What's happening in the 'hood:
 

Feb. 1-28: Black History Month 

This year, Black History Month will be celebrated virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic with speaker series and other events. To learn more about the virtual activities going on in Ottawa throughout the month of February, visit blackhistoryottawa.com. And to find out more about the celebrations taking place throughout the province, visit the OBHS website blackhistorysociety.ca. 

Feb. 8 - Pollinator gardening Zoom presentation

The McKellar Park Community Association invites you to join Berit Erickson for a virtual photo tour of her pollinator garden and backyard habitat gardens. She’ll share what she’s learned about pollinators, their favourite flowers and habitat requirements. Discover how to design, plant and maintain your own pollinator garden. The Zoom presentation will take place on Feb. 8: The meeting opens at 7 p.m. and the presentation runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. You can register in advance. For further information on pollinator gardening, visit cornerpollinatorgarden.net.

Feb. 16 - Ottawa Horticultural Society Webinar: All From a Little Seed (How to start seeds) 

Join Master Gardener Rebecca Last for this free online presentation all about sex — plant sex, that is, and how home gardeners can save money, have fun and breed new varieties by starting their own seeds. We begin with a discussion of why gardeners might want to start plants from seed. There is an introduction to the lexicon for seed starting and a discussion of the importance of documentation. We talk about sources of seed, and viability. Then we discuss equipment and supplies for seed starting, and what seeds to start where and when (indoors versus outdoors). There are some tips for getting a head start on your seed starting, and we finish with some troubleshooting and the basics of hardening off. No registration required. Instructions for participating can be found at ottawahort.org. The Feb. 16 event runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

Feb. 20 - Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY)

CNOY is a national, annual winter walk to “raise money for charities serving people experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger.” The second annual event in Westboro is being organized once again by Cornerstone Housing for Women to fundraise for women’s housing. The event is virtual this year for COVID-19 safety — participants can walk the 2 or 5 km route by themselves or with their households. To learn more about the event, or to register for CNOY Ottawa Westboro, visit cnoy.org. 

Feb. 23 - Ottawa Horticultural Society Webinar: Ecology, On-line Learning and Saving the World One Garden at a Time

Please join teacher/author David Ward and witness his sincere, open lecture style as he comments on our individual journeys of lifelong learning, adventure however you define it and anything else his heart feels compelled to share. An award-winning author of two critically acclaimed books, and a winner of the Charles E. Pascal Award for Excellence in Teaching, Ward is pleased to now be sharing his long and varied history of working in horticulture, with learners at the University of Guelph. No registration required. Instructions for participating can be found at ottawahort.org. The Feb. 23 event runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m. 

Got a Kitchissippi-area virtual or COVID-19 safe event to share? We’d love to hear about it. Send your info to editor@kitchissippi.com.