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.
Small Businesses: Freshwater Conservation Heroes
When it comes to freshwater conservation, every single person has a responsibility to conserve and protect it. This includes small businesses! In fact, their smaller size allows them to make changes to their business practices quickly and efficiently, and they usually have very close ties to the community too. Read this blog post to find out some changes that any small business can make today to help protect our freshwater.
Soil: More Important and Fascinating Than It Seems
Soil is the medium in which life grows. Plants - the start of the food chain that supports everything else - require good soil conditions, and the impacts of our soil quality on the quality of the ecosystem as a whole is, therefore, massive. Read this blog post to learn what makes soil so valuable, what makes good soil quality, and even how you can identify the soil type on your property with a test at home!
Something's Fishy Puzzle activity
These activity cards feature sunfish, walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, and brook trout.
Species-Specific Resources From the Invasive Species Centre handout by Watersheds Canada
This document appears to be a collection of fact sheets and posters for various invasive plant species. The species listed include Autumn Olive, Black Locust, and many others. Each fact sheet likely provides information on the species' characteristics, impacts, and management practices. The document also mentions the Invasive Species Centre as a resource for species-specific information.
Spotted Gar: Endangered Living Fossil of Ontario
Watersheds Canada, in partnership with the River Institute and Quinte Conservation, is delivering a two-year (2025-2027) riparian habitat restoration, monitoring, and outreach project aimed at improving the conditions of riparian zones and associated aquatic ecosystems for the Spotted Gar and other species. With funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk, this project will implement riparian buffer zones along the shores of East Lake, Moira River, and the St. Lawrence River in benefit of these species at risk, addressing habitat degradation, sedimentation and nutrient loading threats.
Start a Nature Discovery Backpack Lending Library with Your Faith Community! poster by Watersheds Canada and Greening Sacred Spaces
The document discusses a lending library for youth to explore local nature areas and watersheds. Each backpack contains free activities and field equipment. The project aims to inspire youth to learn about local species and participate in environmental workshops. The goal is to take local environmental action.
Stay Natural, Stay Safe around Ticks
Ticks are tiny parasitic insects found throughout most of Southern Canada. After biting a deer, they can become transmitters of Lyme disease; a debilitating condition that can dramatically impact our quality of life as humans. This blog post provides an overview of ticks, including how you can stay tick-free while still getting out to enjoy your local nature spots.
Staying Safe
This document advises individuals to stay home if they feel sick or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. It also recommends practicing physical distancing and best hygiene practices when interacting with others in nature. Additionally, it provides guidelines for outdoor activities, such as bringing necessary items and respecting wildlife. The document aims to promote safe and responsible outdoor exploration.
Stronger Together webinar by Ducks Unlimited Canada and Farms at Work
This is a handout from our webinar, "Stronger Together: Supporting Farm Stewardship Through Collaboration". The East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative started in 2008 to facilitate the collaboration of conservation and farm organizations. The collaborative aims to increase on-farm projects through stacked funding and technical support. Key lessons learned include the importance of regional priorities, tangible action, and understanding partner perspectives. Effective collaboratives require clear goals, assigned coordinators, and a Memorandum of Understanding or Terms of Reference document.