Tree Power Keeps Growing (UTRCA weekly, September 9, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) Tree Power program is growing! This popular program provides residents with affordable trees for their properties and is delivered via partnerships with municipalities and sponsors. Tree Power started in London 11 years ago, when the late Bill Kunz initiated a new tree planting program through his work with London Hydro. Bill brought his vision to the UTRCA and the Tree Power London program was born. Bill helped build the program, with the slogan, “Harness the power of trees by planting a native hardwood [...]

Looking back: Spring Tree Planting (UTRCA weekly, August 26, 2022) Despite two late snowstorms and several rainy days, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) spring tree planting crew persevered and planted approximately 25,000 trees on 50 private rural properties. In addition to our crew’s efforts, 80 landowners planted another 13,000 trees on their own to improve the health of their land. Planting projects included windbreaks, retiring highly erodible land, and treed buffer strips along watercourses. The UTRCA was able to help most of the property owners receive grants to help reduce their costs. Brenda Gallagher managed the hand [...]

New Celebrating Natural Connections events kick off (UTRCA weekly, August 19, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is joining with local community organizations and municipalities to host a series of 12 free “Celebrating Natural Connections” public events in natural spaces across the Upper Thames River watershed. The events include 10 public hikes and two virtual hikes, with activities, displays, and presentations. Local artists and municipalities are involved, as well as hiking, naturalist, and angler clubs. The events are an opportunity to explore the natural spaces that became so important for our communities’ physical and mental health [...]

New Accessible Trail at Wildwood Conservation Area! (UTRCA weekly, August 12, 2022) Two years ago, forward-thinking Wildwood Conservation Area (CA) staff proposed creating an accessible trail within the park. This idea is now a reality, as the Green Trail has been overhauled with a surface that will allow barrier-free use. The Green Trail is a 1.1 kilometre loop through the Dr. Murray Forest east of Campground B, with parking just north of the trail head. The trail’s gentle slopes and serpentine shape remain, along with the views of nature. Visitors are asked to be patient as the trail surface [...]

Schoolyard Pollinator Gardens (UTRCA weekly, August 5, 2022) Fanshawe Community Education staff and Integrated Watershed Management unit staff have been busy as bees helping five Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) schools plant pollinator gardens in their schoolyards! Heeman’s, a local garden centre, grew and supplied a variety of beautiful native plants for the gardens including coneflowers, blanket flowers, bee balm, and stonecrop. The gardens will provide needed habitat for local pollinator species that are experiencing steep population declines due to climate change, pesticide use, and invasive species. They will also be an ideal space for students to learn [...]

UTRCA staff Monitoring for Spongy Moth (UTRCA weekly, July 29, 2022) In mid-June, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff set up traps to monitor the population of Spongy Moth (formerly known as Gypsy Moth). Two traps were assembled in Fanshawe Conservation Area and four in Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs) in London. The UTRCA is conducting the research in conjunction with the County of Middlesex and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The larvae of this exotic forest pest feed on the leaves of oak, aspen, and many other trees. During a Spongy Moth outbreak, there can be so [...]

Community Science in the summer (UTRCA Weekly, July 22, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) invites you to get outside this summer and take part in the Community Nature Project! This project encourages people to make observations about the animals and plants they see in the Upper Thames River watershed – including in their own backyard - and log them at iNaturalist Canada. iNaturalist is an on-line platform where anyone can record and share biodiversity information, learn more about the local environment, and connect with other naturalists. iNaturalist is collecting lots of useful information for the UTRCA. [...]

Bugs tell the Water Quality story (UTRCA weekly, July 15, 2022) The spring benthic sampling season has come and gone, with many people not knowing it was happening or even what it is. Ontario’s Conservation Authorities monitor the health of watercourses in our watersheds in a number of ways, and one program involves sampling benthic macroinvertebrates – the “bugs” that live along the bottom of streams, rivers, and ponds. There are three components to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) benthic sampling program: collecting benthic invertebrates from the bottom of a watercourse, identifying those bugs (usually under a [...]

First GREENFest! Celebrates Students’ Hard Work (UTRCA weekly, July 8, 2022) GREEN Leaders classes from across the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) came to Fanshawe Conservation Area on May 24-27, to participate in GREENFest!, a weeklong event hosted by Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Community Education and Partnerships staff. Start.ca sponsored the event and provided volunteers each day. Karlee Flear, Community Education Supervisor, explained the GREEN program: Over the course of the school year, UTRCA staff have been working with 18 Grade 7 and 8 GREEN classes to identify local environmental issues and implement sustainable solutions. Their [...]

Tree Planting using Plastic Mulch at Irwin Farm (UTRCA weekly, June 24, 2022) Bill and Carrie Irwin recently had staff from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) help them with planting trees on their farm property in Dorchester. The Irwin family has owned and operated the farm over three generations. The farm is certified organic and, after selling a neighbouring property, the Irwins had to establish a 25 foot buffer around their property to maintain this certification. To help establish the buffer, Bill and Carrie reached out to the UTRCA’s Clean Water Program. Through a partnership with Forests [...]