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.
Enhancing and Restoring Critical Fish Habitat in Ontario webinar with Melissa Dakers
Watersheds Canada provides programs to enhance and protect the health of lakes and rivers. Many threats to freshwater fish require focus on maintaining, enhancing, and restoring physical habitats. The Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit offers easy-to-follow step-by-step procedures for planning and implementing a fish habitat project in Ontario. Each protocol provides detailed written guidelines and a video demonstrating each project type.
Erosion by Love Your Lake
Shoreline erosion can happen naturally or be caused by human disturbances. Human activities cause 10 times more erosion than natural processes. Removing shoreline vegetation and other human activities can cause erosion and affect water quality and wildlife habitat. To prevent erosion, protect the natural shoreline, reduce runoff, minimize boat wakes, take precautions during construction, and limit foot traffic.
Exploring How We Can All Protect Freshwater Health webinar
In this family-friendly webinar, Chloe and Monica from Watersheds Canada will explore different factors on land and in the water that can impact local freshwater health and the wildlife that live there. Walk away with steps you and your family can take to help protect the waterfront that you love.
Field Notes: Restoring Shorelines Using Native Plants
This short blog post provides details on the experience of one of our past interns with working for our The Natural Edge shoreline restoration program.
Finding Optimism this International Youth Day
Many youth these days struggle with ecoanxiety: that is, the worry of climate change and it's impacts on our society. This inspirational blog post is a reflection from one of our past interns on this topic. It provides a look into his experience with ecoanxiety, and how he strives to maintain his optimism and make changes in his own life towards sustainable living.
Fireworks and Freshwater Ecosystem Health
Fireworks are dazzling pyrotechnic displays enjoyed by many across the world. However, these stunning celebrations can come with massive impacts on our environment, from acute impacts on wildlife to long-term water quality issues. This heavily researched blog post takes a deep dive into the potential impacts of fireworks on our freshwater resources.
Fish Activity Book PDF
This activity book is designed for young children (grades K-2) to learn about fish and their habitats. It includes colouring pages, word searches, and other fun activities. The book aims to educate children about the importance of lakes, rivers, and shorelines.
Fish Habitat Activity Book PDF
This activity book is designed for children (grades 2-4) to learn about fish habitats and the importance of protecting them. It includes activities such as colouring, tracing, and labeling to help you understand the different parts of a fish and their habitats.
Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit Guide WEB
This guide introduces different types of fish habitat enhancement projects and provides resources to complete them. It covers topics such as underwater structures, walleye spawning bed restoration, and cold-water creek enhancement. The guide also includes protocols and videos for each project, as well as information on permits and funding. The ultimate goal is to improve fish populations and water quality by enhancing fish habitats. The guide is designed for lake associations, fish & game clubs, and local residents who want to get involved in fish habitat enhancement projects.