For Immediate Attention

Press Release from the Rotary Club of Stratford

Avon River Enhancement Project

Work will start Tuesday February 27, 2007 at 9 a.m. on the Avon River Enhancement Project, a joint initiative of the Rotary Club of Stratford, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the Avon River Environmental Association.

Snow will be removed, and trucks will bring in loads of stone to the area of the river between the Festival Bridge and the old railway bridge adjacent to the Meadowrue Garden. It was necessary to wait until the ground was frozen and the weather conditions appropriate before the work could commence.

This spring, the second phase of the project will take place when volunteers will plant thousands of bulrushes and other ecologically friendly aquatic vegetation along the banks, thus filtering the water and improving its quality downstream.

The result will be a marsh-like aquatic area, which should also encourage aquatic wildlife, provide a natural habitat for birds, and enhance the aesthetic quality of Stratford’s parklands along the river by complementing its neighbours Meadowrue Garden and Birnam Wood. It will also create a naturalized wetland, attractive to both residents and tourists. The site will be an excellent resource for outdoor education programs for local students and teachers. 

 Over $100 000 in grants and donations have been received for the project.

For more information, contact

 Vanni Azzano, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority at 519-284 2931 ext. 422

or

 Alan Carr, Avon River Environmental Association,  519 271 1380

or

Jim Hayes, Rotary Project Chair, 519 275 5050