Rural Landowners Annual Workshop – Embro Edition  The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is excited to be hosting this year's Rural Landowner Workshop at the Embro Community Centre on March 21 from 7 to 9 pm. It will be an informative evening with presentations by both UTRCA staff and community members about ongoing conservation practices.  There will be a wide range of topics discussed promoting Best Management Practices (BMPs), which are cost-effective, practical actions that landowners can take to improve both soil health and water quality while maintaining or enhancing agricultural production. BMPs can include: stream rehabilitation, cover crops, [...]

Navigating Icy Roads and Road Salt for Drinking Water Health  Spring is just around the corner, but snow and ice are still in the forecast and, with them, icy sidewalks and roads. Salt is commonly used to melt ice and reduce the risk created by icy conditions, but it also poses a significant threat to water quality. It's important to ensure our use of salt doesn’t jeopardize the health of our groundwater and, with it, our drinking water.  The salt applied to roads, driveways and sidewalks doesn't disappear with melting snow; instead, it seeps into the ground, eventually mixing [...]

Spring 2024 Tree Power sales open soon Tree planting season may seem a long way off but Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) spring Tree Power programs are around the corner! This popular program provides watershed residents with affordable native hardwood trees through partnerships with our municipalities and sponsors. UTRCA has partnered with the Municipality of West Perth to host the first West Perth Tree Power in 2024! West Perth online orders open on Friday, February 23 at 8 am and tree pick up will be Saturday, April 6. London Hydro Tree Power returns with online orders opening on Friday, [...]

Winter at Pittock Conservation Area!  With winter reaching its halfway point, the staff at Pittock Conservation Area (PCA) would like to share their plans and projects for the park, including a lakeside revitalization project and campground washroom upgrades.  Maple Crest Lakeside Revitalization Project  PCA staff and the UTRCA’s Integrated Watershed Management Unit undertook a shoreline erosion project in the Maple Crest section. Erosion had increased the risk of seasonal campsites experiencing flooding. To remedy this, large rocks were placed along the edge of the reservoir to prevent further loss of the land base and improve water quality. The large rocks [...]

UTRCA is Recruiting!  On Thursday, Feb 1, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Community Partnership staff participated in an Employer Fair at Huron University College. Students learned about the many career opportunities at the UTRCA including our summer internship position, which this year will focus on researching climate change preparedness for parks, lands, and outdoor recreation. UTRCA staff chatted with many students including a few friendly faces from last year’s partnerships with Huron’s Scotia Bank Scholars and RBC Innovations Boot Camp programs.  For current job postings, visit our employment page here.

Oxford Stewardship Award  The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) extends congratulations to Cobi and Steve Sauder who recently won the Oxford County Stewardship Award. The award recognizes landowners in Oxford County who make voluntary efforts to help protect the quality of the County’s natural environment including its soil, water, woodlands, and other natural features.  The Sauders have demonstrated a strong stewardship ethic on their 100-acre farm in Zorra Township, near Wildwood Conservation Area. They purchased their farm nearly 30 years ago and have been working towards improving their farm operation over time. Steve and Cobi have been doing [...]

A Familiar Winter Bird: Black-capped Chickadee Likely, it is the distinct song of the black-capped chickadee that makes it so identifiable. The most familiar call is the cheery “chick-a-dee-dee-dee”, which reputedly gave this talkative, little bird its name. While, to the human ear, the notes may sound simple, they are highly variable and astonishingly complex. A Chickadee Song Produced by both the male and female, their call is used for communicating information about food sources, coordinating flock movement, and identifying and recognizing other flocks. It is also an alarm call alerting others to predators and threats. A recent study showed [...]