Events all summer at Conservation Areas��

����ֱ�� (UTRCA) staff are very excited for the events they have planned at Fanshawe, Pittock and Wildwood Conservation Areas (CAs). See below for details including where pre-registration is required. Please note: A valid park permit is required for all events.��

Fanshawe Conservation Area��

Saturday, July 22: Wild Ontario����

4:00 pm, Recreation Shelter��

Visit with some of Ontario’s native birds! Each bird has a unique story to share about why they are no longer able to live in the wild and how they came to be ambassadors for public education and awareness.����

Thursday, July 27: Night Hike��

8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Pines Shelter��

Learn about the adaptations of nocturnal wildlife and discover the forest by night!��

Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Saturday, July 29: Scales Nature Park Presentation

4:00 pm, Recreation Shelter in campground

Wetlands are home to lots of creatures – many of them rarely seen up close.��

Tuesday, August 1: Family Nature Play��

10:00 am to 11:00 am, Pines Shelter��

Join us for child-led, exploratory play in the forest and connect with your local environment!��

Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Thursday, August 3: Story Walk��

10:00 am to 11:00 am, Pines Shelter��

Discover a story one page at a time on an adventure in the forest and your imagination!��

Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Saturday, August 5: Canadian Raptor Conservancy��

4:00 pm, Recreation Shelter in campground.����

Learn about the natural history, prey species, range, and relationship to humans of some of the most fantastic creatures on our planet! See each bird’s unique flight characteristics.��

Tuesday, August 8: Bug Safari��

10:00 am to 11:00 am, Pines Shelter��

Join us on an epic quest of tiny proportions as we discover the wonders of an amazing world hiding in plain sight! Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Pittock Conservation Area��

Thursday, July 20: Owl Prowl��

8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Recreation Centre��

Venture into the forest to hear the calls of local owl species and discover the ecology of these nighttime predators! Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Saturday, July 22: Wild Ontario��

1:00 pm, Recreation Centre��

Visit with some of Ontario’s native birds! Each bird has a unique story to share about why they are no longer able to live in the wild and how they came to be ambassadors for public education and awareness.��

Saturday, August 5: Canadian Raptor Conservancy��

1:00 pm, Recreation Shelter in campground.����

Learn about the natural history, prey species, range and relationship to humans of some of the most fantastic creatures on our planet! See each bird’s unique flight characteristics.��

Thursday, August 10: Owl Prowl��

8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, Recreation Centre��

Venture into the forest to hear the calls of local owl species and discover the ecology of these nighttime predators! Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Saturday, August 12: Bug Safari��

10:00 am to 11:00 am, Recreation Centre��

Join us on an epic quest of tiny proportions as we discover the wonders of an amazing world hiding in plain sight! Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.��

Registration required:��

Wildwood Conservation Area��

Saturday, July 22: Wild Ontario��

10:00 am, Visitor Centre��

Visit with some of Ontario’s native birds! Each bird has a unique story to share about why they are no longer able to live in the wild and how they came to be ambassadors for public education and awareness.����

Saturday, July 22: Bird Brains Hike��

1:00 pm, Campground B Parking Lot��

Take a flight of fancy through the Dr. Murray forest looking and listening for bird signs and sightings while enjoying an engaging activity or two!����

NOTE: This is a family hike on the Green Trail (1.2KM)�� – an adult must accompany any child(ren) participating.
��

Saturday, July 29: Monarch Mayhem��

10:00 am, Campground A Parking Lot��

In this “Choose Your Own Adventure” style map and compass activity, journey through the good, bad and otherwise as a Monarch butterfly trying to migrate!������

NOTE: This is a family activity in the Day Use Area�� – an adult must accompany any child(ren) participating.
��

Scales Nature Park��

1:00 pm, Visitor Centre��

Check out some amazing reptiles and amphibians through an interactive presentation including a visit with some animal friends!
��

Saturday, August 5: Canadian Raptor Conservancy��

10:00 am, Visitor Centre��

Learn about the natural history, prey species, range and relationship to humans of some of the most fantastic creatures on our planet! See each bird’s unique flight characteristics.����

Stargazing and Astronomy��

4:00 pm and 9:00 pm, Beach Pavilion��

Special guest Alex Westman returns with solar astronomy for the afternoon and digital microscope stations.�� Alex will return at 9pm, where you can view the night sky through a high-tech telescope.
��

Saturday, August 12: Learn to Fish����

10:00 am, Beach Pavilion��

This engaging two hour program is designed for all ages and combines a one hour practical teaching session with one hour of supervised fishing fun! Everything is provided, including a fishing rod, reel and bait, as well as a one day fishing license to take part.

Saturday, August 19: Aspens Ojibwe Horses and Christin Dennis��

10:00 am Ball Diamond across from the Visitor Centre��

Meet two Ojibwe Horses, their caregivers and Indigenous Educator, Christin Dennis, who will share about an almost lost breed of horses, their story and come back!

Buffers along Water Courses Protect and Improve Water Quality��

What are buffer strips?��

• Buffer strips are permanently vegetated areas adjacent to open watercourses and wetlands, such as drainage channels, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are designed to help separate natural ecosystems from agriculture and developed areas to reduce the risk of contaminated runoff entering surface water. They may include trees, shrubs, grasses or wildflowers and can range from three to 30 m or more in width.��

How buffers help water quality��

• Bank stabilization – The roots of grasses, shrubs and trees provide bank stability, which help prevent erosion and stream siltation (the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or permanent) of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable).����
• Sediment filtering –Soil particles and other forms of pollution (i.e.: nutrients from manure and fertilizer, pesticides, bacteria and pathogens) become trapped in buffers before entering the water. Without this, sediment in rivers can smother fish spawning areas and benthic invertebrates (bug life) that live on creek bottoms.��
• Plant uptake (pollution transformers) – Nitrates and phosphorus are transported in solution over and through the soil. Deep rooted vegetation and chemical and biological activity in the soil can capture and transform these soluble contaminants into less harmful forms.��
• Flood protection – Buffers slow down excess surface water so that it can soak into the ground and recharge the groundwater supply. By storing water, treed areas reduce the risk of flooding during storm events and moderate the rate of runoff from snowmelt.��
• Infiltration – Water stored in buffers is slowly released to surface water after the run-off period. This helps maintain higher base flows in the stream for longer periods of time.��

How buffers improve stream health��

• Habitat enhancement – Roots and branches from streambank vegetation provide cover for aquatic life. Shade from overhanging plants also helps cool and stabilize water temperature. Stable temperatures are important for the survival of species such as fish, amphibians and reptiles.������
• Organic debris – Leaves falling into the water from surrounding vegetation are an important source of food for aquatic life.�� Organic debris also shelters fish and benthic insects.��
• Natural stream bottoms – By filtering sediments, buffers prevent siltation of gravel and cobble stream bottoms and allow the natural pool/riffle sequence to be maintained. Riffles add oxygen to the water. Gravel streambeds that are free from silt buildup improve water quality and provide a healthy place where fish and aquatic invertebrates can thrive.����

Other benefits of buffers��

In addition to protecting watercourses, buffer strips provide forage and cover for land animals and make ideal wildlife corridors. They also provide habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Finally, an established buffer strip adds value and beauty to a property.����

Landowners Discuss Stewardship Projects in Two New Videos

UTRCA Stewardship Services have released two new videos showcasing the various benefits of constructed wetlands and field windbreaks across the agricultural landscape.

Constructed Wetlands as Green Infrastructure

UTRCA partnered with Ducks Unlimited Canada and the landowner to promote the creation of more constructed wetlands. This video highlights two constructed wetland designs in the Upper Thames River watershed and the role of wetlands in mitigating flooding and improving rural water quality.

Planting for the Future: The Long-term Economic and Environmental Benefits of Windbreaks

UTRCA staff are working with local landowners to investigate the economic and environmental benefits of windbreaks in rural areas. These benefits include increased crop yields, improved soil health, and reduced soil erosion.

These Projects are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Huron University College Scotia Bank Scholars

����ֱ�� (UTRCA) Community Education staff partnered for a second year with Huron’s Scotia Bank Scholars. It offers an intensive high school English credit to exceptional students from across the watershed who have been identified as facing barriers to post-secondary education. The theme for this year’s program was water.

On the first day of the course, students visited Fanshawe Conservation Area where they learned about the UTRCA’s core missions and challenges. The class enjoyed a tour of the Watershed Conservation Centre and the Fanshawe dam before participating in activities that combined conservation science with the art of communicating that knowledge to a larger public. The following day, UTRCA staff visited Huron College where they led students on a walk of the Medway Creek and met one-on-one with students to assist with topic choice and thesis development for their final projects. On the final day of the course, UTRCA staff returned to Huron to attend a ‘Pitch Fair’ where students showcased their research and working thesis.

Surveyors Hit the Ground Running��

Flood modelling begins with the essential job of watercourse surveying.����

Each year, a team of Field Survey Assistants joins the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) from June to November to collect information about the shape of watercourses all over the Upper Thames River watershed. While waterbodies look flat from above, the ground beneath can be far from it. ��

“It’s hard to tell where the ground is,” said Collin Branton, GIS Specialist – Water Resources. “So, the Surveyors use GPS equipment to measure the elevation of the ground under the water.”����

With their chest waders pulled high, the surveyors trek along watercourses, stopping every 50-100 meters to collect GPS data. “They do a lot of bush whacking in all conditions. From farm fields to dense forests, they deal with all kinds of vegetation, bugs, and weather conditions,” said Collin.����

At each stop, the surveyors use high accuracy GPS units connected to a satellite receiver that is mounted on top of a two-meter pole. The receiver collects elevation data from satellites, and then transmits that data to a smart phone app via Bluetooth.��

The survey team also measures the elevation of any bridges or culverts they come across to determine the size of the bridge opening. This way, Water Information Management staff can develop an understanding of how much water can flow below the bridge or culvert before it floods above it.��

This year, we are happy to have Bailey Arnold back in the survey team, and to welcome Kenny Tomljenovic, Michelle Dyment, and Nandini Patel for their first season.��

Together, they have surveyed watercourses in three UTRCA subwatersheds, collecting about 4,500 GPS points so far this year.��

“This GPS information is the basis for our flood models,” explained Collin. “High quality survey data can help lead to high quality models. So, it’s important to have accurate data.”����

During the flood modelling process, the GPS data is combined with elevation data, modelled water flows, and other relevant data to generate flood information.��

“Working as a surveyor is a great opportunity to develop new skills and learn your way around the watershed,” said Bailey. “Working outside is a big bonus, plus the data collected makes it possible for flood mapping to be made and potential damage to be avoided!”��

We are looking forward to a productive surveying season with an enthusiastic, hard-working team. ��

Contact:��Collin Branton, GIS Specialist, Water Resources��

Patrolling London’s ESAs

����ֱ�� (UTRCA) staff designated as Provincial Offences Officers have been focusing��their patrols on the City of London’s Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs), enforcing rules and municipal by-laws as well as answering��trail users’��questions and concerns.����

Over the last few years, UTRCA��staff have noticed a��large��increase in��trail users which has also meant an increase in��by-law infractions.����

Common infractions include: ��

• dogs being off leash,��
• biking on hiking-only trails, and
• off trail usage (parties, encampments, etc.)

These by-laws are in place to protect the wildlife and vegetation throughout the ESAs��as well as the��public that frequent the areas.��

The UTRCA has an ongoing agreement with the City of London to manage 12 ESAs throughout the city. The management of these areas and associated projects are funded through the City of London.��