Giving Back to Your Freshwater: Using The Natural Edge to create a resilient and beautiful shoreline

by Watersheds Canada This past summer, you might have enjoyed the company of a snapping turtle, green frog, calico pennant dragonfly, or Great Blue Heron along the shores of your favourite lake. That lake provided many benefits to you: memory-building with your family and friends, a connection to your culture and traditions, or economic and recreation opportunities. Your wildlife neighbours, however, depended on the lake and shoreline for their survival. The riparian zone – the first ... Read More

Watersheds Canada is launching our latest resource toolkit: tackling road salt pollution. As snow falls on our streets and highways each winter, road salts are generously used to ensure safe travel. This is especially true with the unseasonably warm winter we are currently experiencing across Canada as freezing rain and rain fall instead of snow, and there is constant freezing and thawing. While road salts play an important role in human safety, their persistent use is causing immense ... Read More

Responsible care of our water resources involves not only limiting the runoff of pollutants into our waterways, but also ensuring that the products that we use in our day-to-day lives are kind to the environment to begin with. By doing the latter, we strive to eliminate these problems before they even begin – stopping the problems at their source instead of at their center. Swish is a company that is leading the charge in this regard. For over 35 years, this janitorial supply company has been ... Read More

Perth, ON – As wetlands cross people’s mind on World Wetlands Day (February 2, 2024), perhaps it is because, at some point in life, they have personally experienced one of the greatest ecological wonders of the world. Canada is home to twenty-five percent of the world’s wetlands. Unfortunately, however, wetlands continue to be degraded or simply lost forever. “World Wetlands Day is a time for marsh memories,” said Robert Pye, Executive Director for Watersheds Canada. “A paddler along the ... Read More

Watersheds Canada supporters lead fish conservation this winter. As winter puts on a freeze on green action projects, Watersheds Canada is warming up for another lake stewardship initiative on the hardwater. Loads of washed stone is set to be trekked across a frozen eastern Ontario lake this February, as volunteers will haul, shovel, and rake the natural material to create a bigger, better spawning bed for walleye. This in-water work is done with government approval and permits. However, ... Read More

This year has been a very difficult one for Canadians, especially for those living in and visiting waterfront communities. Warnings and evacuations lasted much of 2023 as areas were devastated by record-level storms, wildfires, and other symptoms of climate change. Despite it all, thousands of community groups and volunteers have continued to make freshwater protection a priority. These passionate community leaders understood that nature-based solutions are an essential way we can increase ... Read More

October 27, 2023, Ontario – The grand prize winner of $4,135 in Watersheds Canada's first-ever 50/50 charity lottery event has made an outstanding commitment to further his steadfast support of freshwater stewardship programs. "I am going to turn my prize money back into support for shoreline restoration work," said Philip L., of Maitland, who was contacted immediately after the Water 50/50 final draw on October 21. Philip's lucky ticket number was randomly drawn from over 30,000 ticket numbers ... Read More

Join us at our 22nd Annual Lake Links Workshop and first in-person workshop since Covid-19 began, “Hooked on Habitat: Sustainable Fisheries for the Future”, on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Perth Civitan Club (6787 Lanark County Rd 43, Perth, ON). Registration for this event $25 (includes lunch) and is at watersheds.ca/lake-links At this year’s workshop, we will learn about Ontario’s fisheries, the threats they face, and solutions for their recovery and ... Read More