Daniel and Susan Gottlieb Lake Stewardship Grant Program

My father and I have had a friendly debate going for a number of years regarding the name of a particular sport fish. And as my career in fish habitat restoration has established, I am finding this is common debate amongst many Ontario outdoors people. As a long time fisherman, my father has always referred to the common fish species Sander vitreus as a pickerel, and when I was younger, who was I to argue with him. Growing up my father instilled in me, my love for the outdoors, from many hikes ... Read More

Written By: Melissa Dakers, 2018 Walleye Spawning - “I Spy with My Little Eye!” After a long winter, the signs of spring are finally upon us, although a little delayed. Spring is a time for renewal, and as the ice leaves the lakes, water temperatures warm, frogs begin to sing, the walleye begin their annual spawn. It is a small one to two week window but if you are in the right place at the right time, it is an incredible sight. Walleye spawn in both river rapids and lake shoals, and ... Read More

Written by: Melissa Dakers, 2017 As we approach the mid-summer point of 2017, I keep thinking to myself, what a difference from last year! With very little precipitation and hot summer days, 2016 was one of the biggest droughts that Eastern Ontario has experienced. Seeing the rivers and creeks running dry and thinking about all the ecosystems and wildlife that were affected, makes me ever grateful for the amount of rain that we have received in 2017. Sure it has been a summer of ... Read More

Written by: Melissa Dakers, 2017 Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy! The Benefits of Adding Woody Debris to Enhance Fish Habitat With the warmer weather upon us, many Canadians start dreaming about heading to the lake. Visions form of standing on the dock or heading out in the boat and casting a line, hoping to catch the big one! Every fisherperson has their “spot” where they know the fish will bite. But have you ever thought about what makes that “spot” the perfect habitat? Many fish species like ... Read More

Over the summer, Watersheds Canada held a contest for the Natural Edge program. Contest participants had to send in photos of their shoreline and a story of why their shoreline is so important to them. Through the fall, Natural Edge staff read through every single entry, some more than once, and narrowed the entries down to 3. And after much deliberation, a winner was chosen! It is my great pleasure to announce that Rick and Debbie Zabloski of Graham Lake are the winners of the 20” x 17.5” ... Read More