UTRCA welcomes its new General Manager! (UTRCA weekly, April 30, 2021) April 30, 2021 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Board of Directors welcomed Tracy Annett, MCIP, RPP into the position of General Manager Secretary-Treasurer on April 6. Tracy takes over the position from Ian Wilcox, who has retired after 17 years as the GM. Tracy has worked for the UTRCA for 24 years, and has been the Manager of the Environmental Planning and Regulations Unit since 2015. We asked Tracy some questions about her new role. What are you most excited about as the UTRCA’s new [...]

Gathering Flow Data to Keep People Safe (UTRCA weekly, April 22, 2021) April 22, 2021 - For more than 70 years, the UTRCA has been protecting people and property from natural hazards, such as flooding and erosion, and supporting safe development. To do this, we need detailed maps and models of flood plains and other natural hazards. To keep these tools up to date, our Water Resource Technicians stay busy year round with fieldwork to collect watercourse data. One current focus is on updating hazard mapping in areas of the watershed that are most susceptible to flooding or where [...]

Tree Planting with Landowners during a Pandemic (UTRCA Weekly, April 8, 2021) April 8, 2021 - Every year, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) plants thousands of trees and shrubs through a variety of programs, to help us reach our target of establishing 1000 hectares of natural vegetative cover in the upper Thames River watershed by 2032. Our Private Lands Tree Planting program is for landowners who reside in the upper Thames River watershed and own a minimum of 1 hectare (2.5 acres). Eligible projects can include planting windbreaks, retiring highly erodible land, and planting treed buffer strips [...]

Community Forestry during a Pandemic (UTRCA Weekly, April 1, 2021) April 1, 2021 - Every year, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) plants thousands of trees and shrubs through various programs, as we work towards our target of establishing 1000 hectares of natural vegetative cover in the upper Thames River watershed by 2032. Community Forestry is one of our programs that sees local schools and community members plant native trees and wildlife shrubs in municipal parks, along watercourses, and on industrial and commercial properties. This program is part of our Communities for Nature initiative, through which our staff work [...]

Thorndale Demonstration Farm (UTRCA Weekly, March 26, 2021) March 26, 2021 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has established a new, 58 acre demonstration farm near Thorndale, Ontario. The farm will demonstrate various best management practices (BMPs) and showcase how they can improve soil health and local water quality. Staff expect that there will be widespread benefits, as farmers implement BMPs from the demonstration farm on their own property, and expand the positive impact across the watershed. We asked Craig Merkley, UTRCA Conservation Services Specialist, to tell us about the project. 1) How did the idea of a [...]

“Come and enjoy the outdoors, that’s what we’re here for,” said Justin. “Appreciate the natural environment, share the space, and be respectful.”

Glen Cairn Community Makes a Difference (UTRCA Weekly, March 11, 2021) London, ON - In 2015, the UTRCA approached community partners in London’s Glen Cairn neighbourhood to see if they were interested in collaborating on projects aimed at improving the local environment and transforming the neighbourhood. The initiative took root, focusing efforts on a local park with garbage pick-ups, tree planting, and much more! The Glen Cairn Community Partners have been able to engage the community as they transformed this park, situated on a former landfill, with new playgrounds, benches, and improved trails. While the pandemic has put this [...]

Tree Power comes to Stratford (UTRCA Weekly, March 4, 2021) March 4, 2021 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA) popular Tree Power program is coming to the City of Stratford in 2021! The new Festival Hydro Tree Power program enables residents to purchase native trees to plant on their own property. Festival Hydro is sponsoring the program in Stratford. The UTRCA has also partnered with the City of Stratford’s Energy and Environment Committee and Stratford Master Gardeners to help deliver the program. While the program is new to Stratford, Tree Power has been running in London for ten [...]

Students go online for River Safety (UTRCA Weekly, February 25, 2021) Feb 25, 2021 - Every March since 1998, the UTRCA’s Community Education staff have gone into watershed schools to teach young children how to stay safe near rivers and streams. Our River Safety program has reached more than 63,000 students, teaching them about the dangers posed by high, fast flowing water and slippery banks, as well as the hazards around dams, reservoirs, and ponds. This year, with the restrictions on classroom visits due to COVID-19, we had to rethink how to deliver this important program to watershed students. The [...]

Meet the new UTRCA Vice-Chair (weekly blog, February 19, 2021) Feb 19, 2021 - The UTRCA Board of Directors held elections at its January 2021 meeting. The new Vice-Chair is Councillor Brian Petrie, who represents the Town of Ingersoll. Brian was born and raised in Ingersoll where he lives with his wife Brianna. He became involved in municipal politics in 2010 and was first elected to serve on Ingersoll Council in 2014. Brian has served as Ingersoll’s representative on the UTRCA Board since 2016, and is also a member of the UTRCA Hearings Committee and Finance & Audit Committee. We [...]