Media Release – Perth youth investigate local freshwater and wildlife issues through new Nature Discovery Backpack program

April 12, 2022, Perth, Ontario – Students attending Youth Action Committee (YAK) Youth Services last year were given a free and educational opportunity to safely explore nature at their own pace as they learned about local species, freshwater health, and how to take local action. This was possible because of a pilot project called the Nature Discovery Backpack program, organized by Watersheds Canada. Thanks to generous funding from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and ... Read More

The Ontario government is reinvesting almost $900,000 in 17 projects across the province that will help protect and restore the environment and support stronger, healthier and cleaner communities. Watersheds Canada is honoured to receive funding in Eastern Ontario to deliver shoreline restorations in the Cataraqui and Quinte watersheds. This three-year project will see 4,000 native species planted on shoreline properties near Kaladar. Working with Quinte Conservation, this project will ... Read More

Happy World Water Day! As we come together to raise awareness and take action to tackle our current water issues, Watersheds Canada is excited to help you and your family take action for Canada's freshwater, today and beyond! Download our print-friendly "Top 10 Actions" checklist that you can work on as the year continues. There are many ways you can help protect and enhance local freshwater areas, and you do not have to have a shoreline property to get started!Check out this document to see ... Read More

Perth, ON, March 11, 2022 – A one-year project to benefit the Pugnose Shiner in the Quinte watershed is winding down, but the impacts of the project will continue for years to come.  This community-led effort included many different components to benefit the Pugnose Shiner, other wildlife, and overall freshwater quality in the Quinte watershed. Two focus areas of the project were East Lake and Wellers Bay. Participating local residents received education and stewardship materials, shoreline ... Read More

March 7, 2022, Combermere, Ontario – Cold winter nights in January made conditions perfect for the further restoration of a historic trout spawning bed on Diamond Lake in the Madawaska Valley. They also made for the perfect outdoor classroom for Liam, a grade four student who joined the restoration efforts along with his father, Stas, and grandfather, Paul. Liam will be the fourth generation of his family to live on and enjoy Diamond Lake, a lake that he likes to fish on with his ... Read More

After an amazingly successful first year, we are excited to kick-off the second year of the Freshwater Stewardship Community with a presentation from Helping Nature Heal! Based out of Nova Scotia, Helping Nature Heal creates and restores beautiful, sustainable ecosystems that connect people with nature. Hear from founder Rosmarie Lohnes as she explores the benefits of rain gardens and shows you how nature can be powerful tool in adapting to coastal and shoreline climate change and increased ... Read More

A message from the Chair of the Board of Directors, Mary Ellen Stoll: "This year was a year of both change and opportunity for Watersheds Canada. As with many other organizations, staff continued to work from home, and the Board of Directors got comfortable with Zoom. The COVID-19 pandemic gave us the opportunity and the challenge to look at how we deliver some of our programs, and where our staff were located. For example, the Freshwater Stewardship Community was launched in January 2021 and ... Read More

December 9, 2021 – There are some new homes on Olmstead and Jeffrey Lakes in Renfrew County, but not on the land. Fish, turtles, and macroinvertebrates like snails and dragonfly larvae now have more natural areas to rest, grow, and hide from predators thanks to a community-led effort that added 18 piles of woody debris back into the two lakes. Local organizations and volunteers came together on September 28, 2021 to gather on-land woody debris like sticks and snags, tie them together with ... Read More

We know that you care about your lake, river, or tributary. As fall comes to an end, and we think back to all the times we turned to nature this year, we know that nature is still in need of our help. Together, we can protect the very waters that sustain us. Watersheds Canada continues to deliver programming that sees more shorelines re-naturalized, more wildlife habitat created, more education resources distributed, more outreach programming delivered, and more opportunities for freshwater ... Read More