UTRCA Website Updates
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s (UTRCA’s) website has received some much needed updates over the last couple of years. The Parks, Recreation and Natural Areas section has been restructured to make the types of lands the Authority owns clearer. They include the three large multi-use Conservation Areas (Fanshawe, Pittock and Wildwood), smaller day-use Conservation Areas (CAs) and Tracts, as well as other UTRCA Lands (wetlands, floodplains, agricultural lands).
A watershed map is provided showing the location of the eleven small day-use CAs and Tracts within the UTRCA. There is a webpage for each CA and/or Tract that includes a description of the site, its history, management partners, a list of permitted activities, facilities, address, photos, etc. Some familiar places include the Cade Tract, Dorchester CA, Shakespeare CA, Harrington CA and the WL Dickson Arboretum.
Seven wetland properties are highlighted in this section. A watershed map shows the general location of these wetlands including Dorchester Swamp, Ellice and Gads Hill Swamps, and Golspie Swamp. For each wetland property there is a brief description of the plants and animals, the history of acquisition, and the role the wetland plays in conserving biodiversity, surface and groundwater protection, flood attenuation and carbon sequestration and storage. Photos highlight the beauty of these sites. Most of the wetland properties are closed to the public except for hunting.
A new section on Bird Watching has been added to highlight the role UTRCA lands can offer bird watchers. It also directs interested people to the watershed’s many naturalist clubs and other resources.
It is hoped that these changes make it easier for the public to explore some new lands and to better understand the UTRCA’s role in conservation.
The Cade Tract
– Cathy Quinlan, Terrestrial Biologist