It is timely to finish this painting of Morning at the Grand Chutes now as I’m thrilled to be heading back to the Dumoine watershed in two weeks to participate in the Dumoine River Art for Wilderness Retreat 2019. CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) Ottawa Valley hosts the retreat.

This year is CPAWS 50th Anniversary!

Some of the important achievements they’ve realized over their 50 years of operation include:

• Helped to protect over 7500 square kilometres of wilderness in eastern Ontario and western Quebec – that is almost three times the size of the amalgamated city of Ottawa!
• Were the lead organization that created the Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative (A2A) in the late 1990’s – an incredible international effort that now provides a connected landscape vital for animals and birds
• Succeeded in having highway 5 routed outside of the Meech Creek Valley, Chelsea, QC in 1974
• Lobbied successfully for the railway across Algonquin Park to be abandoned, reducing the fragmentation of habitats and disruptions to wildlife and park users
• Hosted the first national road ecology conference in Ottawa in 2014

And the list goes on.

Consider supporting CPAWS-OV and the great work they do. Here’s their donation page.