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.
This is a handout from our webinar, "Phragmites australis: Why we cannot afford to ignore this invasion" webinar. Invasive Phragmites australis is a critical issue in Canada, threatening ecosystems. To control it effectively, a careful plan is necessary, considering factors like timing, capacity, and wildlife. A unique strategy is required for each situation, and access to funding, experts, and volunteers is crucial. This flow chart and education resource aim to help individuals and community groups develop a plan to address invasive Phragmites in their area.
Pierre planted over 100 native tree and shrub species along his shoreline to create a "natural edge"! We're excited to see how his plants continue to mature and fill in as time goes on.
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.
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.
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 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.
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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.
Put soil in pot, plant seeds in soil, and water them daily to keep the soil wet. Keep the plant in sunlight and watch it grow. Plant the seedling outside when it reaches a certain height. This plant likes lots of sunlight.