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.
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.
Pine Lake In-Water Fish Habitat Enhancement - Watersheds Canada
Funding from the LUSH Charity Pot has allowed for the in-water fish habitat enhancement in Pine Lake, about 60 minutes west of Perth in the Township of North Frontenac, Ontario. The project was completed thanks to twelve members of Watersheds Canada and local volunteers. Twelve bundles of brush were built and deployed on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. Underwater woody debris is a healthy component of lake environments. Sunken logs, trees, branches, and root balls provide excellent habitat for wildlife, including fish, turtles, birds, invertebrates, and more. Brush piles can provide fish, such as perch, bass, and walleye, with a food source, as well as shaded areas to rest, spawn, and escape predators.
Planning Tools for Shoreline Protection webinar with Melissa Markham
Shoreline protection in municipalities is best achieved through appropriate land use planning tools. In Ontario, the community planning permit system (CPPS) is a land use planning tool that municipalities can use for environmental protection. My experience with this tool will demonstrate how municipalities can achieve an appropriate balance between natural shorelines and physical structures. Tune in to learn about the CPPS and how you can promote this tool for your shorelines.
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.
Planting Your Own Pollinator Garden
Planting a pollinator garden is one of the easiest (and most beautiful!) direct changes that you can make to your property to benefit the environment. Read this blog post to find out the best way to approach such a project and about some of the species you can include in your garden.
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.
Plastic pollution in the Laurentian Great Lakes webinar with Eden Hataley
This is a handout from our webinar, "Plastic Pollution in the Laurentian Great Lakes: What we know and how we can act". The Great Lakes are affected by plastic pollution, which breaks down into smaller pieces and can harm aquatic biota. Microplastics have been reported in all five Great Lakes and their watersheds. Nearly 10,000 metric tons of plastic debris enters the Great Lakes every year. To get involved, one can participate in a cleanup, learn about waste reduction tips, or support initiatives like the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup.
Plastics in our Waterways webinar with Jake Wilson
The document links from our webinar, "Plastics in our Waterways". It lists 22 sources on the topic of plastics and their impact on the environment. The sources include articles, research papers, and reports from various organizations. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the issue of plastic pollution and its effects on the environment.
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.