Tackling Giant Hogweed: the UTRCA鈥檚 Ongoing Effort to Protect Local Ecosystems听

糖心直播 (UTRCA) Lands and Facilities staff have been hard at work managing one of Ontario鈥檚 most dangerous invasive species: Giant Hogweed. This invasive species not only threatens native species by outcompeting them but poses serious health hazards to people and wildlife due to its toxic sap.听听

This spring, we鈥檝e dedicated over 120 hours of work and treated approximately 116 acres of authority-owned property along the Thames River. This effort involves careful surveying, management and ongoing monitoring to reduce the spread of Hogweed and provide protection to our local environment.听听

Because of its hazardous nature, the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn while managing Giant Hogweed.

We also urge the public to stay vigilant. This plant is commonly found along ditches and waterways. Exercise caution and avoid direct contact when in these areas.听If you鈥檙e unsure whether you鈥檝e spotted giant hogweed, our Giant Hogweed factsheet offers helpful identification tips and additional safety information.听Our work is ongoing, and community awareness plays a vital role. For more information on invasive species visit our website.听

Giant Hogweed

Local Landowners Lead the Way in Phosphorus Reduction Efforts听听

With funding from the Canada Water Agency, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) launched the in the fall of last year, to help reduce the amount of phosphorus reaching Lake Erie. While phosphorus enters the environment in many ways, one of the most challenging sources to manage is runoff from rain events, especially across large rural and agricultural areas. This program is designed to support and strengthen on-the-ground efforts by offering funding, tools, and technical guidance to implement practical solutions that work for individual farms as well as the entire watershed.听听

The first year of this program was a success with over 595 on-the-ground projects across more than 35,000 acres 鈥� leading to an estimated annual reduction of 12,500 pounds of phosphorus entering the Upper Thames River. These results were made possible through actions like reduced tillage, cover crops, crop nutrient planning, erosion control, and more. Next month, we will be launching year two 鈥� with more project categories and opportunities to get involved. Thank you to everyone who is helping to protect the watershed and shape a healthier future for generations to come. Stay tuned!听听听

Thames River Cleanup Wraps Up 2025听

On April 5th and 6th, the Thames River Cleanup held its 26th annual Earth Day cleanup. Over a thousand volunteers from across the watershed pitched in to clear tonnes of garbage and litter from along rivers, creeks, and green spaces. 糖心直播 (UTRCA) Partnership staff lead cleanups with the Friends of Medway Creek, Friends of Stoney Creek groups, and a volunteer group at Fanshawe Conservation Area. 听

The Thames River Cleanup thanks all of its sponsors with special mention going to Mountain Equipment Company who put together over a thousand cleanup kits for volunteers and organized the distribution of supplies to site coordinators.听听听

Spring Tree Planting on Medway Creek听

This spring, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) led three days of tree planting on the Medway Creek as a part of the Freshwater Enhancement of the Medway Watershed project, funded by the Canada Water Agency.听听听

With the help of over 200 Grade 7/8 students, over 750 trees were planted on the Medway Creek, including red maple, sugar maple, willows, white cedar, nannyberry, elderberry, and white pine.听听

Thank you to students from Princess Elizabeth Public School and Green Leaders classes from Byron Northview, Ashley Oaks, and Stoney Creek Public Schools. Green Leaders classes chose habitat loss, deforestation, green solutions to climate change, and habitat improvement for their environmental issue and planted these trees as a part of their final "action project".听

UTRCA Board Member Jean Coles and Friends of Medway Creek member Sandy Levin

About this Project听

Funded by the Canada Water Agency, these tree plantings are part of a 3-year project featuring live staking and tree planting on the Medway Creek. These projects will take place in areas of little vegetation and high erosion potential on Medway Creek and will involve local students, community members, organizations, and municipalities. Live staking and tree planting have many benefits to the local ecosystem, including providing habitat for native species, stabilizing the bank and reducing risk of erosion, cooling the water (through shading), and providing a buffer for surface runoff.听听听听

Want to learn more about this project or interested in helping out? Contact April Scholz, Community Partnership Specialist.

Spawning White Suckers in Medway Creek: A Springtime Spectacle听

On April 23, 2025, a local resident witnessed something truly special while walking along Fox Hollow Ravine鈥攕uckers during their annual spring spawning run in Medway Creek!听

Each spring, as water temperatures climb to approximately 10掳C, adult White Suckers (Catostomus commersonii) begin migrating upstream to shallow, gravel-bottomed riffles to spawn. They're often joined by other suckers, including Redhorses: a group that includes species such as the Golden Redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum) and the Threatened Black Redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei). These species take turns using the same riffles as water temperatures continue to rise, each following a finely tuned spawning window.听

Spawning Suckers

During these energetic events, males and females gather in groups, with males nudging and chasing females to encourage the release of eggs. It's an impressive sight鈥攊f you're lucky (and wearing polarized sunglasses to cut the glare), you might spot their dark, powerful bodies wriggling just below the surface.听

Suckers are not only key indicators of healthy streams but also play an important ecological role. Their spawning runs help kick-start aquatic food webs after the long winter. As they release eggs, waste, and milt, they inject nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into the water. These nutrients fuel the growth of algae and aquatic invertebrates which, in turn, support a range of fish and wildlife.听

Recent research shows that sucker spawning events significantly boost the abundance of algae, invertebrates, and fish biomass downstream, reinforcing their role as ecosystem engineers. Opportunistic fish like bass and minnows often capitalize on the bounty, feeding on the nutrient-rich eggs.听

Unlike salmon, these fish don't die after spawning. Many return to the same tributaries year after year. That makes protecting clean, connected spawning habitat essential鈥攏ot just for the survival of suckers, but for the resilience of entire stream ecosystems.听

Thanks to community members like Judith for keeping a lookout and helping us celebrate the incredible biodiversity in our local creeks!听

White Sucker

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Pesticides Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed听

The 糖心直播 (UTRCA) has recently begun a partnership with the (PMRA), a branch of Health Canada. The PMRA is responsible for the regulation of pesticide products in Canada.听It also assesses the risks to both human and environmental health associated with the use of pesticides.听

The UTRCA and PMRA partnership has initiated the Canadian Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides (CWMPP), which allows the UTRCA to monitor pesticide levels in surface water by collecting samples twice weekly at three different subwatersheds:听听

• Gregory Creek near Cherry Grove,听听
• Otter Creek near St. Mary鈥檚,听听
• and Fish Creek near Prospect Hill.听听

These sites were selected due to their proximity to areas with significant agricultural activity and human influence. Anthropogenic factors (human-caused actions and processes that impact the natural environment)听can increase the likelihood of pesticides movement into water bodies. Whenever possible, sampling is aligned with rain events to accurately capture any runoff that may occur.听

The data collected through the CWMPP will be analyzed for pesticide concentrations and be made publicly available through the . This information will support science-based decision-making and help guide future regulations of these chemicals.听

Much of the land within the watershed is used for agricultural purposes, where pesticide application is a common practice used to enhance crop productivity. However, the use of pesticides may pose both environmental and health risks if not managed correctly. The objective of PMRA is to keep risks to a minimum (e.g., preventing/limiting exposure) while still allowing the use of these chemicals to reach the required crop yield.听

Pesticides used on crops can enter surface water sources via run off. If applied too heavily to a field, or if there is a heavy rain event immediately after application, this runoff can carry any excess pesticides to the nearest surface water source. There is also a possibility of pesticides binding to soil particles that may be washed away and into the surrounding water bodies. The PMRA is interested in the concentrations of pesticide concentration in non-target environments, as many waterways reside within or adjacent to farm fields and are therefore more susceptible to contamination. This is particularly true if the pesticides are being improperly applied.听

According to the , risks vary depending on chemical composition, as well as the level and duration of exposure. Pesticides are beneficial for controlling unwanted pests and supporting food production but minimizing risks to both human and environmental health should be a high priority.听听

Several best management practices can aid in reducing the amount of pesticide contamination in surface water. Some of these include:听

• Assessing site characteristics of the land on which they are being used (slope, soil condition, amount of organic matter, location of water sources etc.),听
• Preventing spills,听
• Avoid application before a heavy rainfall,听
• Implementing buffer zones, and听
• Storing and disposing of these chemicals in a safe manner.听

For more information, view听听

By participating in this project, UTRCA can enhance our water quality monitoring programs and fill in knowledge gaps. A more comprehensive data set will also allow for evidence-based decision-making regarding water quality within our watershed, therefore keeping the environment safe, and in turn, protecting human health.听

London Participates in the City Nature Challenge听

This spring from April 25 to 28, Londoners were out and about participating in London's third annual City Nature Challenge!听听

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an international effort, encouraging people to find and document plants, animals, and fungi in their cities! Using iNaturalist, the CNC is a bioblitz-style competition, where cities are in friendly contest with each other to see who can make the most observations of nature.听听

As a part of the CNC, local organizations organized hikes through green spaces in London. Hikes were led by local naturalists and were focused on a variety of topics, including birdwatching, insects, biodiversity, and a Water Blessing led by Chippewas of the Thames First Nation!听听

The UTRCA led a family nature walk through Fanshawe Conservation Area and over 20 community members learned all about local insects, plants, and aquatic species. The Friends of Medway Creek led a family nature walk through the Medway Valley Heritage Forest in partnership with the Museum of Ontario Archaeology and, although it was a chilly day, we learned all about local species such as trilliums!听

In 2025, Londoners excelled and even beat our stats from last year, coming 3rd in Ontario, 8th in Canada, and 38th globally (out of 669 cities worldwide)! Together, we recorded 5,012 observations and 841 species from 184 observers!听

Missed the City Nature Challenge in 2025? Don't worry, we'll be back again in 2026! In the meantime, become an iNaturalist expert and download the app to your phone. We're looking forward to seeing which species you observe!听

Thank you to TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for supporting this project!听

If you have any questions about the City Nature Challenge, please reach out to April Scholz, Community Partnership Specialist, scholza@thamesriver.ca听

UTRCA at 3rd Annual EarthFest

On April 26th, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) celebrated Earth Day by participating in London鈥檚 third annual EarthFest celebration.听Held at the London Public Library Centre Branch and Citi Plaza, the festival welcomed over 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.听 听

The day also featured a Kid Zone and Climate Conversations Cafe Speakers series. The UTRCA served on the festival鈥檚 steering committee and coordinated the festival鈥檚 鈥淲ater-is-Life Zone鈥� area which included displays by the Council of Canadians, Antler River Rally, City of London, St. Clair Regional Conservation Authority and the Thames Valley District School Board Environmental Leaders Program. UTRCA staff from Education, Partnerships, GIS, and Watershed Science shared information about flood safety, aquatic species-at-risk, and watershed health.听 Special guest Eagle Flight Singers, a group of traditional Indigenous singers, opened the Water-is-Life Zone with a performance of traditional songs and dances, and Mi’kmaq artist Mikaila Stevens offered an interactive all-ages collaborative art project.听