoeclub.ca.

Direct link for summer camps: http://rideaucanoeclub.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=075d807e1d83461f04e6c7b0e&id=9072fc9bec&e=b7cba6508f

 

Beaches Open June 16

All of Ottawa's beaches will be officially open and supervised between Saturday June 16 to Sunday August 19, 2012. Lifeguards are on duty from noon to 7 PM.

The washrooms for the beaches will be opened May 19th to September 3rd, 2012, Monday to Thursday 10:30 am - 9 PM, Friday to Sunday 10:30 am - 7 PM.

Parking fees will be in place at Petrie from May 19 to September 3.

Petrie Island on Twitter

Get instant updates on what is happening at Petrie Island by following @PetrieIsland.

2012 Water Quality

Using the water quality statistics provided by the City of Ottawa, we show below the number of days for which the beach was officially closed.  We also show the number of days on which the E. coli count exceeded 100.  This is not the same as when the beaches are officially closed, which is 200 counts.  Petrie's East Beach had poorer water quality than the river beach, possibly due to Canada geese and sea gulls.

The role of rainfall in increasing the e coli count is apparent this year.  It was very dry in June and July, and the water quality was very good.  This is thought to be due to runoff from the land.

Beach Red Flag Days Days over 100 E. coli
Britannia 7 8
Mooneys Bay 13 15
Westboro 3 6
Petrie Island River Beach 9 10

2011 Water Quality

Petrie's River Beach came in second best, behind Britannia Beach, in 2011.  Using the water quality statistics provided by the City of Ottawa, we show below the number of days for which the beach was officially closed.  We also show the number of days on which the E. coli count exceeded 100.  This is not the same as when the beaches are officially closed, which is 200 counts.  For the second year in a row, Petrie's East Beach had particularly poor water quality.  It is thought that the number of Canada geese and sea gulls are responsible.

 

Beach Red Flag Days Days over 100 E. coli
Britannia 18 20
Mooneys Bay 26 29
Westboro 27 32
Petrie Island River Beach 22 26

Visitor Contributed Photos on Web Site

We welcome photographs provided by visitors to Petrie Island.  We can now offer to publish them on our web site.  Click here to visit the contributed photos page.  The first album contains instructions on how to submit photos.  If it all seems like too much work for you, just email your photos and we will do all the work for you.

Petrie Island Natural Diversity

According to Dan Brunton, a biologist who has been hired by the City of Ottawa to assess Petrie Island, "The Petrie Islands supports one of the highest level of floristic diversity of any natural area in the City of Ottawa.  Over 325 native vascular plant species are now known from this area.  This represents almost 100% of the native diversity of comparable Ottawa River alluvial islands.  Over two dozen Regionally Significant plant species occur with the Petrie Islands.  One additional significant species is listed as federally and provincially endangered.  This species is the butternut."

In the Know

Friends of Petrie Island annual report 2012 is now available.

Management Plan Final Report - Report by Dan Brunton to the City of Ottawa with an assessment of the natural environment.

Petrie Island stewardship plan updated.  The Friends of Petrie Island and the Ottawa Stewardship Council have prepared a draft Stewardship Plan for Petrie Island. The draft plan was presented to the Ottawa Forests and Advisory Committee (OFGAC) in November, 2007. Following the presentation, OFGAC recommended that the Parks and Recreation Branch Work with FOPI and the OSC to finalize and implement the Stewardship Plan.

Species at Risk Turtle Survey 2008 July 2008
2008 is the fourth consecutive year that there have been confirmed sightings of Blanding’s turtles on Petrie Island. One was seen in 2005, two in 2006, one in 2007, and two in 2008.

Experimental Turtle Nesting Site  In June 2009, the Friends of Petrie Island and the Ottawa Stewardship Council undertook a project, in cooperation with the City of Ottawa, to expand and enhance a turtle nesting site for species at risk and other turtles. The objective was to try and attract nesting turtles to an area that was less subject to high human use, and thereby promote better hatchling survival.  Read the report here.

Contributed Photos
 

  Ice breaking up on the Ottawa River at Petrie Island, March 2012.  Photos by Al Tweddle.

Petrie Island is a complex of islands and wetlands located on the south shore of the Ottawa River in suburban Ottawa, Canada. It features a large public beach, boat launch, interpretation center, and an extensive nature preserve with access trails where you may view many birds, reptiles and other animals as well as rare trees and other plant species.

The site is owned by the City of Ottawa, which operates the beach. The Friends of Petrie Island operate the interpretation center and oversee the nature preserve, which covers most of the western portion of the site.
 

When You Visit

The Petrie Island area consists of wetlands and backwaters that are environmentally sensitive. When you visit, please be respectful of the site and mindful of others.

Dogs are prohibited everywhere on Petrie Island.

Stay on trails - do not disturb or harm wildlife, pick wildflowers or damage trees and other plants. Many birds and animals inhabit and breed in this area.

Do not catch turtles and frogs along the shoreline. It is illegal to catch turtles or disturb their nests; handling of frogs can harm them (you are toxic to them) and the shoreline is easily damaged by trampling

Do not fish along the Turtle Trail or beaches – discarded fish hooks and lines are dangerous to people and to wildlife.

Bicycles are not allowed on the trails.

Do not litter.

If you observe wild animals acting strangely, please let staff know.

Fires and camping are prohibited.
 

Les îles Petrie forment un complexe de terres humides et d’îles sur la rive droite de la rivière des Outaouais, à Ottawa, Canada. On y trouve une plage publique, une rampe de mise à l’eau, un centre d’interprétation et une réserve naturelle offrant une variété d’oiseaux, de reptiles et autres animaux ainsi que des arbres et autres plantes rares.   

Le site appartient à la ville d’Ottawa, qui administre la plage. Les Amis de l’île Petrie gèrent le centre d’interprétation et supervisent la réserve, qui occupe le plus clair de la partie ouest du site.

 

 

Votre visite

Les îles Petrie consistent en terres humides et étangs don’t l’écologie est délicate. Respectez le lieu et les autres visiteurs.

Les chiens sont interdits partout sur l’île Petrie.

Restez sur les sentiers - ne nuisez pas aux plantes et animaux sauvages - plusieurs oiseaux et animaux vivent et se reproduisent sur le site.

Ne touchez pas les grenouilles et tortues. Il est interdit par la loi de capturer les tortues ou de déranger leurs nids; les grenouilles sont sensibles à la manipulation (votre toucher leur est toxique) et la circulation endommage les berges.

Ne pêchez pas le long du sentier des Tortues ou des plages - les hameçons perdus et lignes posent des dangers et nuisent à la faune.

Vélos interdits sur les sentiers.

Ne laissez pas de déchets.

Rapportez au au personnel tout comportement inusité des animaux.

Les feux et le camping sont interdits.

 
Page updated 2015-01-17    © Friends of Petrie Island