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.
An opportunity on the shore… reflecting on my time with Watersheds Canada and Planning For our Shorelands
This personal reflection from a Watersheds Canada intern tells of his time with the organization, with emphasis on his experience with our Planning for our Shorelands program. Read on to find out how he help push forward change for our freshwater through engagement with municipal leaders, environmental organizations, and lake associations.
An Overview of The Natural Edge
This video is an introduction to The Natural Edge program, telling of our process and the many benefits afforded by a naturalized shoreline.
A Physically Distanced Love Your Lake Field Season
COVID-19 changed everything, including we socialized, how we travelled, and even how we assessed shorelines! Read about how staff from our Love Your Lake program overcame the challenges posed by this global pandemic to bring the same action and outreach to waterfront property landowners in Central-Eastern Ontario.
Are Canadas lakes becoming salty?
The impacts of road salts on freshwater ecosystems has been an issue of increasing concern in recent years. Their potential impacts on flora and fauna, unsuited to these new saline conditions, could be vast - and this urgency commands a need for a better public understanding of how we can manage this issue. Read this blog post to learn what is causing recent increases in salinity and how we can work together to reduce its impact on our freshwater.
A Regulatory Guide to Achieving Environmental Net Gain at the Waterfront
Currently, very few municipalities mention Environmental Net Gain in their existing policies around waterfront development proposals. This package outlines what an Environmental Net Gain is and why they are a critical consideration when protecting waterfront health.
Are There Alternative Solutions to Road Salts?
There is no doubt that managing road salt pollution is a top priority issue here in Canada. But what other options do we have? How can we keep our roads safe without sacrificing the health of our freshwater ecosystems? This blog post outlines some possible alternatives that researchers are investigating, including organic de-icers, traction agents, geothermal heated pavements, and more.
A site visit through The Natural Edge
This video walks you through step-by-step what a site visit from one of our 'The Natural Edge' program staff entails. Learn what makes our tried and true methods so effective for bringing back life onto our shorelines, with benefits for you and for native wildlife.
A Summer Spent Surveying
Love Your Lake is our shoreline assessment program delivered in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Step into the field with one of our past shoreline assessors to find out what a day in the life is like!
Attention to detail
This blog post from our executive director showcases his appreciation for the work of Michael A. Reader, a wood carver that has donated his work to support Watersheds Canada's causes in the past. With a focus on North American birds, Mike's work brings Canadian wildlife's beauty to life like no other. This blog post also provides an overview of Watersheds Canada's work that showcases the same attention to detail found in Mike's work.