Welcome to the Watersheds Canada Resource Library!
Here you will find a comprehensive collection of free educational resources dedicated to helping rural shoreline property owners, families, municipalities, lake groups, and educators protect their lakes and restore natural habitat. Explore guides, best practices, case studies, lesson plans, and tools to become a freshwater protector. All resources are freely shareable so please include them in a newsletter, on social media, or printed for a community booth!
Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
A Guide for Planning Community BioBlitz Events in Eastern Ontario by Community Stewardship Council of Lanark County and Watersheds Canada
This guide provides a comprehensive protocol for planning a BioBlitz event in Eastern Ontario. It covers the purpose and goals of a BioBlitz, how to select a location, how to plan the event, how to collect data, and how to undertake species identification. The guide also includes information on who can help, where to start, and what to expect during the event. The goal of the guide is to simplify the planning process and encourage more events by providing a protocol and resources for planning a BioBlitz.
A Message of Hope from Coast to Coast: Celebrating Terry Fox Day
Follow Terry Fox on his epic run throughout Canada, traversing watersheds and Canadian shield landscapes. Learn of his impact on the Canadian public and his legacy that remains to this day, told through the poetic writing of one of our past interns.
A Regulatory Guide to Achieving Environmental Net Gain at the Waterfront
Currently, very few municipalities mention Environmental Net Gain in their existing policies around waterfront development proposals. This package outlines what an Environmental Net Gain is and why they are a critical consideration when protecting waterfront health.
Algae: Pond Scum or Essential?
Although algae is most known for the problems it causes, such as eutrophication, oxygen depletion of the water, and fish toxicity, it is not in itself bad - it only becomes problematic when in excess. Read this thoroughly researched blog post to learn more about this misunderstood organism and what results in it causing the problems for our freshwater that it is most famous for.
Are Canadas lakes becoming salty?
The impacts of road salts on freshwater ecosystems has been an issue of increasing concern in recent years. Their potential impacts on flora and fauna, unsuited to these new saline conditions, could be vast - and this urgency commands a need for a better public understanding of how we can manage this issue. Read this blog post to learn what is causing recent increases in salinity and how we can work together to reduce its impact on our freshwater.
Are There Alternative Solutions to Road Salts?
There is no doubt that managing road salt pollution is a top priority issue here in Canada. But what other options do we have? How can we keep our roads safe without sacrificing the health of our freshwater ecosystems? This blog post outlines some possible alternatives that researchers are investigating, including organic de-icers, traction agents, geothermal heated pavements, and more.
Attention to detail
This blog post from our executive director showcases his appreciation for the work of Michael A. Reader, a wood carver that has donated his work to support Watersheds Canada's causes in the past. With a focus on North American birds, Mike's work brings Canadian wildlife's beauty to life like no other. This blog post also provides an overview of Watersheds Canada's work that showcases the same attention to detail found in Mike's work.
Best Practices for Municipalities: Reducing Pollution from Pools and Hot Tubs
This blog post shares the best ways municipalities can help the public reduce pollution from pools and hot tubs. Learn about everything from wastewater management planning, to enacting by-laws, to monitoring and reporting, to raising public engagement and awareness and more.
Best Practices from the ECCC Code of Practice: Aiming for Reduced Salt Pollution
Environment and Climate Change Canada's document, the “Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts”, is an important contribution to the discussion about managing road salt pollution. This blog post discusses and summarizes the practices endorsed by this code to facilitate the process of making prudent decisions about road salt pollution.