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.
Nature Discovery Backpack workbook
This booklet is designed for students to explore and learn about nature, specifically the Tay Watershed. It provides tips for safely exploring nature, activities to discover local species and biodiversity, and ways to help protect the environment. The booklet includes information on the riparian zone, water quality, and the importance of native plants. It also encourages students to participate in community science and nature journaling.
Nature Discovery Backpack – A Checklist to Pack-Your-Own Adventure! by Watersheds Canada
This document provides a checklist for packing items for outdoor adventures. It includes items such as a backpack, water bottle, hat, notebook, and pencils. The checklist also covers specific items for different types of adventures, such as a tick safety kit for forest adventures and goggles for aquatic adventures. The checklist is intended to help individuals prepare for their outdoor activities and minimize their impact on the environment.
Nature Search
The document is about an activity called Nature Search. It focuses on ecosystems, specifically freshwater and riparian areas. The activity aims to explore biodiversity and the impact of human activities on the environment. It also touches on the importance of native species, such as the monarch butterfly, and the effects of plastic pollution on the shoreline.
Parts of a plant worksheet
This document is about the four parts of a plant. It asks the reader to identify the parts and match them to the correct words. The parts of a plant are the leaf, root, stem, and flower.
Pike and woody debris colouring sheet
Woody debris piles provide a safe place for fish to eat, lay eggs, rest, and hide from predators. The piles are made up of branches, snags, and root balls in the water. This habitat is beneficial for fish species such as pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and sunfish. By providing a safe haven, these piles contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem.
Pond Study
This activity aims to find and identify different creatures in a pond or lake using identification guides. It provides tips for a successful study, including handling creatures gently and washing hands before handling. The activity encourages students to think about the biodiversity and health of their freshwater body.
Pugnose Shiner colouring sheet
The Pugnose Shiner is a small fish found in Southern Ontario. It is listed as a Species at Risk and is vulnerable to declining habitat quality. The fish is found near the Quinte watershed. Learn more about Watersheds Canada's fish habitat restoration projects.
Roll a Spring Story Lesson Plan
This lesson plan introduces students to native wildflower species and pollinators found in the Ottawa area. Students will explore interrelationships among native plants, pollinators, and habitats. They will create works of art that express personal feelings and ideas inspired by the environment. The activity helps students understand the importance of pollinators in maintaining local wildflower biodiversity.
Shoreland Health Q&A Teller lesson plan
This activity helps students build confidence and capacity to take local environmental action and make an on-the-ground difference for freshwater issues affecting their community. Students will identify and assess ways freshwater habitat and water quality can be enhanced and protected locally. They will also demonstrate an understanding of biodiversity, its contributions to the stability of natural systems, and its benefits to humans.