London named Bird Friendly City (UTRCA weekly, June 17, 2021) London was recently named one of the first four Canadian cities to be officially certified as a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada! The other three certified cities are Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Nature Canada’s criteria for a Bird Friendly City outline how cities can ensure they keep birds safe; protect and increase bird habitat; as well as offer educational opportunities in their communities. London's Bird City Team celebrated World Migratory Bird Day on May 8. Staff from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) organized and hosted two [...]

Cade Tract provides outdoor recreation (UTRCA weekly, June 3, 2021) Barnby Cade and his family donated a 32 ha (78 acre) Perth South property to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) in 2016. The UTRCA opened the Cade Tract to the public in 2019 for hiking and a controlled deer hunt in December. The property includes floodplain meadows, a mature maple woodlot, and a hawthorn thicket on the valley slope. Since acquiring the property, the UTRCA has completed several projects including tree, prairie, and wildflower planting as it works to naturalize the property. Perth County has the lowest [...]

Upper Thames watershed experiencing dry spring (UTRCA weekly, May 28, 2021) May 28, 2021 - On May 11, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) issued a media release indicating that the watershed is experiencing Level 1 Low Water conditions, according to the UTR Low Water Response Team. The Level 1 advisory is part of a three-tiered system used in Ontario to inform the public of local low water conditions. “We evaluate low water conditions by looking at several indicators, including precipitation and stream flows,” said Mark Helsten, UTRCA Senior Water Resources Engineer. The watershed received an average of [...]

UTRCA partners with local Libraries (UTRCA weekly, May 20, 2021) May 20, 2021 - Once again, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Conservation Areas Unit is giving library patrons the opportunity to visit our parks. The UTRCA has provided 2021 Season Vehicle passes to the St. Marys Public Library, Stratford Public Library, London Public Library, and Childreach Lending Library in London. The latter two locations are new partnerships this year. The passes provide day use access to Wildwood, Fanshawe, and Pittock Conservation Areas, and can be signed out similar to a library book. This initiative began in 2019 with [...]

UTRCA launches new Community Science projects (UTRCA weekly, May 13, 2021) On May 11, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) launched two new community science projects aimed at involving local residents in collecting useful environmental information about the watershed. The new Community Nature Project (see video) encourages people to make observations about the animals and plants they see in the watershed and log them using the iNaturalist Canada platform. iNaturalist is an on-line platform where participants can record and share biodiversity information, learn more about their local environment, and connect with other naturalists. Linda Smith and her [...]

UTRCA helps mark World Migratory Bird Day (UTRCA weekly, May 6, 2021) May 6, 2021 - The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is a partner in the newly fledged London Bird Team, which aims to protect and celebrate migratory birds. The team’s initial focus is on getting the City of London officially certified as a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada. The London Bird Team is also hosting events to mark the first World Migratory Bird Day to be celebrated in London on Saturday, May 8. The theme is “Sing, Fly, Soar - like a Bird! See below [...]

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 [...]