March 22nd is World Water Day! For this special occasion, we want to highlight an equally special someone who has made a powerful commitment to conserving freshwater here in Canada: one of our esteemed monthly donors, Bonny.  

“My volunteer work with our lake association started with one issue, and then it grew from there!” she said, reflecting on the beginning of her journey as Environment Coordinator for the Lake St. Peter Property Owner’s Association in Ontario. 

Melissa Dakers of Watersheds Canada (left) and Bonny (right) at a fish habitat restoration project in fall 2024.

 

As a parent and grandparent, Bonny wanted to personally ensure that her children and grandchildren could have the same lake experience that she did – pristine water quality, a rich and diverse array of local wildlife, and shorelines free of erosion.  

As she looked into ways to educate her peers and provide actions they could take toward those ends, Bonny kept coming across Watersheds Canada’s programs, webinars, and resources. Seeing the value it all brought to her own lake community, she decided to take her passion for creating positive change to an even greater level and became a monthly donor to Watersheds Canada.

“Damage to our environment has been caused by humans, and the solutions may feel beyond us,” Bonny said. “Organizations like Watersheds Canada take action on the issues directly and educate the public to help them understand that we as individuals can make a difference. Monthly donations help to provide stable budgets to hire qualified staff and materials to support this work. I am pleased and privileged to be a monthly donor.” 

Monthly donors like Bonny are very important to our organization. A donation of $20, $10, or even $5 each month gives our programs the financial consistency they need, allowing us to restore more wildlife habitat and engage more people in freshwater conservation. 

In addition to being a dedicated monthly donor, Bonny also volunteers in her community and with Watersheds Canada’s programs, like Nature Discovery Programming for children and youth (pictured below, middle), and Fish Habitat restoration program.

 

 

This World Water Day, we present you with a simple challenge you can enact right now in just a few clicks! Will you “Be Like Bonny” and take a resounding step towards protecting Canada’s freshwater and all the wildlife it supports?

If you do not feel like you are in the place to become a monthly donor, you can always make a one-time donation to our organization! Every dollar you donate goes directly back into habitat restoration and education programs across Canada. 

Thank you so much for your ongoing support, and happy World Water Day! 

Melissa Dakers
Habitat and Stewardship Program Manager
Watersheds Canada