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.
Natural Is Gorgeous!: Jane Discovers the Benefits of the Natural Edge
We at Watersheds Canada love stories about the impact of our programs on participants. This blog post is an interview with Jane, a past participant of The Natural Edge program. She explains what made her want to decide to restore her shoreline, what has changed since she completed the project, what her experience was like with our organization, and much more.
Nora Hammells Natural Edge shoreline renaturalization program testimonial
Using 50 native shrubs and wildflowers that came in the Natural Edge Shoreline Re-Naturalization Starter Kit, Nora's property is well on its way to providing shade and habitat to wildlife, and shoreline stabilization and filtration.
North Saskatchewan River Basin Councils Natural Edge testimonial through RBC Tech for Nature grant
The North Saskatchewan River Basin Council is a non-profit in central Saskatchewan that has been working on source water protection & land stewardship projects since 2008. They work with RM’s communities, First Nations, schools, and industry on environmental stewardship initiatives and programming, including delivering the Natural Edge shoreline renaturalization program. This year they were able to provide the program to shoreline property owners thanks to generous funding from RBC Tech for Nature.
One Shoreland at a Time webinar with Chantal Lefevre
This is a handout from our webinar, "One Shoreland at a Time: Restoring the Ribbon of Life". This document discusses nature-based solutions to protect or restore terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Nature-based solutions can help combat climate change and biodiversity loss while supporting sustainable development. The benefits of nature-based solutions include supporting biodiversity, providing ecosystem services, and slowing further warming. The document also highlights the importance of shoreland protection and provides additional resources for waterfront property owners.
Our favourite memories of 2019
2019 was a busy year for Watersheds Canada! This blog post provides an overview of what was accomplished this year, told from the point of view of our passionate team of staff members.
Pierre - Natural Edge testimonial
Pierre planted over 100 native tree and shrub species along his shoreline to create a "natural edge"! We're excited to see how his plants continue to mature and fill in as time goes on.
Planning for our Shorelands webinar with Christopher Dennison
Planning for our Shorelands is a collaborative project bringing together expert planners, scientists, and lake stewards from across Ontario. Its objective is to provide meaningful best-management practice resources and ‘shoreland networking’ opportunities for those who influence Ontario’s lakes and rivers. In this free webinar, we will present on the importance of lake and river shoreland ecosystems, share results from a series of surveys which gauge the current state of shoreland stewardship and land-use in Ontario, and discuss the future of the Planning For our Shorelands project. Born in the heart of the Thousand Islands, Christopher Dennison has a long professional and personal relationship with freshwater stewardship. His academic background in the social and natural sciences has afforded him the skills necessary to find innovative and meaningful solutions to conservation issues. Outside of his academic and professional endeavours, he is an avid outdoorsman and writer, and will soon begin pursuing a Master of Science at Trent University.
Plants for the Pugnose Shiner handout
This document highlights native plants that can help improve watershed health and support species recovery in eco-zone 6a. The plants listed are tolerant to a wide range of soil, light, and moisture conditions. They provide benefits such as stabilizing banks, controlling erosion, and supporting pollinators. Choosing native species will help shorelines and the wildlife that live there.
Pollinator Champion Feature – Alan and Joyce
Let us introduce you to two pollinator champions: Alan and Joyce. After participating in our shoreline naturalization program, The Natural Edge, their shoreline became a hub of biodiversity. This interview with them shares their experience with our program and the changes they saw after the project was completed.