P.A. Day Fun with the UTRCA and Stratford Perth Museum

On Friday, January 30, the UTRCA partnered with the Stratford Perth Museum once again to provide a jam-packed day of outdoor activities and museum exploration for 20 day camp participants. This unique session brought together children ages 6–10 for an entire day of fun, making full use of the museum's indoor spaces as well as the forest and meadow trails on the property.

Participants took to the trails for snowshoeing and gathered around the campfire flames to learn practical skills through campfire cooking, marshmallow roasting, and bannock making. Beyond the outdoor play, the campers dove into the past with fossil identification and spent time learning about Stratford's deep connection to trains and railways within the museum's exhibits. By blending outdoor exploration with educational museum highlights, the P.A. Day Camp series continues to support the UTRCA's mission of partnering with local organizations to promote appreciation for a healthy environment and watershed.��

We look forward to seeing even more friendly faces at our future P.A. Day collaborations!

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Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project at Maglin Site Furniture��

The ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) partnered with in Woodstock to use green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) features to alleviate stormwater issues on the east side of their building. GSI uses natural elements to manage stormwater (rainwater and urban runoff) close to its source.

A rain garden measuring 58 metres long and 4 metres wide was installed to address the issue. The rain garden was designed to capture, infiltrate, and convey stormwater from the building, loading docks area, and adjacent road. The stormwater is directed from the rain garden toward an existing culvert and eventually into the stormwater pond on the south side of Maglin's main parking lot. The rain garden greatly improves the quality of the water entering the stormwater pond.

The Grade 3/4 class from Woodstock Christian School planted more than 600 native wildflowers in the rain garden to create pollinator habitat and increase biodiversity in the area. They were also treated to an awesome gourmet grilled cheese lunch!

Funding was provided in part by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Government of Ontario.

School-wide Bioblitz��at Antler River Elementary School

In early June, the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) and Bird Friendly London visited Antler River Elementary School in Chippewas of the Thames First Nation for a full school bioblitz!��

Throughout the day, students worked together to document as many species as they could in an area of forest right behind the school. Students found over 20 native species, including wild geranium, candy-striped spiders, and even wood thrush, a species at risk bird in Ontario. Overall, students learned how to respectfully observe their natural surroundings and work together as a team of community scientists, while also learning about what species they have in their own backyard. ��

While we were there, Bird Friendly London (BFL) installed window stickers on several windows at the school, to help reduce bird collisions and protect native species. ��

That's not all! With the help of BFL, 20 native plants were planted in the garden of the school to help increase their local plant biodiversity.����

Thank you Antler River Elementary School, for having us!��

For any questions about this project, please reach out to April Scholz, Community Partnership Specialist.

Community Education Hits the Road: Flooding and Turtles Take the Spotlight��

On May 10, 2025, ����ֱ�� (UTRCA)’s Community Education team was out in full force, participating in two major public outreach events in London: Emergency Preparedness Day and Science Rendezvous.��

At the Emergency Preparedness Day, staff engaged residents with several hands-on tools including the floodplain simulator, flood hazard puzzles, and the Thames River watershed puzzle. These interactive activities helped raise awareness about local flood risks and the Conservation Authority’s critical role in flood forecasting, prevention, and response.��

Meanwhile, at Science Rendezvous, staff premiered the new Species at Risk: Turtles outreach booth. This engaging display introduced visitors to the eight turtle species found in the Thames River watershed and highlighted the UTRCA’s efforts to monitor and protect these vulnerable reptiles. Thank you to Nature London for supporting this important work!��

Both events were extremely well attended and provided valuable opportunities to connect with residents about the work the UTRCA does to protect both people and the environment.��

Spring Tree Planting on Medway Creek��

This spring, the ����ֱ�� (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.������

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.����

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".��

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

About this Project��

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.��������

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

UTRCA at 3rd Annual EarthFest

On April 26th, the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) celebrated Earth Day by participating in London’s third annual EarthFest celebration.��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.�� ��

The day also featured a Kid Zone and Climate Conversations Cafe Speakers series. 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, 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.�� 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.��