Projects
Reducing our carbon footprint is the most important step we can take to help us live within the means of our planet, and this goal forms the foundation of all our activities. As we move forward, we hope to create more opportunities to learn and develop practical ways to work toward climate solutions that we can apply in our region.
If you are interested in participating in one of the projects below, if you have other ideas or experience to share, or if you just want to learn a little bit more about what we are doing, contact us or join us at any of our meetings or events. Everyone is welcome!
Check out our Events Page or join us on Facebook to get all the details.
Building a Network
One thing we know is that if we want to make meaningful change, we can't do it alone. Over the past years, we have been gradually becoming part of a larger network by sharing resources, ideas, and information, and supporting other environmental and community organizations. If you have an interest in forging relationships, planning, research, or communications (of all sorts), we welcome your enthusiasm and ideas (big and small).
Supporting Sustainable Local Food Initiatives
Access to sustainable, affordable food sources is more important now than ever. This group looks for ways in which our community can contribute to food security and connect with local farmers. The Grow-a-Row initiative and Merrickville Food Cupboard are both supported by Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford. Some future projects for this group may include renewing the "Ask a Farmer" series. New ideas are always welcome.
Grow-A-Row
This initiative encourages local gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables to share with their local food bank. Thanks to the generosity of our community, it continues to be a great success, with hundreds of pounds of produce donated to the Rideau Community Health Service Food Cupboard in Merrickville each year.
Rideau Community Health Service Food Cupboard – Merrickville Location
With the sustained support of a dedicated group of volunteers and donors, the Rideau Community Health Services (RCHS) Food Cupboard helps individuals and families in our community when they need it.
Donations
- Donations can be made at the RCHS Centre located at 354 Read Street in Merrickville:
- Non-perishable donations can be dropped off on weekdays from 8:30 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 4:00. Items can be left on the silver cart by the front entrance.
- Financial contributions can be made by e-transfer to donations@rideauchs.ca, or you can drop off a cheque at the RCHS Centre reception desk. Please mark your donation for the “Client Needs Fund”.
- Seasonal donations of fresh garden produce can be dropped off at the RCHS Centre during working hours. Tuesday is generally the best day for drop offs, but you can call or email to make alternative arrangements if needed (see contact information below).
If you would like to volunteer or if someone you know needs to access the Food Cupboard, please contact jfraney@rideauchs.ca or call 613-269-3400 ext 247.
Thanks to everyone for their generosity.
Enriching Local Gardens
Diversity is the key to a flourishing garden. This group promotes healthy, productive gardens by supporting the collection and sharing of local climate-adapted seed stock through the Merrickville Seed Library and the Seedy Saturday event. It also challenges the concept of a manicured, monoculture, close-cropped grass lawns as the ideal of yard-perfection. If you are interested in native species (including trees and shrubs), seed sharing, or exploring better alternatives to traditional gardening and lawn maintenance, we would love to hear from you.
Merrickville Seed Library
In 2022, we also introduced Merrickville's first Seedy Saturday, an annual event run in support of the Seed Library. Seedy Saturday brings keen gardeners of all ages and levels of experience together to donate, swap, or pick up seeds and seedlings. It also features short presentations, demonstrations, some local vendors, and fun activities for the kids.
We would like to thank the enthusiastic group of volunteers, contributors, and visitors that have made both these initiatives such a success. This includes all the local gardeners and farmers who donated seeds; McKenzie Seeds and Stokes Seeds for their seed donations; as well as everyone who made cash donations to enable us to purchase hard-to-harvest seeds and basic supplies.
How to donate seeds to the Seed Library
Please make sure that your seeds are clearly marked with the- Year collected
- Type of plant and variety of plant (e.g., red cherry tomato; autumn beauty sunflower)
- Any extra information that may be helpful (how deep to plant seeds, when to start them, amount of sun, soil, etc.)
Donated seeds will be collected, organized, and distributed through the library. Seeds can be dropped off at the Merrickville Public Library during regular library hours.
Pollinator Garden Project
Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford is building several pollinator gardens as a first step toward creating desperately needed monarch waystations, and hopefully turning Merrickville-Wolford into a designated Bee City.
These gardens host a variety of native plants and are grown without the use of pesticides, providing a safe habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The first site was planted with the cooperation of the Merrickville Lions Club in the Community Garden near Merrickville Public School. It will take a couple of years to fully establish, but is an example for anyone interested in planting their own pollinator sanctuary.
Advocating
for Change
Do you want to have your voice heard? If you are interested in making real changes in your community, this group is always looking for ways to support and partner with local governments to advance climate solutions. We also support our Merrickville-Wolford Environmental Advisory Committee as they continue their important role here in the Village.
Other Initiatives We Support
Merrickville District Trails Society: Riverwalk Trail
We are pleased to support the development of the Merrickville District Trails Society's new Riverwalk Trail for residents and visitors to Merrickville. The new trail is being built in stages along the shoreline of the Rideau River near the Merrickville Public Library and will include a viewing platform overlooking the Rideau Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
Walkers, joggers, and woodland explorers will meet shoreline wildlife and vegetation, learn about the richness of the ”riparian” area, and feel the importance of wetlands within the Rideau River Watershed. Interpretive signs will be added. The nearby public library is developing a collection of information relevant to the trail.
ECO Champions
The ECO Champions Contest raises awareness of species-at-risk in the Merrickville-Wolford region. Now in its second year, the contest challenges youth under eighteen to learn about 17 of the animals, insects, and plants at risk in our own backyard and consider what we can do to protect them before it’s too late. Contestants can submit reports on individual or group projects that involve the preservation or protection of their favourite species. Families, school classes, homeschoolers, and organized groups are all welcome to participate.
While the contest focuses on youth involvement, the website has lots of resources including a video presentation by Andrea Howard that is available for anyone interested in finding out more about the selected species. The ECO Champions contest is run in partnership with the Merrickville Public Library, and is supported by Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford and the Village of Merrickville-Wolford, with financial contributions from the Lions Club.