Why Spring Recharge Matters: What Groundwater Monitoring Wells reveal about the health of the Thames River Watershed  When people think about water in the Thames River watershed, they often picture rivers, streams, and lakes -- but a significant portion of the watershed's water is stored underground. Groundwater occupies the spaces between soil particles and fractures in bedrock beneath our feet. It provides drinking water for many rural residents, supports agriculture and industry, and helps maintain streamflow during dry summer months. Because groundwater is not visible, regular monitoring is essential to help understand its condition as well as protect it as a valuable resource.  Spring is one [...]

A Splash of Success: Celebrating the 2026 London-Middlesex Children’s Water Festival The 2026 London-Middlesex Children’s Water Festival was a tremendous success, bringing together students, educators, community partners, sponsors, and volunteers for an inspiring week of hands-on environmental learning. Held at Fanshawe Conservation Area, from May 12 to 15, this year’s festival welcomed 3,500 students from across London to explore the importance of water through interactive activities. Event Highlights This year’s festival featured a wide range of exciting experiences designed to deepen students’ connection to water and the environment. Some of the highlights included: Interactive water science and conservation stations where [...]

Private Land Tree Planting Season for 2026  Another successful tree planting season wrapped up at the end of May with about 28,000 trees and shrubs being planted and distributed throughout the watershed. More than 30 landowners took advantage of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) planting services, helping to create wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion, sequester carbon, and establish recreational opportunities. In addition to the crew’s efforts, another 75 landowners planted on their own to increase and restore natural ecosystems on their property.    The cooler temperatures in April and May were ideal for planting. Roughly 650 hardwoods and 750 potted shrubs and balled and burlap conifer trees were hand-planted under the Private Lands Large Stock Program. These naturalization projects will help improve watershed health [...]

UTRCA Talks Water Quality  In early April, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) water quality monitoring team made a visit to St. Anne’s Catholic School in London. The visit was part of the UTRCA’s GREEN Leaders program, which has reached 16 classrooms across the watershed, with the goal of exploring local environmental issues and creating a hands-on plan to make a real-world impact. During the Water Quality presentation to Ms. Van Rooyen’s grade 7/8 classroom, the students learned about the many factors that impact the quality of waterbodies, including the local Thames River. These factors may include algae, [...]

Freshwater Forensics: UTRCA Brings Watershed Science to Western's Science Olympics  On May 28, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Education Staff participated in the Western University Science Olympics, an annual event that draws more than 700 high school students from across Southwestern Ontario to campus for a day of hands-on STEM challenges.  This year, the UTRCA hosted the "Freshwater Forensics" challenge competition — a station that invited student teams to investigate surface water quality and explore one of the most exciting areas of watershed science and stewardship in our region: understanding and reducing the movement of agricultural phosphorus into local waterways and, [...]

London Participates in the City Nature Challenge  Earlier this spring, from April 24 to 27, London participated in its fourth annual City Nature Challenge run by Bioblitz London and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA).The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is a global event designed to get people outside, engaging with nature, and helping to make iNaturalist observations. It is a bioblitz-style event that encourages people to find and document plants, animals, and fungi in their cities using iNaturalist.  In London, the CNC kicked off with a webinar hosted by Lorraine Johnson, renowned writer, editor, and community advocate who [...]

Spring Tree Planting along Medway Creek  This spring, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) led three days of tree planting along the Medway Creek as a part of the Freshwater Enhancement of the Medway Watershed project, funded by the Canada Water Agency. These tree plantings are part of a 3-year project featuring live staking and tree planting along the creek in areas with minimal vegetation that are experiencing high erosion. Each day of planting involves local students, community members, and organizations getting their hands in the mud and planting the trees themselves. Tree planting has many benefits to [...]

Hundreds of Students Take Action for Lake Erie  This spring, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) wrapped up a year-long regional education and stewardship initiative that brought over 500 high school students face-to-face with the challenges — and the possibilities — of caring for Lake Erie.  The Lake Erie Student Summit and Stewardship (LESS) project was a collaborative effort between the UTRCA and five partner Conservation Authorities (CAs) across the western Lake Erie basin: St. Clair Region, Essex Region, Lower Thames Valley, Kettle Creek, and Catfish Creek CAs. Together, the project reached students across multiple school boards through a shared learning experience built around [...]