Know, and love, your lake!

by Mario Garavito, Ecological technician In its simple definition, a lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. A lake can be found in every continent around the world, varying greatly in size and in depth. It could be small enough to fit in your backyard - like a pond - or so big that it is known as sea - the Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland lake, measuring over 371,000 km2 in size! Canada is exceptionally fortunate when it comes to lakes. According to different studies, ... Read More

Online workshop provides opportunities for freshwater stewardship discussions Lake Links is an annual workshop usually held in Perth, Ontario. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, this one-day, collaboratively run workshop was held online and attracted citizens and scientists from across Canada to share ways we can all help sustain our lakes and rivers. This was a great opportunity for individuals, waterfront and nature groups, and students to gather together to discuss current issues, see ... Read More

by Priya Vaidya, Environmental technician As the air starts to cool and the days become shorter, I can sense that it will soon be time to fly down south. It feels like just yesterday when I left the cozy little nest that my parents built for me and my four siblings. Our nest was in a humble wetland, north of Lake Erie. My father found a silver maple tree with the perfect little nook that was carved out by a Downy Woodpecker and started to build a nest from moss and bark. When he met my ... Read More

by Priya Vaidya, Environmental technician On September 26, 2021, the world celebrates World Rivers Day, which aims to raise awareness and engagement for conserving our rivers and waterways. With over 8,500 known rivers in Canada and growing, these ribbons of freshwater play a major role in our daily lives. Rivers carry freshwater from sources like rainfall or snowmelt and deliver it to larger bodies of water, like lakes. They are a source of fresh drinking water, recreation for Canadians, and ... Read More

Ian is an Environmental Technician this summer with Watersheds Canada. He shares his experience so far in the role:   "As a student coming out of college, I am more than pleased to work with Watersheds Canada. I began my journey with Watersheds as a field-placement in my program at Sir Sandford Fleming College, which turned into a summer position. I quickly realized all my skills and knowledge I learned from the Ecosystem Management Technician program were falling into place when it ... Read More

by Nathaniel Holloway, Environmental technician I am a second year Environmental Studies major at Carleton University who has experience volunteering—and now working—with Watersheds Canada. My volunteering experience made conservation feel more accessible than I had previously thought, while my work experience only cemented this notion. Being an Environmental Studies major, the focus of my degree is the Environment with a focus on legislation and problems facing different populations of ... Read More

by Ian Grist, Environmental technician If you are a property owner with a river, creek, or stream nearby, you may be concerned or curious about the health and pollution levels in the water. There are ways you can find out the contaminate levels present in your water by what aquatic organisms you observe. In particular, benthic macro-invertebrates are excellent bio-indicators of freshwater health. Macro-invertebrates do not have a backbone and are visible to the naked eye. They live on the ... Read More

by Nathaniel Holloway, Environmental technician From the point of view of a twenty-one year old student, the future seems uncertain. While I am an optimistic person, it is hard to ignore the constant flow of warnings from scientists. These warnings make me worry for the survival of our lifestyle and—much more importantly—future generations. However, humans have historically developed technology to meet demands which were previously thought insatiable (e.g., the green revolution which ... Read More

by Samantha Cunningham, Ecological technician Celebrated across Canada each fall, Terry Fox is a national icon. During the Marathon of Hope in 1980, Fox set out to run across Canada to raise awareness and money for cancer research. This cross-Canada journey took place over 143 days, 5,373 kilometres, and 6 provinces, leading Fox to run through 75 of Canada’s 1,382 sub-watersheds. These sub-watersheds were areas of land that caught falling precipitation, facilitating their drainage into nearby ... Read More

by Samantha Cunningham, Ecological technician While we think of snakes primarily as predators, they are both predators and prey! This makes them a key component of a healthy, balanced ecosystem. These slithery serpents help keep pest populations under control by eating insects, rodents, and small mammals. They are nature's pest control and they are particularly good at protecting gardens from slugs and other nuisances! Snakes are also preyed upon by birds and larger mammals.   Fun ... Read More