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. Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
Cyanobacteria and Public Health
Cyanobacteria, commonly referred to as blue-green algae, pose a significant threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems due to their ability to produce toxic compounds. The toxins produced by cyanobacteria can cause a range of health issues, from skin irritation to neurological damage, and can be particularly hazardous for swimmers, pets, and livestock. Learn more about this risk to public health and what we can do to mitigate it in this blog post.
Daniel and Susan Gottlieb Lake Stewardship Grant Helps Community Freshwater Initiatives
In 2019, the Daniel and Susan Gottlieb Foundation provided funding support to go towards stewardship projects in their local lake community. This blog post outlines some of the positive impacts made possible by this Lake Stewardship grant, including water quality sampling, invasive species management, and outreach projects.
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!
Do a Bio-Blitz activity by Watersheds Canada
A BioBlitz is a volunteer-led count of the biological species found in an area. Using identification guides, you can get a snapshot of the species and biodiversity in your area. This activity can be done in 30 minutes or an hour. It involves counting species such as trees, birds, animal tracks, wildflowers, dragonflies, and freshwater invertebrates.
Donor Spotlight - Annabel
As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generosity of our donors to do the work that we do. This blog post shines a spotlight on Annabel, one of our donors that first heard about our organization when seeking ways to improve the health of her lake, Lake Simcoe. Read on to find out more.
Doreens Natural Edge testimonial
Wanting to naturalize their property to protect the shoreline and wildlife habitat while also reducing the amount of lawn they had to constantly maintain, Doreen and her husband Rob turned to the Natural Edge Program. Over 600m2 of shoreline was naturalized using over 200 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. This video shows the progress that has already been made on the property in just three years!
Dragonflies as a Bio-indicator of Water Health
Biomonitoring involves surveying macroinvertebrates (often the larval form of insects) that are sensitive to environmental changes, immobile, and widespread. Such traits allow these creatures to integrate and represent long-term water quality changes more effectively. This blog post centers on one important bio-indicator: dragonflies! It tells of the important roles they play in freshwater ecosystems and in our monitoring activities.
Eastons Creek Brook Trout Enhancement Project - Watersheds Canada
Funding from Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund and the LUSH Charity Pot has made it possible for the planting and caging of 73 black willow and silver maple trees along Easton’s Creek, about 45 minutes northwest of Perth. This project addresses declining near-shore fish habitat quality by restoring in-water structures, spawning areas, and shoreline fish habitat. Waddle Creek is one of the few cold water brook trout creeks in the Mississippi Valley Watershed, flowing into Easton’s Creek and then into the Clyde River. By enhancing and restoring the habitat in this cold water creek, we will help restore and improve this brook trout population. The planting and caging on August 12-13, 2019 was a tremendous effort from: the Lanark County Stewardship Council, the Lanark & District Fish & Game Conservation Club, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, and Watersheds Canada.
Economic Value of Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure involves building with nature, incorporating green elements into our city landscape for ecological, economic, and social benefit. This powerful trend has gained increasing attention in recent years as a key strategy for achieving sustainable and climate change resilient environments. This blog post provides a thorough overview of green infrastructure, including the benefits it provides, the types of green infrastructure that can exist, case studies of different projects and their impacts, and much more.