UTRCA at 4th Annual EarthFest

On April 25, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) celebrated Earth Day by participating in London’s 5th annual EarthFest celebration. Held at the London Public Library Centre Branch and Citi Plaza, the festival welcomed more than 2,000 attendees who wandered through interactive displays set up by over 100 exhibitors and artists who shared local approaches to sustainability, ecological justice, and the protection and health of our planet. 

The day also featured a Kid Zone, scavenger hunt, face painting, and a presentation by the Salthaven Wildlife Ambassadors. The UTRCA served on the festival’s steering committee and coordinated the festival’s “Water-is-Life Zone” area, which included displays by the Council of Canadians, City of London, St. Clair Regional Conservation Authority, and the Thames Valley District School Board Environmental Leaders Program. UTRCA staff from Education, Partnerships, and Watershed Science shared information about flood safety, aquatic species-at-risk, and watershed health.   

As part of the Kid Zone, UTRCA staff welcomed visitors to engage with the giant Biinaagami floor map, an interactive, 8-by-11-metre educational map created by Canadian Geographic Education that details the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Indigenous knowledge-holders Russell Peltier, Andrea Young, and Cheryl Riley shared stories, songs, and perspectives on the importance of Indigenous history and of water and land protection. 

Special guest Eagle Flight Singers, a group of traditional Indigenous singers, opened the Water-is-Life Zone with a performance of traditional songs.