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Have fun at the Park with projects and recreational events!
A variety of volunteers enjoy the outdoors while caring for this community asset Ð wouldnÕt you like to have fun helping too? This season brings new projects and renewal to existing Willow Park features, a chance to experience interesting outdoor projects and events.
Willow Park Ecology
Stewardship Events 2007
Organic Vegetable Community Gardens
- at Willow Park Community Garden Beds
- sponsored by Evergreen Foundation
Watching It Grow
June 10, 1-3pm
Individuals, families and groups are invited to join in for practical, physical and social experiences in gardening basics that can have immediate positive impact on the natural environment. Includes; natural pest control, late plantings, managing weeds and water resources.
Organic Vegetable Community Gardens
Early Harvest -August 19, 1-3pm
Follow the progression of the gardens from field-to-table. Great chance to get children started in understanding where their food comes from and how we depend on the environment. Active living that enhances the health of the environment while improving yours. Includes; early harvest, fall plantings, transplanting, theme gardens.
Putting It To Bed
October 21, 1-3pm
Season closing will continue to set up adults and children with the ÒtoolsÓ and skills they need to grow and harvest vegetables in their own yard. Includes; Harvest Celebration, cover crops, soil amendment, using your vegetables in recipes.
Butterfly Garden Club
- at Willow Park Butterfly Garden
- sponsored by WPESC Committee
Learn About Butterflies
June 24, 9:30-12pm
From what caterpillar becomes which butterfly, to their food and the flowers they like. Volunteers make the garden a success. If you have anything to share or would like to help out, we would love to hear from you! A great chance for practical gardening and outdoor family recreation with volunteer run crafts. Instil excitement in children about plants, animals and how we all depend on the environment!
Exploring Butterfly Habitats
July 15, 9:30-12pm
Fun for children and adults alike to see how plants and animals depend on each other and on the environment. Explore and enhance butterfly habitats and populations by planting, managing, walking and observing the gardens. Theme events with volunteer run crafts and making cool stuff.
Winter and Butterflies
September 16, 9:30-12pm
Adults, families and groups are invited to join in the Butterfly Garden Project and Club. See and learn how butterflies avoid freezing while you help to ensure that their habitat is suitable for their over-wintering needs as eggs, larvae or adults. Volunteer run handicrafts planned.
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 Silver Creek Fall 2005
 Grade 3 Class -- 2006
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Summer 2007
Willow Park Ecology Stewardship Projects 2007
To ensure the parkÕs ecology theme continues to give us unique educational and recreational opportunities, the WPESC volunteers are committed to overseeing the projects listed below.
Do these Òspark your interestÓ? Let us know and have fun helping out.
WPESC 2007 Projects
1. Bird Habitat Enhancement
2. Butterfly Garden Habitat
3. Compost Demonstration
4. Community Gardens
5. Earthday Recognition
6. Habitat Enhancement by Invasive Species Removal
7. Interpretive Gardens (Pavilion)
8. Tree replacement Plantings (especially riverbank)
9. Wetland Habitat (incl. turtle nesting sites, shoreline plantings, etc.)
10. Xeroscape -low water habitat-Garden (Entrance)
This Park has been a success through the great volunteer base and local resource contributions.
Willow Park Ecology Stewardship Committee (WPESC) is seeking more community partners Ð individuals and groups for a number of projects.
To help out with projects or come out to events, please register at:
905 702-9055
www.willowparkecology.com
Located at Mary St & Hwy 7 in Norval
The new Willow Park Ecology Stewardship Committee (WPESC)É
2007 Events and Projects
In 2007 Ðvolunteers- continue to help the Town of Halton Hills manage Willow Park (Ecology Centre). The Stewardship Committee has committed to overseeing preservation of habitat features which make the Park a unique ecotourist attraction. This will occur through volunteer events, community donations and an Evergreen Foundation grant.
Contact Us:
905-702-9055
wpec@willowparkecology.com
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Community Gardens Project
News Release April 2007
Willow Park Ecology Centre is seeking more community partners Ð individuals and groups for a number of projects (see list below). A variety of volunteers enjoy the outdoors while caring for this community asset Ð wouldnÕt you like to have fun helping too? This season brings new projects and renewal to existing park features, a chance to experience interesting outdoor projects.
We are writing specifically to outline the Community Garden Project and invite you to participate. Last year Willow Park Ecology Stewardship Committee secured funds from the Evergreen Foundation to develop Community Gardens with the vision to provide opportunity to citizens to see and do organic gardening. In the fall of 2006 raised garden beds were built by volunteers using reclaimed stone materials.
This spring we look forward to community partners embracing the opportunity to plant and harvest their own small plot in the raised beds. This is an excellent chance for Community Groups to have an outdoor project with great exposure and the possibility for group team building, local outings and socializing between groups and sharing expertise and learning new things.
The plan so far is to coordinate planting, monitoring, early harvesting and late harvesting of the gardens over the next 6 months. We are inviting, and looking for, community leaders to embrace this project. We can help you plan your own Theme Garden! You could either plan to attend the 4 events we are hosting for community involvement and/or come out in between to tend your garden and watch it grow, while enjoying the wildlife in Willow Park.
Several community groups have expressed interest and would be suitable for this project. We hope you will consider it and embrace this great opportunity for a partnership with WPEC and a project to call you own on this Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) owned property.
The following, formal 2007 Event Dates for the Community Gardens Project have been set out to help with planning.
Groundbreaking --- April 29 1 pm Ð 3 pm
Watch it Grow --- June 10 1 pm Ð 3 pm
Early Harvest --- August 19 1pm Ð 3 pm
Putting it to Bed --- October 21 1pm Ð 3 pm
We apologize for the timing as the first event is upcoming shortly but have had challenges along the way. We hope you will seriously consider this great chance for us to work together to keep Willow Park Ecology Centre as an excellent place for unique education and recreation in our community.
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River Fest 2006 June 3 - 4
News Release Feb 2006
For more info visit www.riverfest-norval.ca
The little festival to celebrate life on the Credit River, which grew from 1999 to 2004, has been revived with a vengeance! The theme of Riverfest 2006 is w-a-t-e-r, featuring Children's Water Festival events. Water, a most precious resource, is vital to us all! Riverfest 2006 is planned as a 2-day expanded festival. Many of the details are still being finalized. One new idea this year is to include a mini Film-Festival. The goal for Riverfest is to serve as -a fundraiser- to continue the well-received and vital School Programs of Willow Park Ecology Centre into 2007. As a result, the entrance fee will be $15 per family, with the Project Wet Workshop charged separately.
On Saturday, June 3rd the main events will include Hiking, Project Wet training and a mini Film-Festival. Hike leaders will take you on a local trails adventure and provide hike related tips. Project Wet has 90 different hands-on activities that serve as an aid to help people understand the importance and influence of water. The workshop will train School Teachers, and Scout and Guide Leaders about how to use it as a teaching tool for topics such as the physics and environmental effects of water.
On Sunday, June 4th after 1pm, family activities will include the Children's Water Festival programs such as "Enviroscape Wetlands", "We Use that Much" and "Off I Go", and exhibits such as Wye Marsh's Critters, Electrofishing and many others. The always-favorite "Paddle to the Sea" race will top off Sunday's kids activities. Other stations may include kite building, rock and scarf painting, and treasure hunts. The youngsters will have opportunity to experience rock climbing and other active pastimes, too.
All this will complement the talents of musicians Noni Crete, James Gordon and others of local and wider reputation who will be in the music programs held throughout the afternoon. The Riverfest Outdoor Market will host vendors and community groups offering new ideas, products and services related to water, environmentally friendly practices and sustainable living. Those interested are encouraged to register early to secure a table. The famous Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Rotarians, lunch and snack foods, and a beer/wine tent are planned.
Riverfest 2006 comes to us after a year's sabbatical and will be the success of the hard work and financial contributions of many individuals, groups and businesses. It has also applied for grants from various agencies (i.e., for a festival coordinator) and have received $15,000 so far! Presently, WPEC has started the work in collaboration with Norval Community Assoc., TEAC, Credit Valley Artisans, Halton-North Peel Naturalist, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), Town of Halton Hills, P.O.W.E.R., Bruce Trail Assoc. and Hike Ontario.
Contact Tunde at the WPEC office to:
-- find out more about the Outdoor Market, Music, Art & Education Booths
-- volunteer for planning
-- volunteer on June 3rd or 4th
-- sponsor Riverfest with monetary or in kind donations (e.g. food, activity materials, other resources)
-- join an excellent student volunteer project
Also look for articles in the local and provincial media detailing 2006 Riverfest. "It'll be enriching and exciting family-fun for all." -- Ruth Kuchinad
River Fest 2005
Unfortunately there was no Riverfest in 2005.
River Fest 2004
Riverfest 2004 was Saturday June 5
The theme for the 2004 Riverfest is The Credit River – Protect it for Life. Riverfest celebrates the magnificent beauty of the Credit River and promotes its preservation as a natural area for both recreation and ecological study. The activities at Riverfest emphasize participation, education, and fun within the community, through the enjoyment of nature and healthy living.
Riverfest will include a number of exciting activities for all members of your family, including a guided hike, art exhibit, nature workshops, martial arts demonstrations, a vendors market, and music.
One of the highlights of this years festival will be the live music. Local folk musicians will perform Saturday afternoon in Norval Park. There will be numerous music entertainment workshops for children at this time. As well, the Brampton Folk Club will host an open stage at the Norval Anglican Church Parish Hall. We encourage musicians of all ages and skill levels to participate. The music will continue in the evening when Norval Park will host a folk music festival featuring both upcoming stars and well-known talents.
Following the official opening there will be a nature walk exploring the Credit River. Interested hikers are to meet Maureen Smith of the Halton Hills Chapter of the Bruce Trail Association at the Norval Park Entrance area at 9:30am. A bus will take hikers to River Road where they will hike the footpath back through Upper Canada College to Norval Park and Riverfest.
Nature Discovery activities will be conducted throughout the day at Willow Park. From 9am to 2pm Paddle Quest Scavenger Hunts will take place every 20 to 30 minutes. A completed passport gains you entrance into the "Paddle to the Sea" Boat Race. Other highlights at Willow Park will be the hourly butterfly releases, the "Wet and Scaly" Frog and Amphibian Display, Electro-fishing, and a demonstration by birds of prey. You may also wish to conduct a self-guided tour of Willow Park. Be sure to visit the Butterfly Garden, Wetland, Snake Hibernaculum, Composting Area, as well as walk the Tree Trail.
In addition to nature activities, Riverfest will also host a vendors market, as well as activities on water monitoring and local watersheds, fly tying demonstrations and lessons, and Karate and Tai Chi demonstrations. Refreshments will be available as well. There will be a barbeque lunch and beer garden at Norval Park, and a bake sale will be held at the United Church.
This year's Riverfest promises to be a spectacular event which will both entertain and inform participants of their crucial role in preserving for future enjoyment our wonderful Credit River environment. See you at Riverfest!!
Entry fee to the Riverfest attractions is:
$5 per person, $10 per family.
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The Clean Up Crew!
River Fest 2006
Thank you to everyone!
Paddle to the Sea
kids boat race River Fest 2002
Electro Fishing demo River Fest 2002
More help is welcome and needed! Planning occurs through support work organized at meetings held the 3rd Wednesday of each month until May at the Norval Presbyterian Church, 6:30-8:30pm, and then once a week until the festival. Contact Tunde at the WPEC Office 905-702-9055, wpec@willowparkecology.com:
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