Paradise In the Neighbourhood!

"In the heart of London lies a natural playground that has launched dreams for countless children since the 1800s.  Its forest area, ponds and wildlife have given children a space to explore their love of nature and let their imagination take flight". ~Anne Kay, Coves resident Mission Statement We believe that the quality of life in our community is enhanced through the protection, rehabilitation, and wise stewardship of the Coves Subwatershed. What are we doing? Rehabilitation/Monitoring We are always looking for opportunities to rehabilitate natural habitat around the Coves on both public and private properties.  We organize ongoing monitoring of water quality and wildlife to support current and future conservation activities. Education Through displays, workshops, interpretive signs and presentations we raise awareness of the Coves Subwatershed, the Coves ESA and local species.  We work to engage local students, residents and community grou...

Silver Creek, noted on the map below as Southcrest Ravine has been degraded over time from flooding, erosion, sedimentation, and neglect.  This area is the top restoration project on Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc.'s agenda.  Friends of the Coves and the City of London are partnered in this project and have contracted Stantec to assess the area with a restoration report and will contract them to perform the restoration project. Background S ilver Creek, which flows through the Coves, has been severely degraded by ongoing erosion possibly caused by numerous storm sewer outfalls that release large volumes of water during rainfall events. Objectives The project objectives are to protect and improve ecological functions (e.g., address erosion issues, improve habitat, improve water quality and water quantity) within the restoration reach and associated portion of the valley. Project Description This initiative is a conservation and restoration ef...

Kensal Park's Senior Me to We Club Kensal Park Fun Fair 2017 - Me to We invites Friends of the Coves to share a booth Kensal Park's Me to We club is committed to helping others and contributing to making the world a better place for everyone to live. This spring Me to We sold 'Canada 150' t-shirts designed by the senior Me to We club students and wrist bands to raise money, which they chose to donate to Friends of the Coves Subwatershed Inc.  It is a great honour for us to have a wonderfully resourceful, and caring partner such as Kensal Park and the Me to We club.  The funds raised will contribute to the restoration of Silver Creek.  Thank you Kensal Park's Me to We Club!!

Interpretive Sign: Euston Meadow Sign Says : Euston Park  is an 11 hectare park located in the Southcrest neighbourhood.  This park supports several types of ecosystems, including a wooded area that is part of the Coves 6Environmentally Significant Area (ESA), tallgrass meadow, and wet areas Did you know that Euston Park used to be a gravel pit and then in the 1960's converted to a municipal landfill?   The landfill ran until 1971 and was capped in 1972.  Venting systems have been installed to manage the gas release from the landfill, but there is also some natural methane production from a remnant wetland on the west side of the park. While walking along the paths within the park you will be able to see a variety of plants and animals.  There are black cherry, red oak, birds, (including ground-nesting birds), butterflies, insects, toads and much more! Since 2004, Friends o the Coves Subwatershed Inc.  along with the City of London, Upper Thames ...

Bulletin Board at Elmwood Presbyterian Church -  Fleck Hall (See below for close up of individual selections) A Brief History of the Coves The area referred to as the "Cove" is an old meander of the Thames River that was identified by Governor John Graves Simcoe on his visit to this region on March 02, 1973.  The Governor was accompanied by his adjutant Major Edward Barker Littlehale, his personal secretary Lieutenant Thomas Talbot and Joseph Brant the paramount Chieftain of the Mohawks.  No one is quite sure about the origins of the name but it is suspected that it may have been named after the Cove (Cobh) of Cork which was the port of departure for many early emigrants from Ireland.  It was subsequently owned by two pioneering families, the MacArthurs and the Bogues who farmed the property throughout most of the 19th century. In the 1860's various Militia units (the 26th Battalion of the Middlesex Light Infantry, the First Hussars, the 7th Battalion of ...

It was great fun releasing the beetles (Neogalerucella spp.) at the Coves East pond Wednesday June 7th!    The beetles come from Europe and are used as a biological control for Purple Loosestrife, a plant that originated from Europe also and flowers with purple flowers generally around late July to mid August. What makes The beetles so effective in controlling the invasive Purple Loosestrife population is that they are host specific, which means they only feed, lay eggs on, and burrow  under Purple Loosestrife. Donna Mackenzie is the beetle specialist of Ontario beetles and is currently updating the monitoring manual, which will be posted to this page when it is completed by the end of June. If anyone is interested in helping to monitor the beetles and Purple Loosestrife please contact Donna Mackenzie via her  OntarioBeetles facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/OntarioBeetles/ There will be 3 important ways to monitor the beetles and Purple Loosest...