nature & environment

A reminder about a great event from Sean McConnery, a local photographer and astronomy fan: Astronomy Day is all about sharing the joy of Astronomy with those who have never had an opportunity to view the moon and planets through a telescope - " ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/logo.png) Katherine Forster, who blogs over at Transition Ottawa , asked us to help spread the word about Shared Earth . It’s like a dating site that matches gardeners with garden space. So if you’ve got a big backyard that needs some care and attention, or if you’re a gardener looking for a place to grow something, you can sign up or search the listings. ...

A quick heads up that we’ve launched a new directory on our main site called the Ottawa Green Guide . It features a big listing of blogs, organizations and businesses who are working towards a healthy, sustainable environment. We’re looking for your suggestions for additional businesses and organizations to add - please suggest a site . ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Outside_-_side-1.jpg.scaled1000.jpg) _ (Photo by Dennis Van Staalduinen.) _ Check out this fascinating web site about The Champlain Oaks . It tells the story of two dozen trees in Ottawa’s Champlain Park neighbourhood, near Island Park Drive. Some of them are estimated to be more than 200 years old, and are the descendants of a huge oak forest that would have covered the South shore of the Ottawa River before this area was settled. ...

** Please note: ** The links on this page may be out of date. Please visit OttawaStart’s Christmas Tree Guide for up-to-date info. Check out this map of places where you can cut your own Christmas tree in the Ottawa area. ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/September-and-October-2010-195.jpg) The fall colours are at their peak at this time of year and with the nice weather today it’s a great day to head out for a walk and check them out. Some suggestions for the best spots to see the leaves : ...

_ Today’s guest blogger is Elizabeth Howell . She blogs about space , she’s a science/business journalist and an amateur stargazer here in Ottawa. _ Astronomy lovers in the greater Ottawa area are lucky: the city is small enough that you can do some pretty serious stargazing even in areas close to downtown. ...

_ _ _ Stittsville - _ A recent independent study has confirmed that the suburban development by Richcraft Homes called "Deer Run", actually does not contain any deer or trees as implied by their signage and advertising. The dramatic loss of the natural deer from the development comes as a mysterious shock to both residents and developers alike, who used to see deer all the time within the vinyl clad streets of the suburb. ...

Check out this great video timelapse of the Perseid meteor shower, taken Thursday night at Meech Lake by local photographer Mike Geiger . Mike writes: “Timelapse of the meteor shower while hanging out with some fellow photographers. Taken near P12 on Meech Lake. ...

Earlier this spring I came across GuideGatineau , an independent website run by Charles Hodgson along with help from volunteers. It’s an incredible resource loaded with multimedia information and news, and Charles took some time to be the latest local site highlighted in our “Five Questions” series. ...