Help Protect Canada’s Freshwater During this Pandemic

I hope that all of you are doing well and staying safe during this time. At Watersheds Canada, we are working to adapt our programs to help all of you keep our freshwater healthy during these unprecedented times. Our staff of 6 are currently working reduced hours from home; however, we are also facing our own challenges with the impacts of COVID-19 on our organization. Unfortunately, we have been heavily impacted by the loss of funding and changing grant priorities. Some of our funding ... Read More

To celebrate Earth Week, the Natural Edge Program is releasing the updated version of the Shoreline Habitat Creation Manual. This free resource offers over 14 resources to enhance habitat for landowners. Some of them are as easy as "retiring" your lawn by creating a no-mow zone, while other projects will see you creating habitat structures to provide habitat and protection from animals, like creating a turtle nest protection cage. Download the Natural Edge - Shoreline Habitat Creation ... Read More

                      Media release Love Your Lake Program Celebrates Expansion April 9, 2020, Perth, Ontario – Watersheds Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) are celebrating another successful year of their Love Your Lake program as it expanded to British Columbia in the summer of 2019. “The Love Your Lake program helps engage lake communities, bringing awareness on the importance of taking individual actions on their properties. If everyone focuses on the ... Read More

MEDIA RELEASE                                                        March 4, 2020 The Natural Edge Program is a Perfect Fit for Local Farmers Watersheds Canada – The Muskrat watershed will see improved water quality as 15,000 native trees and shrubs work to reduce run-off and stabilize eroding shorelines. Watersheds Canada, the Muskrat Watershed Council and Algonquin College’s Waterfront Campus completed the second year of their joint Muskrat Lake Watershed Rehabilitation Project. ... Read More

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                   March 3, 2020 Quinte Watershed Benefits from Native Plants Thanks to the Natural Edge Program Watersheds Canada – Ontario’s shorelines faced high flood levels and erosion rates in 2019, but thirty-seven landowners in the Quinte watershed took local action to protect their property by participating in Watersheds Canada’s Natural Edge Program. In partnership with Quinte ... Read More

December 11, 2019 -- A local non-profit has created a new way for people to support freshwater resources and wildlife species. Watersheds Canada, based out of Perth, Ontario, has launched a gift catalogue fundraiser featuring symbolic adoptions and unique gifts that are perfect for the holiday season. "I was thrilled to support an important local organization like Watersheds Canada for my holiday purchases this year”, said Kristina Inrig. Kristina has been a supporter of Watersheds Canada ... Read More

The Watersheds Canada Gift Catalogue Click the catalogue above to go straight to our secure store! This catalogue offers ways for you and your family to transform Canada's shorelines. Purchase symbolic adoptions and unique gifts to help keep these precious places healthy and beautiful for wildlife and people for many years to come. Each gift comes with a beautiful honour card for you to personalize and give as a gift. Each gift also includes a 5"x7" postcard featuring 1 of 10 different ... Read More

Our own Chloe Lajoie, Natural Edge Program Manager, will be presenting at this year's Latornell Conservation Symposium! Her presentation, "Restoring Shorelines with Help of Technology" will be on November 19th during the 3:45-5:15pm slot. At this year’s Latornell Conservation Symposium, there is a focus on delegates sharing their research and experiences in order to refresh, motivate and inspire the shifts needed to make to transform current approaches and match the pace at which challenges ... Read More

Full report PDF download   Microplastics Survey of Select Watersheds in the Greater Ottawa Area - JP Thonney Background    Plastic is the most prevalent type of artificial debris found in our oceans and lakes. This debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but those less than 5 mm (0.2 inches or about the size of a sesame seed) in length are known as microplastics. These plastics enter natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial ... Read More

PDF download Microplastics Media Release “Once Plastics Are In the Environment, They Are Here To Stay” Eastern Ontario lakes tested for presence of microplastics in local freshwater bodies  November 4, 2019 -- Summer sampling led by Jean-Pierre (JP) Thonney in three local watersheds determined that out of 270 samples from 9 inland lakes studied, artificial materials (including fibres, fragments, and plastic film) were present in more than 90% of samples. “We know that this is an issue in ... Read More