On Friday, June 12, city councillor Shad Qadri and City of Ottawa planning forester Mark Richardson accompanied students in grades 5 and 6 from Stittsville Public School to the Shea Woods.
The seven-hectare forest is part of the approved Fernbank Community Development Plan, for the lands bordered by Iber Road, Fernbank Road, Shea Road and Abbott Street.
The field trip provided the students an opportunity to see the area first-hand and to learn about land use planning, habitat protection and municipal government decision-making.
Although the City has expressed its intent to protect the forest, the land is not yet owned by the City and in order to protect it, they will have to acquire the land. A decision on acquiring the land is expected when a development application is submitted, anticipated sometime in 2015 or 2016.
For more information of the Shea Woods, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/#!/
