Stoney Creek – Projects and Activities
Annual Spring Events
The Friends of Stoney Creek host events for the community every spring, including:
- a Thames River Clean Up at different areas across the watershed
- attending the Go Wild Grow Wild event
- an invasive species removal day including the removal of buckthorn, garlic mustard and other non-native plants
- regular weeding of the wildflower plots they’ve planted
- Adopt A Park clean up at Hastings Park
Communities for Nature Program
Thousands of native trees and shrubs have been planted in the Stoney Creek watershed through the UTRCA’s Communities for Nature program. Local students and community members are key partners in this program, which includes “Community Forestry,” “Spreading Like Wildflowers” and “Aquatic Connections.”
Annual Fall Events
In the fall, the Friends gather and pull grocery carts from the Stoney Creek. The record is seven carts pulled from the creek in one morning. The Friends also host their annual Community Tree Planting Day in the fall.
Watershed Report Card Program
The Watershed Report Card Program is offered in October in the Stoney Creek watershed. The program, designed for secondary students, begins with a two hour field trip during which students investigate water quality (chemistry and biology) and conduct a habitat assessment. The field trip is followed up later with a classroom session, also led by UTRCA staff, in which students analyze and grade the forest conditions of the study area by using GIS mapping.
By the end of the program students have produced a report card for their local watershed, with grades given for water quality and forest conditions. Local actions for improvement are discussed with the students as a way for them to identify the methods a community can use to improve the environment in their area.
Classes from secondary schools located in each study area are invited to participate in this program. Preference is given to Grade 12 classes in Environmental Resource Management, Geography, Biology and Chemistry. This program is multidisciplinary and includes components consistent with each of the listed courses.
Past Projects
Signs along Stoney Creek Trails
In 2011, trail signs were installed in five locations along the walking trails next to the creek, in north London. These trails provide a great opportunity to enjoy the plants and animals that live near or in the creek while walking, running or biking. The Friends of Stoney Creek created and installed the signs in partnership with the UTRCA. Thanks go to the City of London for funding this project.
Celebrating 25 Years!
2017 marked 25 years that the Friends of Stoney Creek have been actively involved in improving the health of the Stoney Creek subwatershed. Since 1992, the Friends and their partners have been implementing hands-on stream rehabilitation projects along the creek, planting trees, creating educational opportunities, and sharing their experience and knowledge.