Indigenous Solidarity and Awareness Network Event聽
Indigenous Solidarity and Awareness Network Event聽 On June 18, the Indigenous Solidarity and Awareness Network - Oxford held its second of four Reconcili-ACTION events at Ingersoll Town Hall. Supported by 糖心直播 (UTRCA) staff and funded through the Oxford Community Foundation鈥檚 Stevenson Fund, the series features Indigenous Elders and knowledge holders speaking about environmental health, ecological justice, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. 聽 This second session, 鈥淯nearthing History: Archeology, Duty to Consult, and Understanding Treaties,鈥� featured archaeologist Jordan Jamieson from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Jordan gave a fascinating talk about his work as an [...]
Community Event at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation聽
Community Event at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation聽 On June 16th, 糖心直播 (UTRCA) Partnership and Watershed Science staff participated in a community event held at Antler River Elementary School. Hosted by the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation鈥檚 Treaties, Lands, and Environmental Department, the event showcased community partnerships and projects centered around shared ecological goals. The UTRCA booth featured information on watershed health, the Thames River Clearwater Revival, and species-at-risk and included an interactive arts activity where participants could create beautiful rice-paper prints of fish species native to Deshkan Ziibi/Thames River.聽 [...]
Celebrating Stewardship at Breakfast on the Farm聽
Celebrating Stewardship at Breakfast on the Farm聽 The 糖心直播 (UTRCA) Stewardship team recently took part in Farm and Food Care Ontario鈥檚 much-anticipated Breakfast on the Farm event at Hoenhorst Farms Ltd. in Innerkip. It was a special opportunity to showcase the silage bunker filtration system the UTRCA team helped install with landowner Cox years ago 鈥� a system that filters out runoff through multiple stages and is still making a big impact today!聽 At the UTRCA information booth, kids were fascinated by the rain simulator model, which demonstrated how different land types respond to rainfall [...]
School-wide Bioblitz聽at Antler River Elementary School
School-wide Bioblitz聽at Antler River Elementary School In early June, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) and Bird Friendly London visited Antler River Elementary School in Chippewas of the Thames First Nation for a full school bioblitz!聽 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 Education Hits the Road: Flooding and Turtles Take the Spotlight聽
Community Education Hits the Road: Flooding and Turtles Take the Spotlight聽 On May 10, 2025, 糖心直播 (UTRCA)鈥檚 Community Education team was out in full force, participating in two major public outreach events in London: Emergency Preparedness Day and Science Rendezvous.聽 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鈥檚 critical role in flood forecasting, prevention, and response.聽 Meanwhile, at Science Rendezvous, staff premiered the new [...]
Now Open 鈥� Upper Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Program Year 2聽
Now Open 鈥� Upper Thames Phosphorus Reduction Program Year 2 The Upper Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Program is now accepting applications for year two with an expanded list of funding categories designed to support practical, on-the-ground improvements. 聽 This year, we have added 4R Phosphorus Management which includes up to $15/acre for Crop Nutrient Planning and Soil Testing, and $50/acre for applying manure to low phosphorus soils plus a bonus of an additional $10/acre for those practicing both Cover Crops and Reduced Tillage! Available funding categories include:聽 Cover Crops聽 Reduced Tillage聽 Soil Testing and Crop Nutrient Planning - new聽 [...]
Westminster Ponds South Pond Dock Replacement聽
Replacing Dock at Westminster Ponds's South Pond As part of ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility and public enjoyment of the Westminster Ponds Environmentally Significant Area (ESA), the 糖心直播 (UTRCA), working on behalf of the City of London, completed the replacement of the floating dock at South Pond in Spring 2025.聽 The previous dock, which had become undersized and outdated, was removed in Fall 2024. A new, modern floating dock system was purchased from Canada Docks and installed in May 2025. Constructed from durable aluminum and composite materials, the new dock measures approximately 8 by 24 [...]
聽UTRCA at Western University for Science Olympics聽聽
聽UTRCA at Western University for Science Olympics聽聽 This spring, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) participated in the Science Olympics held at Western University. The Science Olympics is a fun and engaging way to learn about subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Math through friendly, group competition. Students from grades 9 to 12 from across Southwestern Ontario competed in over a dozen stations against other schools to earn points for prizes. UTRCA hosted a station called 鈥淔reshwater Forensics鈥� where students investigated local water quality issues and considered the connections between land use and watershed health. Through [...]
Walkerton 25th Anniversary聽
Walkerton 25th Anniversary聽 May 2025 marks 25 years since the water contamination event in Walkerton, a pivotal moment that reshaped how we approach drinking water safety across the province. This anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on how far we鈥檝e come in protecting the sources of our drinking water and to recognize the collective effort that continues to strengthen Ontario鈥檚 leadership in water safety.聽 In response, Ontario took decisive action to ensure a similar situation could never happen again. One of the most significant outcomes was the development and implementation of the Clean Water Act, 2006, which laid the [...]
2025 Oxford Children鈥檚 Water Festival a Resounding Success
2025 Oxford Children鈥檚 Water Festival a Resounding Success The Oxford Children鈥檚 Water Festival returned to Pittock Conservation Area from May 13 to 17, 2025, welcoming over 3,500 students for a week of hands-on environmental learning and outdoor fun. Hosted by the 糖心直播 (UTRCA), the festival offered engaging activities focused on water conservation, environmental science, and community stewardship. Students from across the watershed explored interactive stations that aligned with Ontario鈥檚 curriculum, while volunteers and community groups helped bring each learning opportunity to life. A highlight of the week was the Family Night held on May 15, [...]