Over 400 Students Participate in the 2024 GREEN Leaders Summit On June 4th, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Education and Community Partnerships staff hosted 16 grade 7 and 8 classes from the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) at Huron University College for the GREEN Leaders Student Summit. This marked the first time in GREEN Leaders history that all participating classes were able to gather in-person to learn, share, and celebrate their accomplishments as part of the program. At the beginning of the school year, each GREEN Leaders class selects one [...]

The Clean Water Act: Do You Know How Your Drinking Water Stays Clean? Water is critical to all aspects of our lives, and it is important that we ensure there is a safe and reliable source for all our uses - now and in the future. The Clean Water Act (2006) is part of the Province of Ontario’s commitment to ensure clean, safe drinking water for all Ontarians by implementing a multi-barrier approach. Ontario’s Clean Water Act protects sources of municipal drinking water including lakes, rivers, and well water.      The Clean Water Act sets out a framework for source [...]

The WCC Live Roof – 12 Years Growing!  When the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA)’s Watershed Conservation Centre was built in 2012, a 75 m2 live roof garden was installed on either side of the sidewalk leading up to the front doors. The live roof sits on top of part of the basement of the old office building, which was retained and renovated into a storage room.    The live roof is a component of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation that the building received. LEED is a green building certification program used worldwide. One of [...]

The Village Sustainable Design Challenge  In 2023, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) accepted official ownership of what was formerly operated as the Children’s Safety Village, located within Fanshawe Conservation Area. Since then, the UTRCA has been assessing the property and exploring possibilities for future uses of the site.   Over the past several months, approximately 350 students from 14 Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) schools have also been working on re-envisioning the Children’s Safety Village through “The Sustainable Design Project.”   Spearheaded by Destreaming Classroom Support Teachers at the TVDSB, the Sustainable Design Project was created [...]

Subwatershed Celebrations a Success  This spring, we partnered with the Friends of Medway Creek (London and Middlesex Centre) and the Mill Pond Committee (Dorchester) to bring two celebrations to these communities. First up was Celebrate the Mill Pond on May 25 at Dreamland in Dorchester. Unfortunately, there was a lot of rain and thunderstorms that morning so we pushed the beginning of the event to 11:30 am when the weather cleared to a beautiful day. Despite the late start, over 100 people were in attendance and took part in many activities. The community really came together and put on [...]

Flooding Education at Public Outreach Events This spring, our Community Education team was out in full force, bringing flooding education to watershed residents at the City of London Emergency Preparedness Open House as well as the Western University Science Rendezvous. The Emergency Preparedness Open House had over 2,500 attendees, mostly young families, who came out to learn about the various organizations in London that help keep the community safe and what to do in the case of an emergency. The all-day Science Rendezvous festival had over 3,000 people in attendance at Western University Alumni Stadium. At both events, UTRCA [...]

Spring STEM Programming at Fanshawe Conservation Area  This year, UTRCA Community Education staff launched a new version of their flood-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs for grade three and five students. The STEM programs were adapted into a full day field trip to Fanshawe Conservation Area (FCA) and included connections to the natural environment and the newly renovated classrooms in the former Children’s Safety Village. The grade five program included a guided tour across the top of Fanshawe Dam, highlighting forces and structural engineering which thrilled students and helped set the stage for hands-on learning about flood [...]

Enchanting Fireflies    While not everyone is a fan of insects, there is one insect that wins the hearts of many. Fireflies enrich our lives by lighting up the night sky with their magical twinkles. Their enchanting light display sparks curiosity and captures our imaginations, but behind all this drama, there are hidden secrets of romance, deception, and death.  First off, fireflies, or lightning bugs, are not flies nor bugs - they are beetles. They belong to the family Lampyridae (which means to shine) and are best known for their ability to emit light. Like other beetles, they have a [...]