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| Hello! | |
Are you feeling the winter blues? Why not embrace the weather and get outdoors to check out all of the great winter activities in this region! There is an owl prowl, an eco-fair, hiking, or you can stay in your own backyard to do some birding. There are so many opportunities for you and your family to enjoy all that our region has to offer.
If you have any relevant, local events or articles you'd like included in this E-newsletter, please do not hesitate to email me your suggestions!
Cheers,
Natalie Green, M.Sc.
Remedial Action Plan Coordinator
[email protected]
The DRCC is a community-based partnership between government, industry, academics, as well as environmental and community organizations that work together to improve the Detroit River ecosystem.
Our key goal is to implement the Canadian Remedial Action Plan (RAP) in order to restore the beneficial uses and remove the River from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
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Did you know??
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...that Ontario is home to approximately 24% of Canada's wetlands and 6% of the world's wetlands?? There is an estimated 24-29 million hectares of wetlands in Ontario alone; however, by the 1980s, 68% of southern Ontario's wetlands were destroyed and converted to another use.
Wetlands are important for improving water quality, reducing damage from flooding, providing fish and wildlife habitat, and more!
February 2 is World Wetlands Day! Remind your friends and family that wetlands are important to protect and restore, send them "Wetland Mail".
Source: MRN Factsheet on wetland restoration (ISBN 978-1-4249-7666-9)
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Join the Great Backyard Bird Count!
February 15-18, 2013
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 The Great Backyard Bird Count will soon be here! Anyone, anywhere can take part!
From February 15-18, take part in a free, family-friendly educational activity that is loads of fun and supports bird conservation! Tens of thousands of volunteers participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), counting birds in backyards, local parks, nature reserves, and wherever they happen to be.
After 15 years of success in North America, this year birdwatchers of all ages and birding skill levels from around the globe are encouraged to participate. The GBBC provides a great opportunity to learn more about birds and connect with nature - whether from your living room window, or by hiking a local trail. The GBBC is also an ideal way for more experienced birders to introduce friends, family, and others to the wonderful world of birding.
Visit http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc to learn more about the GBBC. Want to introduce kids to birding? Check out http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/kids.
Happy birding!
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ERCA Presents Conservation Awards and
Celebrates Year's Accomplishments
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 On January 17, 2013, ten organizations and individuals were honoured with an ERCA Conservation Award for their contribution to our region's natural environment.
- Youth Award: Lina Chaker, a University of Windsor student who initiated a community composting program
- Conservation Education Award: Bob Pettit, President of the HBMO and long-time educator, and the Pelee Island Bird Observatory
- Conservation Volunteer Award: Ron St. Pierre, a long-time volunteer at Holiday Beach, and the Camp Cedarwin Scouts Volunteers
- Environmental Achievement Award: the University of Windsor for their local and worldwide environmental research, and the innovation behind the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Excellence, the largest Gold LEED certified structure in the region. T
- Robert Pulleyblank Municipal Achievement Award: the Town of Tecumseh for their rooftop solar project, their commitment to natural areas protection, the introduction of the downspout disconnection program and the opening of the Waterfront Park North.
- Conservation Farm Award: John Fittler
- John R. Park Homestead Award: Essex County Carriage Club
ERCA also celebrated highlights of 2012, including the increase in natural areas coverage to 8.5% and the identification of the Western Lake Erie Watersheds as Canada's first Priority Natural Area. The many infrastructure upgrades at Conservation Areas, naming Holiday Beach one of the top three hawk watching locations in North America, and the completion of the Source Protection Plan were among other top achievements this past year. View their Annual Report Video here
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Windsor Hosts 2013 Sustainable Communities Conference
February 13-15, 2013
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Windsor will host the 2013 Windsor is a community in transition. As manufacturing declined, Windsor began a journey of renewal and economic transition. Applying expertise developed over decades of making automobiles, Windsor's companies have begun manufacturing solar panels, wind turbines and biomass generators. The City is also rehabilitating ecosystems degraded by earlier industrial practices. Through site visits and study tours, Windsor-Essex will showcase several of its green initiatives. ProgramStudy ToursRegistration Fees | One Region. Countless Stories.
Visit Windsor Essex Pelee Island |
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| Save the Date for these upcoming events |
SHIVER ON THE RIVER
Saturday, February 2, 2013: 10 am to 3 pm
Casino Building, Belle Isle Park, Michigan
Join the Friends of the Detroit River for their 14th annual Shiver on the River, a family-oriented celebration of Detroit's historic island park. The event is based at the Belle Isle Casino, but many of the buildings on the island are open to explore.
- Coast Guard Station, 10 am - 3 pm
- Aquarium, 10 am - 3 pm
- Belle Isle Nature Zoo,10 am - 4 pm
- Belle Isle Boat Club,10 am - 4 pm
- Belle Isle Conservatory, 10 am - 5 pm
WINTER BIRDING FIELD COURSE 2013
Saturday Morning Field Trips 8:30 am - Noon
Various Locations - see details below
Winter Birding Field Course 2013 is a series of morning field trips to observe winter birdlife in Essex County. The trips take place on Saturday mornings (8:30 am - noon), and the cost is $15 each (dates are tentative).
- February 9, meet at the Point Pelee tip parking lot
- February 23, meet at Hillman Marsh C.A.
For more information: http://www.ojibway.ca/events.htm
OJIBWAY OWL PROWL
Thursday, February 14, 2013: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Ojibway Nature Centre, Windsor
Pre-registration required
Cost is $8 adult/ $7 child
Whooooooooohoooooo is hiding in the forest? Join Ojibway naturalists for a nocturnal adventure at Ojibway Park. Pre-registration is required.
For more information: http://www.ojibway.ca/events.htm
OJIBWAY WINTER FESTIVAL Sunday, February 17, 2013: Noon to 4:00 pm Ojibway Nature Centre Come out to Ojibway Park and join in some winter festival fun! Activities include: outdoor scavenger hunt; cabin fever guided hike; creature features; clay animals with Cat's Paw Pottery; snow sculptures; cross-country skiing; crafts, food and more! Admission is Free. For more information: http://www.ojibway.ca/events.htm
WINTER HIKING AT OJIBWAY Tuesdays, February 5, 19 and March 5, 19, 2013: 10:00 am - 11:00 am Fee: $22 total Exercise your body and brain! These brisk morning walks with one of Ojibway Nature Centre's naturalists will introduce you to the many plants and animals in our area. Explore the Ojibway Prairie Complex and meet new friends. Senior discount available.* Please dress for the weather.
TREE PLANTING CARE AND WORKSHOP Tuesday, February 26, 2013: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Free; Pre-registration Required This exciting and dynamic workshop will discuss ways in which you can get involved in the reforestation of Essex County. Learn about the environmental benefits of tree planting, grants and financial assistance for landowners for planting trees; the different tree planting techniques; and the ways to care for your future forests and special shade trees.
The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, contact Vivian Kennedy: 519-776-5209 x 345 or [email protected]
ART GALLERY EXHIBIT: A River That Separates? Imaging the Detroit River, 1804-2001 January 12 - March 31, 2013 Drawn from the AGW collection, A River That Separates? brings together a varied group of artist's perspectives of the Detroit River over the past 200 years. From renderings by British colonialists hired to map the border, to marine imagery of the river's role in international trade, to scenes of the river in urban development, the Detroit River has continually been a compelling subject for artists. Their cumulative stories demonstrate how the river has been both an important international border and water route that joins, as much as it separates, our two nations. These artists have created a visual world connected by the river, and their views encourage audiences to recast and reconsider the historical divisions of space we have created in the past - such as our nationalized histories of 'Canadian art' and 'American art,' for example - and to see this river-border as a zone of its own that contests such divisions against lived experience. Click here for hours of operation
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Job Postings
|  These postings are for jobs at various locations with varying deadlines. Please click on the job title to view job details. Contact the listed agency in the job ad for more information. Note: the links will expire after the deadline has passed.
Manager - Watershed Planning Services - Hamilton Conservation Authority (Hamilton, ON)
Deadline: February 8, 2013
Intermediate/Senior Ecologist - Beacon Environmental (Guelph, ON)
Deadline: February 28, 2013
Conservation Technician (Seasonal) - Nature Conservancy of Canada (Port Rowan, ON)
Deadline: February 15, 2013 Deadline: February 4, 2013
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Natalie Green, Remedial Action Plan CoordinatorDetroit River Canadian Cleanup 311-360 Fairview Avenue West Essex, Ontario N8M 1Y6 519-982-3722 (DRCC) or 519-776-5209 x356 [email protected]
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"To cleanup, enhance, and
sustain the Detroit River ecosystem and its tributaries
...because we're all connected to the River!".
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