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.

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All Categories 448
Fish Habitat 9
Freshwater Stewardship Community 57
Freshwater, Plants, and People 19
Lake Links 12
Love Your Lake 46
Nature Discovery Programming 38
Ottawa Faith Community Capacity Building Program 33
Planning for our Shorelands 18
The Natural Edge 96
Uncategorized 107

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7 Free Educational Resources to Help You Teach about Nature at Home
7 Free Educational Resources to Help You Teach about Nature at Home
7 Free Educational Resources to Help You Teach about Nature at Home

Nature education offers so many benefits for both the recipient and the earth. It is best delivered to younger generations through fun, engaging activities that educate as well as entertain. This blog post introduces you to 7 free educational and curriculum-linked resources that will help you do just that!

1 link Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Blog Guide Identification Policy Pollution Resource Shoreline Cleanup Youth
Activity #6 Follow In Their Footsteps – Nature Discovery Backpack
Activity #6 Follow In Their Footsteps – Nature Discovery Backpack
Activity #6 Follow In Their Footsteps – Nature Discovery Backpack

This activity lets you be an animal tracker! Find out how to identify animal tracks for several different species.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Guide Nature Discovery Backpack
Become A Community Scientist
Become A Community Scientist
Become A Community Scientist

This activity emphasizes the importance of submitting animal or plant observations online to help scientists and nature groups track populations and understand the impacts of climate change, human development, and pollution.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Citizen Science Climate Change Community Science Identification Nature Discovery Backpack Youth
Design a Natural Shoreline handout
Design a Natural Shoreline handout
Design a Natural Shoreline handout

Can you help Tisna and her family protect their shoreline from erosion? Draw different plants that could help hold the soil together!

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Art Habitat Restoration Handout Nature Discovery Backpack Youth
Forest Kit Workbook
Forest Kit Workbook
Forest Kit Workbook

This activity book is designed for students to learn about nature and the riparian zone. It provides tips for safely exploring nature, activities to discover wildlife and ecosystems, and ways to help protect the environment. The book includes information on bird identification, native wildflower seed kits, and community science programs. It also provides resources for further learning and encourages students and families to take action to protect nature.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Algae BioBlitz Climate Change Habitat Restoration Identification Invasive Species Lake Health Nature Discovery Backpack Pollinators Pollution Shoreline Cleanup Water Quality
Freshwater Kit Workbook
Freshwater Kit Workbook
Freshwater Kit Workbook

This booklet is designed for students to explore and learn about nature. It includes activities and exercises to help students understand different species, ecosystems, and the impact of human activities on the environment. The booklet also provides tips on how to safely explore nature and how to contribute to conservation efforts. Through the activities and exercises, students will develop their observation, identification, and critical thinking skills, and gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Algae BioBlitz Climate Change Habitat Restoration Identification Invasive Species Lake Health Nature Discovery Backpack Pollinators Pollution Shoreline Cleanup Water Quality
Frog identification guide – adapted from Toronto Zoo
Frog identification guide – adapted from Toronto Zoo
Frog identification guide – adapted from Toronto Zoo

This document introduces Ottawa frogs, describing their colors and sounds. The Green Frog has a green to brown color, a bright yellow throat, and dark brown or black spots. The Leopard Frog has a green to brown color and dark colored lines on its back legs. The Bullfrog is also mentioned, but only as a name.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Activity Identification Nature Discovery Backpack Youth
Helping Kids Love Nature: Water-inspired activities webinar by Annabel Slaight
Helping Kids Love Nature: Water-inspired activities webinar by Annabel Slaight
Helping Kids Love Nature: Water-inspired activities webinar by Annabel Slaight

We all know that inquiry, discovery, playing freely, and even taking risks in the outdoors brings benefits that will last kids a lifetime. ClearWater Farm, a demonstration eco-farm on Lake Simcoe, has been pioneering play-based learning from nature programming for kids right from its launch. In this webinar, you will get a behind-the-scenes preview of two extraordinary kids’ fun learning initiatives being launched this summer: a new e-book ("How to Think Like a Mushroom"), and an action-packed interactive website (http://ClearWaterKids.org) with experiments, games, activities, and videos. Both projects have the same mission: getting kids outside and loving nature!

1 link Freshwater Stewardship Community
Brush Bundle Citizen Science Fish Habitat Freshwater Stewardship Community Handout Indigenous Nature Discovery Backpack Pollinators Resource Video Webinar Youth
How Are People Impacting Nature
How Are People Impacting Nature
How Are People Impacting Nature

Shorelines are becoming more developed, changing the way they look and the species that can live there. This has led to various threats to wildlife and water health, including plastic pollution and habitat removal. To help, replanting shorelines with native plants can create a buffer that filters out pollutants and prevents erosion. This can be achieved with the help of organizations like Watersheds Canada.

1 file Nature Discovery Programming
Erosion Habitat Restoration Invasive Species Nature Discovery Backpack Pesticides Pollution Summary Youth