PERTH, ON — March 31, 2026

Watersheds Canada, a national freshwater conservation charity, is pleased to announce the expansion and growth of their award-winning program, The Natural Edge, to support four Ontario communities in 2026-27: Horton Township (Renfrew County), Hastings Highlands (Hastings County), Coe Hill (Hastings County), and South Frontenac (Frontenac County). This two-year project will focus on restoring shoreline properties with native plants while scaling education efforts into high-priority areas within the Great Lakes region that are facing increasing, quantifiable impacts from climate change like flooding, heavy rainfall events and erosion, and wildfires.

“Watersheds Canada applauds RBC Foundation for their continual support of climate resiliency projects like The Natural Edge that will help four Ontario communities be able to withstand increasing pressures from climate change and shoreline development,” says Chloe Lajoie, national conservation director at Watersheds Canada. “By partnering directly with local municipalities, Watersheds Canada is ensuring landowners have the tools and native plants they need to protect their shorelines in the wake of locally experienced climate change impacts.”

The Watersheds Canada-led project will ensure climate change action is taken for high-priority shorelines in the Great Lakes Basin. It will be delivered in partnership with Trees for Life, Ottawa Riverkeeper, and Water Rangers, and with funding from RBC Foundation.

“Healthy freshwater shorelines are important for preserving biodiversity, maintaining water quality and building climate resilience,” said Thea Silver, Senior Director, Environmental Impact, RBC. “RBC Foundation is proud to support Watersheds Canada in helping empower communities to protect shoreline habitats along their waterfront properties through programs like The Natural Edge.”

Funding from RBC Foundation will support The Natural Edge team in hosting multiple in-person workshops, plant kit drop-offs, and large planting events at public sites like boat launches and parks. In-person “Design Your Shoreline” workshops will teach waterfront property owners about the benefits of a natural shoreline, highlighting how plants can protect properties from flood damage like erosion, help absorb excess water, and break up wave action. Participating waterfront property owners who attend the in-person workshop will then have the option to take home plant kits. Each plant kit typically contains a variety of 50 native plants, hemp fibre mats and mulch, tree guards, and educational guides; larger sites can receive more plants if needed. Once plants are received, landowners will plant their shorelines based on a personalized shoreline restoration plan specific to their property, also created by The Natural Edge team.

Through building strong partnerships with over 40 grassroots community groups, organizations, and municipalities across 8 provinces over the past 13 years, Watersheds Canada has emerged as a leader for meeting property owners on their own shorelines and helping them take stewardship actions. Since 2013, The Natural Edge program has resulted in the planting of 181,000 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses, restoring over 450,000-square-metres of shoreline habitat.

Municipalities, Indigenous communities, waterfront associations, and community groups looking to increase the climate resilience of their community can access free resources to protect their local lakes, rivers, wetlands, and shorelines by visiting NaturalEdge.Watersheds.ca/. Registration information for upcoming workshops as a part of this project will also be available in the coming weeks.

 

About Watersheds Canada
Watersheds Canada is a registered Canadian charity committed to providing resonant and responsive programs and resources that work with waterfront property owners, municipalities, Indigenous and community groups, families, and organizations to address the increasing severity and frequency of climate change impacts experienced in their communities. Since 2002, Watersheds Canada has combined collaborative on-the-ground action projects with resources that increase collective understanding and knowledge about climate action, unsustainable development impacts, and responsible freshwater conservation. Learn more: Watersheds.ca/

 

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Media Contact:
Chloe Lajoie
National Conservation Director
Watersheds Canada
lajoie(at)watersheds.ca