A Staff’s Perspective: SOARR Day  On Saturday, August 17th, Scott Gillingwater and the Southern Ontario at Risk Reptiles (SOARR) team hosted an informational session on their Species at Risk program for friends and family at the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA)’s Watershed Conservation Centre (WCC).   I attended and brought my partner along. We were really looking forward to seeing the team in action and speaking about this program. [...]

O-week Tree Planting with Huron University  On Saturday, Sept 7, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) partnered with Huron University’s Orientation Week to provide over 50 first- and upper-year Huron students with a native tree and shrub planting event on campus. Together, we planted 130 large trees that, once grown, will extend the Medway Heritage Forest system that borders the campus. Trees species included Maple (Autumn Blaze, Red, [...]

Hope and Action Climate Change Festival at Fanshawe Conservation Area  Kick off the 2024 Green in the City event series with the Hope and Action Climate Change Festival on Saturday, September 21st from 10 am – 4 pm at Fanshawe Conservation Area!  There will be something for everyone from interactive exhibits and activities by 10+ community organizations, live birds of prey shows (10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm), food [...]

Fanshawe Conservation Area Hosts filming for Netflix Series FUBAR  The months of July and August are always busy at Fanshawe Conservation Area (FCA), but in 2024, we received an especially unique request. We were approached by representatives from a Toronto area production company to see if Fanshawe Dam and Reservoir could be used for filming portions of Season 2 for the Netflix action-comedy series FUBAR. This series features actor [...]

Celebrate the Thames at Lions River Park in Thamesford On Saturday, October 5 (rain date of October 6) from 10 am to 2 pm, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), in partnership with the Thamesford Lions and the Indigenous Solidarity Network, will host a free, family-friendly event in Lions River Park. In addition to celebrating and learning about the Thames River, the day will provide the community with [...]

Thorndale Demonstration Farm Tour  On September 5, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) stewardship staff hosted a public tour of the Thorndale Demonstration Farm, showcasing the suite of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented on the farm that are aimed at improving and protecting soil health and water quality. The tour highlighted innovative drainage practices including the contoured controlled drainage system, newly installed StormTech storm water retention system, and [...]

The Multi-Barrier Approach: What goes into keeping your drinking water clean  In Ontario, most municipalities have the privilege of accessing safe and clean drinking water simply by turning on a tap. This is made possible by unique legislation designed to protect municipal drinking water from source to tap. A multi-barrier approach to ensuring water safety was introduced following the tragic Walkerton, Ontario incident in 2000. This approach aims to [...]

University of Guelph Field Tour Stewardship staff from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) hosted staff from the Universities of Guelph and Waterloo as well as Environment Canada on Tuesday, August 20th to showcase a number of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have been implemented throughout the watershed. BMPs included in the tour were focused on erosion control and included a water and sediment control basin, a grassed [...]

World Water Monitoring Day 2024  Wednesday, September 18, 2024 is World Water Monitoring Day and it recognizes the crucial role monitoring plays in the conservation efforts at organizations including the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA).  What is water quality?  Water quality is the measure of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water.  What is water quality monitoring?  Water quality monitoring is the regular testing and analysis of [...]