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. Funding support thanks to Peterborough K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation, and S.M. Blair Family Foundation.
Algae: Pond Scum or Essential?
Although algae is most known for the problems it causes, such as eutrophication, oxygen depletion of the water, and fish toxicity, it is not in itself bad - it only becomes problematic when in excess. Read this thoroughly researched blog post to learn more about this misunderstood organism and what results in it causing the problems for our freshwater that it is most famous for.
All About My Lake: A Self-Assessment Exercise (Lake Evaluation Card) by Watersheds Canada
This document is a self-assessment exercise for students to learn about their lake and its surroundings. It includes questions about the riparian zone, watershed, and freshwater connection. The exercise also asks students to identify their favorite lake activities and animals, and to pick a species from the Natural Edge Native Plant Database to explain its benefits. Additionally, students are asked to identify issues or threats to their local water and suggest actions to help.
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.
An ice road to Rome: Trout spawning bed restored in Madawaska Valley, Ontario
Our winter spawning bed restoration projects are some of our most innovative and impactful initiatives. This blog post centers on one undertaken on Paugh Lake in 2024, and provides you an inside look into the unique method through which our team uses the winter ice as a means to enhance critical habitat for native fish species.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bank Swallows webinar with Heather Polowyk
This is a handout from our webinar, "Bank Swallows: Life history, threats, and ways you can help". Bank Swallows are aerial acrobats that eat insects while in flight. They are a group at risk, with Canada losing 59% of its aerial insectivore populations. Habitat loss, degradation, and climate change are major threats. There are ways to help, including joining the SwiftWatch program and taking action at home.