34,150 Trees Planted on Private Lands this Spring The UTRCA forestry crew is in the middle of another busy but successful tree planting season with just over 42,500 trees planted and distributed. Forty six landowners took advantage of the UTRCA planting services to create windbreaks, buffers along water courses, and forests in the watershed. Once completed, our crew will have planted 34,150 trees and shrubs! In addition to staff efforts, another 118 landowners planted on their own to increase and restore natural ecosystems on their properties.   The weather this spring was not always cooperative, making for interesting planting conditions. The crew [...]

North Thames River Canoe Route Brochure Updated in Time for Paddling Season Just in time for paddling season, the updated North Thames River Canoe Route brochure is ready. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) produced the first canoe/paddling brochure in 2006, in response to requests for information from the public, and this is its first update. The 2024 brochure has updated maps, text, and web links. The brochure describes the 71 km route from St. Marys on the North Thames River, through London to the Forks, and to Delaware on the Thames River. Some new features include access points [...]

2024 Camping Season is Underway!  On May 1, 2024 Fanshawe, Pittock and Wildwood Conservation Areas (CAs) opened for overnight and seasonal camping! These three beautiful parks offer many wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities. Fanshawe CA, located just outside of London, offers 511 campsites and 30 km of hiking and biking trails. In Woodstock, Pittock CA offers 248 campsites and a nationally rated 18-hole disc golf course. Finally, Wildwood CA is located outside of St. Marys with 387 campsites including four back country sites. The camping season runs until October 20.  “There is always a great sense of excitement for opening [...]

Stewardship Staff and Local Farmers Establish Field Trials and Demonstration Sites for Best Management Practices Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Stewardship Services have wrapped up projects for the most recent funding cycle of the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health (COA). Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), this two-year funding agreement aimed to further our understanding of the effects of various agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on rural water quality and ecosystem health in the Upper Thames River watershed. This was just the latest of several COA agreements [...]

105 Trees Planted for Arbor Week Thamesford: Lions Park Riparian Buffer Zone Planting  On April 22nd, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) supported a planting of 55 native trees and shrubs in Lions River Park with the Thamesford Lions and the Kintore-Thamesford Scouts. Tree species planted included Swamp White Oak, Burr Oak, Tulip, and Basswood, and shrubs included Elderberry, Nannyberry, Ninebark, and Red Osier Dogwood.  The plantings were made possible through an Enbridge Fueling Futures Grant and an Oxford Community Fund Stevens Fund Grant. The plantings are part of an ongoing partnership with the Thamesford Lions to create [...]

That’s a Wrap for the 2024 City Nature Challenge  The second annual City Nature Challenge has ended, and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) was thrilled to once again be partners! Over the four days of the challenge, Londoners made 4,135 observations of species in London using iNaturalist, resulting in 3rd place in Ontario and 9th in Canada – way to go London!  To help Londoners learn how to use iNaturalist, take good photos, and encourage participation in the challenge, the UTRCA hosted a “How to use iNaturalist” webinar. If you missed the webinar, you can watch the [...]

Gunn’s Hill LP Provides $20,000 for Hodge's Pond Trail Improvements in 2024 For the last nine years, the Cedar Creek Collaborative, made up of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), County of Oxford, Stewardship Oxford, and Oxford County Trails Council, has been working on Cedar Creek enhancements, wetland building, forestry projects, and trail building on the Hodge’s Pond Property south of Woodstock. The work has been supported by a variety of funding sources, federal and provincial agencies, corporate funds, and private donations. Constant through it all has been Gunn’s Hill Limited Partnership, a green energy partnership that operates the [...]

24 Years Since the Walkerton Tragedy 24 years ago, a severe bacterial contamination of municipal water in Walkerton, Ontario led to the worst public health crisis involving Canadian municipal water. The incident resulted in the deaths of seven people and caused illness in over 2,300 individuals. The Government of Ontario initiated a public inquiry into the tragic incident the following month. Conservation Ontario provided recommendations to the Walkerton inquiry with a focus on improvements that included watershed management to protect drinking water supply.   In response to the Walkerton inquiry, Justice O'Connor issued 121 recommendations covering various aspects of [...]

UTRCA lends a hand at Children’s Water Festival  Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff helped out at the St Thomas Elgin Children's Water Festival which was held on May 14 through 17 at Pinafore Park in St Thomas. Approximately 3,200 students in grades 2 through 5 visited the festival to learn about water in their communities, water conservation and water science.   The Perth Children’s Water Festival will be held on Sunday, May 26th, 2024 from 1:00 PM – 4:00PM in Memorial Park in Listowel. In 2025, the festival will be held in May at Pittock Conservation Area in Woodstock. [...]