nature & environment

This week is Environment Week, and the Green Ottawa Blog has a great round-up of local activities. Click here to read more… Some more local environment blogs & sites to check out: * [ Ecology Ottawa ](http://www.ecologyottawa.ca/) * [ Ottawa Riverkeeper ](http://ottawariverkeeper. ...

The other day on OttawaStart’s Twitter feed , I linked to BINAces Inc. , a new business in Ottawa that specializes in cleaning green bins. It’s been interesting to see the ecosystem (pardon the pun) of businesses that have popped up to support the green bin. ...

Anton sends along this note: ‘I just completed google maps mashup of all Ottawa - area Christmas Tree farms, where one can cut own christmas tree." Here’s the link. You should also check out our previous post: [ Ask OttawaStart: Christmas tree farms in Ottawa ...

It’s Earth Day in Ottawa. We recommend you check out Green Living Ottawa , described as “A solutions-focused blog dedicated to environmental living in Ottawa, Canada”. ** Related: ** Ottawa Nature Guide

Here’s some fun weekend reading - the Ottawa Citizen reports on two MPs who helped a beaver cross the street in downtown Ottawa . ** **

Ottawa’s power consumption dropped 6% last night during Earth Hour – at least that’s what Mayor Larry O’Brien says in his blog . That’s better than the 4% reduction achieved in 2008. O’Brien says that the 6% reduction is equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 58 homes for a month ** . ...

** Funny piece from Larry Moran’s Sandwalk blog, about Ottawa’s annual Dandelion Festival : ** Every year in May there's a famous dandelion festival in Ottawa (Canada). People come from all over the world to see the millions of dandelions along the parkways and walkways throughout the city. ...

[ ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/image_thumb_5.png) Check out these great photos and videos from Alec Saunders, of high water levels on the Rideau River . In particular – check out the videos of the falls at Hog’s Back and Watson’s Mill in Manotick. ...

Canuckflack wonders why bus riders aren’t looking out the window along the Ottawa River Parkway: So why are all the mindless automatons blindly staring towards the front of the bus, their hands tightly gripping one of three things: their coffee, their briefcase, or the handrail on the seat in front of them? ...

After spending all of Victoria Day pulling out weeds in the garden, we thought it would be a good time to re-visit a feature from our archives. Three years ago, local gardener Rene Trim contributed a weekly column full of great gardening tips. ...