Seeking Applicants for Big Creek Watershed Plan Steering Committee

Amherstburg - The Town of Amherstburg, Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) and its partners are initiating a watershed planning process for the Big Creek watershed. The Watershed Plan will be supported by several technical studies and will be subject to a broad public consultation process. It will be used to inform and influence decisions and policies relating to land and water stewardship throughout the watershed once it is completed.

“The project partners are presently seeking four volunteer Steering Committee members from the community to help guide the planning process,” says Matthew Child, ERCA’s Director of Watershed Restoration. 

Allan Parks, Chair of the Town’s Amherstburg Committee on the Environment adds: “It is essential that the watershed planning process includes representation from the full diversity of the local community”.  A full Big Creek Watershed Plan Terms of Reference Discussion Document has been developed and is available at www.erca.org or it can be obtained by contacting ERCA or the Town directly.

Members will be asked to meet monthly outside of normal business hours during the initial stages of the process and during project milestones, with less frequent meetings in between.  The successful candidates must also reside or own property in the Big Creek watershed.  Completion of the plan is expected to take approximately three years. 

To apply, candidates must submit an Expression of Interest Form and a current resume by 4:00 pm on Friday, April 25, 2008. Expression of Interest forms can be obtained at www.erca.org or by contacting ERCA or the Town.  Members will be selected following an interview process that ensures the full diversity of the watershed is represented by the community positions.
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Green Team Members Required!

Windsor – It’s Earth Month, and the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), in partnership with Earth Day Canada, and our sponsor, Sunoco and the Suncor Energy Foundation, invites everyone to come out on Sunday, April 27, 2008 to help plant more than 1500 native trees and shrubs at Malden Park in the City of Windsor.  Everyone is invited to join us, and if you register at least 10 members of your business or community group for the Green Team Challenge, you’ll receive a Certificate of Participation at the event!

There is fun for the whole family! Join us to learn about how trees help our environment and see live birds up close. Kids can crawl in a Giant Caterpillar, participate in Nature Crafts, enjoy a Nature Scavenger Hunt and be a Water Super Hero with the Drop in the Bucket activity. There will also be a raffle to win a mountain bike!

“Planting trees is a great way to help the environment,” says Danielle Stuebing, Event Organizer.   “In a region where less than 7.5% of our landscape consists of natural areas, the importance of planting trees can not be overstated.”  Malden Park is located within the Turkey Creek watershed, which leads to the Detroit River. Celebrate Earth Day as a family and leave the precious legacy of a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.

But wait!  The fun doesn’t stop there! There are additional Earth Day celebrations right across the road at Mic Mac Park. Learn more about our environment through amazing Earth Day exhibits, presentations and enjoy fabulous environmental entertainment.

To learn more see www.erca.org or download a Green Team Challenge Registration Form from www.erca.org/green.pdf.   Sunoco Earth Day 2008 will take place from 10am until 4pm on Sunday, April 27 at the Matchette Road Entrance to Malden Park.  From the EC Row Expressway, exit on Matchette and head north. Malden Park is located right across the road from Mic Mac Park.   Hope to see you there!
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Open Houses Held for Landowners Along Colchester to Point Pelee Shoreline

Approximately 120 Landowners from Leamington, Kingsville and Essex attended open houses in March to learn more about the proactive study that investigated sand movement along the Colchester to Point Pelee Shoreline.  The findings had previously been presented by W. F. Baird and Associates to Council Members.  This study, titled the Colchester to Southeast Shoal Littoral Cell Investigation, was commissioned by the Essex Region Conservation Authority with funding from Parks Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.  The study looked at sand supply and sand movement along the shoreline and the impacts of shoreline protection and harbours.  The investigation was initiated to understand the potential for sand exchange between the east and west sides of Point Pelee National Park and as a result of shoreline erosion concerns from landowners in the area.

Historically, the recession of the bluffs, beaches and the lake bottom provided a continuous supply of new sand and gravel to the Lake Erie shoreline located between Colchester and the tip of Point Pelee National Park.  For thousands of years, sand and gravel eroded from the shoreline and was transported in an east then south direction towards the National Park.  This material, combined with the sediment transported in a southerly direction along the east side of the peninsula, built the long trapezoid shaped pile of submerged sand known as the southeast shoal. 

Today, approximately 87 % of the shoreline is armoured with shoreline protection structures between Colchester and  Point Pelee National Park.  These shore protection structures have reduced the supply of new sand and gravel. In addition, it has been determined that the natural transport of sediment along this reach of shoreline has been disrupted by the construction of harbours and sediment management practices at these sites over the past 100 years.  Collectively, the harbours have trapped or permanently removed approximately 4.3 million cubic metres of sand and gravel.

This decreased supply of sand and gravel has resulted in lakebed erosion and the loss of beaches within the study area.  In addition, the overall reduction of sediment supply from both the east and west sides of Point Pelee has contributed to the reduced size of the national park  in the last several decades.  It is recommended that a sediment management plan be developed for this reach of shoreline to slow or stop these adverse trends.

“We wanted to ensure that landowners were well aware of the information so that all parties could work together to be proactive in trying to address these erosion problems,” explained Ken Schmidt, ERCA General Manager.  “It is critical that solutions are investigated before the problems become as serious as the conditions on the east side of the peninsula.,”

A working group that includes representatives from the three affected municipalities, Federal and Provincial agencies and organizations associated with the harbours has been established to jointly determine a course of action.  Future investigations could consider the potential for sand bypassing at harbours and artificial sand nourishment along this shoreline.  
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Sunoco Earth Day 2008 Writing Contest

Essex – Calling All Kids!  Have you ever thought about how our rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, wetlands and other waterways are all interconnected?  People, plants and animals all rely on clean water to live a healthy life. There are many ways that we can all contribute towards protecting our natural environment and in so doing, making sure we all have a healthy place to live for generations to come.

April is ‘Earth Month’, and it is a great opportunity to consider how you ‘Can Be the Change!’  The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) together with our partners, the Suncor Energy Foundation and Earth Day Canada, is encouraging you to enter the Sunoco Earth Day 2008 Writing Contest. The contest is open to children from kindergarten through to grade eight and there are some fabulous prize packages to be won thanks to Boppers Café, Boston Pizza, Windsor Crossing and Starbucks.  Every entrant will also receive a free day pass to a conservation area.

The title is: ‘I Can Be the Change!’  Earth Day is about taking action to protect the Earth. Tell us about what you can do to make a difference for the environment in your community to improve our Earth and protect it for future generations’. Kindergarten and grade one children may enter a picture or a story relating to their feelings about nature and ways to keep the environment healthy. Grades two through to eight are encouraged to submit an essay or poem of no more than 700 words.

The panel of judges will include an environmental specialist, a journalist and a forester and the winning entry from each category will receive a terrific prize package, including a Conservation Area annual pass, and have their entries published on the Essex Region Conservation Authority website, www.erca.org.  Winners will also be honoured at Sunoco Earth Day 2008, which will take place at Malden Park on Sunday, April 27 from 10am – 4pm.  Participants in this free event will help plant over 1500 trees, take part in a nature scavenger hunt and other great activities to celebrate Earth Day. Their will also be presentations, workshops and environmental entertainment just across the street at Mic Mac Park with the Windsor-Essex Earth Day event.

The submission deadline is April 14, 2008, so get creative and send your contributions with your contact details, parent’s or teacher’s name, your grade and the name of your school to Essex Region Conservation Authority, 360 Fairview Avenue West, Suite 311, Essex, Ontario, N8M 1Y6 or you can fax to (519) 776 8688 or email pdarrellsmith@erca.org.
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Pesticide Alternatives: An Information Session

Kingsville - Imagine inviting your friends, family, and pets to your safe, chemical-free lawn and garden, instead of warning them to stay away!   The Friends of Mill/Wigle Creeks (FOMWC) are hosting a Pesticide Alternatives Information Session on Tuesday, March 25, from 7-9 pm, at the Lions Club in Kingsville, located at 21 Mill Street, just west off Division.

Come out and learn how to get your lawn and garden off drugs!  This event is free of charge and refreshments will be available.  The goal of the Pesticide Alternatives Information Session is to provide an opportunity for Windsor and Essex County residents to learn more about the effects of pesticide use on our environment, and to learn about a wide variety of natural alternatives that are effective for lawn & garden maintenance.

This year’s Information Session will include two dynamic speakers.  Dr. Veronika Mogyorody, Professor of Anthropology & Environmental Sociology from the University of Windsor, and Daniel Choquette, owner & restauranteur of Crepe Temptations.  Both Dr. Mogyorody and Mr. Choquette will provide their perspectives on relevant issues.  A variety of informational exhibits, vendors and displays will be on hand, including the Canadian Organic Growers, Citizens Environmental Alliance, Crepe Temptations, Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority, Environmental Landscape Services, Grass Root Gardens, Munger Lawnscape, Natural Earth Organics, ShopEco Environmental Products, Windsor Cancer Prevention Coalition, and Wheatley Woods Native Plant Nursery.  Handouts will be available on a number of topics, including water smart gardening, backyard composting, impacts of pesticides on wild birds, lawn alternatives and organic care of groundcovers, organic fertilizers, organic weed control, natural insect management, natural plant disease management, and natural home-cleaning recipes.

Everyone is welcome to attend.  For more information, please contact Caroline, Friends of Watersheds Organizer, at 519-776-5209, ext. 245, or cbiribauer@erca.org.
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Wanted: People Who Are Wild About Wetlands

LaSalle - Bird Studies Canada (BSC), in partnership with Environment Canada and the Essex Region Conservation Authority, is looking for volunteers to be trained as amphibian and/or bird monitors for wetlands in the Windsor, LaSalle, and Amherstburg areas.  This year, federally-listed Areas of Concern (AOC), such as the Detroit River AOC, is a focal area for BSC’s Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP).   Marsh monitoring in the Windsor area has been ongoing since 1994 and, after fourteen years, there are existing MMP monitoring routes that are in need of new surveyors. Additionally, there are several priority marshes along the coastal areas of the Detroit River that are in need of surveyors.

“The Marsh Monitoring Program provides everyone – from amateur naturalists to professional biologists – a unique and rewarding opportunity to help learn about and conserve wetlands,” states Kathy Jones, MMP Volunteer Coordinator with BSC.  If you are intersted in learning how to identify amphibians and/or marsh birds and are willing to spend about 10 hours per year monitoring a local wetland, then the MMP may be right for you.

“Volunteer-based monitoring efforts like MMP are a great conservation and research tool,” comments Ms. Jones.  “For example, population trends developed from 10 years of data collected by MMP participants have shown significant declines in Black Terns, Red-winged Blackbirds, Chorus Frogs, and American Toads, and have shown significant increases in Great Blue Herons and Spring Peepers.”

Interested prospective volunteers are invited attend an MMP Orientation and Training Workshop on Saturday, March 29, 2008, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Integrite Group Inc. in LaSalle.  This workshop is being hosted by ERCA, and venue and refreshments are graciously provided by Integrite Group Inc.  Come out and learn the techniques used in this internationally recognized volunteer monitoring program, and help advance the study and protection of the marshes in YOUR area!  Space is limited, so please register by Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by contacting Caroline Biribauer, Friends of Watersheds Organizer with ERCA, at 519-776-5209, ext. 245, or at cbiribauer@erca.org.
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Maple March Break at the John R. Park Homestead
More maple fun through the March Break!
  
Are you looking for some more Maple fun this spring?  Attend one of the John R. Park Homestead’s “Maple March Break for Families” Programs on Tuesday, March 11th or Friday, March 14th at 1:30pm sharp.  Tour the site with a costumed interpreter; see the trees tapped and lend-a-hand with the maple chores.  Sample some pure maple sugar in the 1842 kitchen, learn the “Science of Maple” and get hands-on in this fun and educational program for the whole family to enjoy.  Family Admission is $16.00

As well, consider attending the exciting 5th Annual “Maple Moon” evening program on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:30pm.  Attend this sugaring off party by candlelight!  Help make maple syrup by the light of the moon, twist taffy on the snow and join the barn dance. Star gazing session and legend telling will also be featured, weather permitting.  Pre-registration is required for this program.  Admission is $8.00 per person.

Group maple programs for schools and organizations are available until the end of March!  Call for details.

The Homestead is located at 915 County Road 50, east of Colchester – just a 45 minute drive southeast of Windsor.  For more information, or to register for Maple Moon,  please call: (519) 738-2029 or email: jrph@erca.org.  For other information check out the website at: www.erca.org and click on “conservation areas”.
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Essex County’s Only Maple Syrup Festival

Essex - Did you know that the John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area is the only place in Essex County that you can see the maple trees tapped, the sap evaporating and maple syrup being made in the pioneer way?   Many special events are planned so that the public can participate in this exciting spring ritual, and school and group maple programs are available anytime by advance appointment.

Kick off March Break week with the Essex Region’s only maple syrup festival, on Sunday, March 9th from 10am - 4pm.  Costumed guides will be boiling the sap down in an iron cauldron, finishing the syrup in the 1842 kitchen and making maple taffy on the snow.  Staff will be on hand to answer your questions about maple trees and “Science of Maple” sessions will be offered featuring a film and exhibit.  Children can participate through various hands-on activities; get up close and see the trees tapped, try the brace and bit, carry pails of sap using an old-fashioned yoke and make a maple craft to take home.  Pure maple syrup, butter and sugar will be for sale in the Homestead gift shop, so take home a tasty treat.  Don’t forget to dress warmly and to wear boots.  Family Admission is $16.00
     
More maple fun will follow through the March Break!
 Attend one of the “Maple March Break for Families” programs on Tuesday, March 11h and repeated again on Friday, March 14th at 1:30pm sharp.  Tour the site with a costumed interpreter; see the trees tapped and lend-a-hand with the maple chores.  Sample some pure maple sugar in our 1842 kitchen, learn the “Science of Maple” and get hands-on in this fun and educational program for the whole family to enjoy.  Family Admission is $16.00

Attend the exciting 5th Annual “Maple Moon” evening program on Tuesday March 11th at 7:30pm.  Attend this sugaring off party by candlelight!  Pre-registration is required for this program.  Admission: $8.00 per person

The Homestead is located at 915 County Road 50, east of Colchester- a 45 minute drive southeast of Windsor.  For more information, to make a group booking or to register for Maple Moon, please call: (519) 738-2029 or email: jrph@erca.org.  For more information check out the website at: www.erca.org and click on “conservation areas”.
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Caring for Nature in Essex Workshop
Sanson Estate Wineries, 9238 Walker Road, McGregor
Saturday, March 1st, 2008 - 9:30 A.M. to 3 P.M.

Workshop Poster

9:00 A.M.          Registration

9:30 A.M.          Introductions

9:50 A.M.          Your Rural Property: Introducing the Rural Landowner Stewardship Workbook
                        -Bernie Solymár, Carolinian Canada Coalition

10:35 A.M.        Land Stewardship Ideas and Concepts in a Working Landscape
                        - Brett Groves, Essex Land Stewardship Network

10:55 A.M.        Refreshment Break

11:10 A.M.        Workshop Exercise:  The Value of a Tree

11:30 A.M.        Species at Risk: Supporting Biodiversity in Essex
- Mike Nelson, Essex Region Conservation Authority and Bernie Solymár, Carolinian Canada Coalition

Noon                Lunch

12:45 P.M.        Creating and Maintaining Meadows & Prairies
                        - Graham Buck, Tallgrass Ontario

1:15 P.M.          Finding Your Conservation Partners & Potential Funding Sources

1:35 P.M.          Group Exercise: Rolling up your Sleeves and Developing Your Own Habitat
                        - Dan Bissonnette, Naturalized Habitat Network of Essex County and Windsor

2:30 P.M.          Closing Comments
                        -Bernie Solymár, Carolinian Canada Coalition

2:40 P.M.          One-on-One with the Resource Experts

3:00 P.M.          Wine Tasting
                        Maureen Jack, Sanson Estate Winery

To reserve a spot or for further details call 519 962 9191 or email workshop@carolinian.org. See Workshop Poster for further details.

 Assistance for this project was provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

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ERCA to Host Tree Planting Workshop

Essex – As the weather is warming up, people are starting to think about tree planting and tree care.  The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) will host a tree planting and care workshop on Thursday, February 21 2008 at 7:00pm at the Essex Civic and Education Centre, 360 Fairview Avenue in Essex.  Paul Giroux, ERCA’s Registered Professional Forester, will focus on replanting trees and restoring your property after it has been victimized by the Emerald Ash Borer.  As well, Mr. Giroux will discuss planting practices for trees in this region, as well as soils and species selection.  Other ERCA staff will be on hand to discuss the various grants and financial incentive programs being offered for 2008. 

There will be opportunities for workshop participants to ask other tree related questions, and if desired, trees may be ordered at the workshop.  This workshop is offered free of charge to the residents of the region, but pre-registration is recommended by calling Paul Giroux at 776-5209 ext. 377 or by email to pgiroux@erca.org. 

If you are interested in planting new trees this year, or learning how to better care for your existing trees, this is a great workshop for you. 

ERCA is currently accepting trees orders for the spring tree planting program.  The order deadline is Friday, March 7, 2008.  There are many varieties of seedlings and large stock native trees available, but quantities of some tree species are limited, so place your order soon.   You must own at least 1 acre of property to qualify for ERCA’s reforestation program.  A minimum purchase of 100 seedlings or 25 large stock trees is required.  ERCA can also assist you in planting your trees, whether for windbreak purposes or to establish a new woodlot.

As well, ERCA’s grant programs have been expanded, and can now cover up to 90% of the costs to qualifying landowners to plant trees and restore habitat on their properties.  Local landowner Mark Bovenkamp was share cropping on his farm until 2003, at which point he turned to ERCA to help him realize his dream of living in a woodland. With ERCA’s technical and financial assistance, he planted more than 12,000 native seeds and shrubs on his property. 

“The best part of the experience is watching the wide variety of trees grow larger,” says Bovenkamp.  “It’s looking more like a woodlot every year.  We are amazed at how quickly wildlife has moved into the area.  We enjoyed working with ERCA and it’s a great feeling knowing that we are improving the environment.”

Grant program details and application packages  are available online at www.erca.org or by contacting ERCA’s Agricultural Technician at 519-776-5209 ext. 369.
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