To create the greatest impact, environmental organizations need to actively train, provide resources, and help others. Watersheds Canada provides practical and proven ways to restore deteriorating shoreline conditions and improve water quality over the long-term. This ensures people across the country can then pass along that same expertise to their family, neighbours, and community. This peer-to-peer, community-based approach is unique at Watersheds Canada, and guides all of our existing and new projects.

During this time of physical distancing and meeting in online spaces, we want to help everyone stay connected and find ways to take action for our freshwater bodies. Fostering community relationships and connecting with nature may have become more difficult over the past year but nature still needs a voice and still needs to be protected.

Beginning in January 2021, Watersheds Canada is launching a new online freshwater stewardship community. This community will connect waterfront communities and individuals through free webinars, education resources, and networking opportunities. Our goal is to give you, your family, and your group a platform to discuss the issues affecting your freshwater community and find ways we can work together to take positive action. Nature has been here for us during the pandemic, and we want to keep being there for nature.

Our first webinar, “Wetlands, Waterways, and Waterbirds: The Boreal Connection”, is Wednesday, January 27th at 2pm EST and features Natasha Barlow, Birds Canada’s Boreal Conservation Project Specialist. Natasha believes that by studying birds, it can allow us to rectify the disconnect between scientists and the public, providing an avenue where we can have difficult conversation about conservation that need to be had. We are excited to launch our monthly webinar series with Natasha as she shows how the water features on a property or in a neighbourhood provide crucial resources for thousands of birds traveling to and from their northern breeding grounds in the Boreal. Natasha will end the webinar by giving participants specific action steps they can take to help birds, including participating in different citizen science projects and gardening initiatives.

Monthly webinars are just one tool we will use to stay connected this year. You can look forward to curriculum-linked lesson plans and activity booklets, networking opportunities, and handouts. We want to help create new partnerships and projects – sharing is encouraged! Do you have an educational or informational resource you want to share with the community, or do you know of someone who would make a great webinar guest? You can email Monica Seidel, Watersheds Canada’s Communications and Fundraising Coordinator. We look forward to connecting with you in a digital space until we can meet in-person again!

The 2021 Freshwater Stewardship Community is possible because of generous funding from the S.M. Blair Family Foundation.