"Water is Life" Initiative (UTRCA Weekly, July 2, 2021) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) recently partnered with the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board (HPCDSB) to bring the Water Is Life initiative to elementary schools in the watershed. This great collaboration has created opportunities to integrate Outdoor and Indigenous Education and continue building relationships among groups. Inspired by the book “The [...]

GREEN Leaders Program and Virtual Student Summit (UTRCA weekly, June 24, 2021) Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Community Partnerships and Education staff launched a virtual version of the UTRCA’s GREEN Leaders Program in January. This June, more than 400 grade 7 and 8 students, along with the grade 10 H3ELP class (Head, Heart, Hands Environmental Leaders’ Project), completed this program and [...]

London named Bird Friendly City (UTRCA weekly, June 17, 2021) London was recently named one of the first four Canadian cities to be officially certified as a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada! The other three certified cities are Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Nature Canada’s criteria for a Bird Friendly City outline how cities can ensure they keep birds safe; protect and [...]

Cade Tract provides outdoor recreation (UTRCA weekly, June 3, 2021) Barnby Cade and his family donated a 32 ha (78 acre) Perth South property to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) in 2016. The UTRCA opened the Cade Tract to the public in 2019 for hiking and a controlled deer hunt in December. The property includes floodplain meadows, a mature maple [...]

Upper Thames watershed experiencing dry spring (UTRCA weekly, May 28, 2021) May 28, 2021 - On May 11, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) issued a media release indicating that the watershed is experiencing Level 1 Low Water conditions, according to the UTR Low Water Response Team. The Level 1 advisory is part of a three-tiered system used in Ontario to [...]

UTRCA partners with local Libraries (UTRCA weekly, May 20, 2021) May 20, 2021 - Once again, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Conservation Areas Unit is giving library patrons the opportunity to visit our parks. The UTRCA has provided 2021 Season Vehicle passes to the St. Marys Public Library, Stratford Public Library, London Public Library, and Childreach Lending Library in London. The [...]