On Saturday October 1, 28 people gathered for an A Rocha event in Gatineau Park. Those who arrived in the afternoon hiked the King Mountain trail named after William F. King, the first Superintendent of the Geodetic Survey of Canada. Although the leaves were just beginning to turn colour, this trail, which climbs to the top of the Eardley Escarpment, provided the group with excellent vistas of the Ottawa River Valley as well as the National Capital Region.
Following a potluck supper, we listened to Dr. Kirstin Jeffrey Johnston speak on the topic “The company we keep: Do you know your native land? Drawing upon childhood experiences in the Ottawa Valley, insights of 19th century immigrants Moodie and Traill, lessons learned from J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, M. Avison and Wendell Berry, along with 20th century conservationist Bill Mason, this illustrated talk was both an invitation – and challenge – to be attentively responsible to the particular environmental community in which one dwells. Those present were inspired to better know the place in which they live, including the weeds they pull from their gardens. The presentation was followed by an engaging discussion in which many participated.
Please join us A Rocha in Ottawa for our next event: Saturday, Nov. 5: Hike, Supper and Evening with Dr. Iain Provain.
