September 19, 2019 - Wildwood Conservation Area welcomes everyone with FREE admission for the Autumn Open House on Sunday, September 29th, 1 – 4 pm. Join us for an afternoon of free outdoor fun at Wildwood Conservation Area. Bring your hiking boots to explore the splendor of fall and all it has to offer. A variety of activities will be available including a campfire, cider, and wagon ride! Tour Wildwood [...]

September 18, 2019 - Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff and community volunteers are installing a new Stream of Dreams fence mural at The Quarry in St. Marys on September 25. "We are pleased to bring the internationally recognized Stream of Dreams program to St. Marys," said Vanni Azzano, UTRCA Community Education Supervisor. "The students and staff from Little Falls School and Holy Name School have painted 1,000 recycled [...]

September 5, 2019 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is working with the Municipality of West Perth to remove invasive Japanese Knotweed from parkland along the Thames River in Mitchell. Japanese Knotweed is an aggressive semi-woody perennial plant that is native to eastern Asia. In the 1800’s it was introduced to North America as an ornamental species. Japanese Knotweed is often mistaken for bamboo; however it is easily distinguished [...]

August 23, 2019 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is pleased to announce the successful incubation of Eastern Hog-nosed Snake eggs for the first time in the Thames River watershed! "Our Species at Risk team found these Eastern Hog-nosed Snake eggs earlier this summer in an area heavily impacted by predators and human use," said Scott Gillingwater, Species at Risk Biologist at the UTRCA. "We acted quickly to [...]

August 22, 2019 - Mr. Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), referred to the inability of municipalities to "control the spending" of Conservation Authorities, when responding to questions surrounding his letter sent to Conservation Authorities suggesting they "wind down" so called non-core programs. "Minister Yurek’s comments reflect a misunderstanding of the relationship between Conservation Authorities and their member municipalities and, more importantly, how individual municipalities are represented [...]

August 21, 2019 - The extreme weather in 2019 has kept the researchers working with endangered Spiny Softshell Turtles in the Thames watershed on high alert. "The abnormally cool weather in April and May resulted in a two week delay in nesting, which was our latest season on record. Then the summer’s extreme heat and storms made recovery efforts challenging," said Scott Gillingwater, Species at Risk Biologist at the Upper [...]

August 20, 2019 - In a surprise letter issued Friday evening, August 16, 2019, Mr. Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), shocked Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) officials by suggesting that the Conservation Authority begin to "wind down" all programs, except for flood control, drinking water source protection, and management of Authority-owned lands. The letter goes on to note that the Conservation Authority cannot replace flood [...]

August 14, 2019 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is pleased to announce that a new accessible dock has been installed at Wildwood Conservation Area (CA). "This new EZ Launch® system provides a very stable, safe way to enter and exit your kayak or canoe at Wildwood Reservoir," said Paul Switzer, Superintendent, Wildwood CA. "People of all ages are enjoying and appreciating this new feature." The new accessible [...]

August 13, 2019 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is pleased to announce that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) is providing funding for community partnership projects in Woodstock. "We are very pleased to accept $60,000 from TMMC Woodstock for environmental projects with students and other community members," explained Brad Hertner, Community Partnership Specialist with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. "We plan to use the funds to expand [...]

July 9, 2019: The Glen Cairn Community Partners are hosting Adelaide Business in Bloom, a friendly competition to beautify the southern section of Adelaide Street! "The goal of Adelaide Business in Bloom is to inspire the Glen Cairn community to make their neighbourhood and streetscape more visually appealing and environmentally friendly," explained Jessica Penz, Community Partnership Specialist with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). Who: Glen Cairn Community Partners [...]