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Economic Impact of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in Detroit
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Recently, a team of Great Lakes
organizations teamed together with the University of Michigan's Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics to analyze the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) economic impacts between 2010 and 2016. Detroit Michigan was selected as a case study and it was found that the American riverfront has become a global destination with 3 million visitors who spent nearly $22 million annually in the city. The information collected shows the value in protecting and investing in the Great Lakes Basin. Click here for more information on the study. Click here to read the Detroit Michigan case study report.
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Funding Available Under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative
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Environment and Climate Change Canada launched a call for applications to freshwater funding programs, including funding under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative. Through the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, the Government of Canada takes action to address the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health by delivering on Canada's commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Applications are now being accepted under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative for projects in support of restoring water quality and ecosystem health in Canadian Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The deadline to submit applications is January 11, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
To learn more about this funding opportunity and how to apply, please visit click
here. Please contact the
RAP Coordinator if you're interested in applying.
For general information on the Great Lakes Protection Initiative, please click
here.
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Congratulations to St. Clair River RAP
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The Canadian St. Clair River Remedial Action Plan team shared the recent approval from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to change the designation of three beneficial use impairments (BUIs) no 'not impaired.' The issues included beach closings, bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems and restrictions on dredging. For more information on the St. Clair River RAP, click
here. To read an article from The Sarnia Observer, click
here.
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Environmental Excellence to be Awarded
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Essex Region Conservation is seeking nominees who have made an environment impact in the Place for Life!
The 2018 Conservation Awards will honour and recognize those in the community who have made outstanding contributions towards improving our natural environment, sustaining and enriching the Essex Region as the Place for Life.
Nominations can be submitted
online, or nominators can simply write a one page summary of the individual or organizational accomplishments that merit the receipt of the award. Nominations close on Friday, December 14, 2018. For more information please click
here.
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Sandwich Town Arch to Recognize the Detroit River
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A soon to be built arch in Sandwich Town will recognize fourteen places, people and events that tell the story of that area of Windsor. Residents were asked by the City of Windsor in early 2018 to submit ideas for this new arch way and the Detroit River was selected as one of the pieces! To read more about this exciting addition to west Windsor, click here to read the Windsor Star's article covering the story.
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Changes to Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Act
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New regulatory changes are being proposed to the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to create a hunting season for double-crested cormorants beginning in 2019. To read the proposed regulatory changes and additional details, as well as provide comment, click here. The review period closes on January 3 2019.
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Comment Period Open for 'Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generations: A Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan'
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The proposed Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan reflects the Ontario government's commitment to address the pressing challenges to protect air, land and water, reduce litter and waste, and support residents in Ontario to continue to do their share to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help communities and families prepare for climate change.The commenting period closes closes at 11:59 p.m. on January 28, 2019. To read the report and submit a comment, click here.
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Back To Basics ECO Ontario Report
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On November 13, 2018, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario released the 2018 Environmental Protection Report,
Back to Basics, to the Ontario Legislature.
Delivered as four individual volumes, the report calls on the provincial government to limit water pollution, commit funding towards programs that protect municipal drinking water sources, as well as increase the protection of wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife across the province.
Read the
full report or download individual volumes and chapters of the report below:
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Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
The Detroit River and Great Lakes in the news. Here are some links to articles that may pique your interest. Click the link to read on.
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Upcoming Events
Save the date for these great local events! Contact the organizer for more information.
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Art Gallery of Windsor - The Living River Project: Art, Water and Possible Worlds
October 20 to January 20 2019, Art Gallery of Windsor, 401 Riverside Drive West, Windsor
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Visit the Art Gallery of Windsor soon to see The Living River Project: Art, Water and Possible Worlds. Co-curators of this exhibit, Patrick Mahon and Stuart Reid, build on previous iterations of the exhibition to consider the cultural, historical and environmental significance of water issues in the Windsor-Detroit corridor.
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Canada's Waterscapes: Yours to Enjoy, Explore and Protect
September 15 to December 31 2018, Chimczuk Museum, 401 Riverside Dr W, Windsor
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Visit the Chimczuk Museum between
S
eptember
15 - December 31,
2018 to catch the
Canada Waterscapes Exhibit! This travelling
exhibition from the Canadian Museum of Nature explores Canada's unique estuaries, rivers, lakes, oceans, and wetlands and the environmental challenges facing these ecosystems today.
While you're there, please check out the DRCC's Detroit River photo exhibit! This exhibit takes you through the history of the Detroit River Area of Concern and the steps we've made towards ecological recovery.
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Dark Sky Night
Saturday December 8 2018, 7pm, Point Pelee National Park Visitor's Centre, 1118 Point Pelee Drive, Leamington ON.
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Join members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Windsor Centre for an evening of stargazing. Bring your own binoculars or take a look through one of the special telescopes on site for the evening.
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Christmas in the Country
Sunday December 9 2018, 12pm to 4pm, John R. Park Homestead, 915 Essex County Road 50, Essex, ON.
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See the Homestead in its holiday splendour. The pioneer house and grounds are decorated with materials gathered from the farm and forest. Warm up with mulled cider and roasted chestnuts. Meet St. Nicholas' historic counterparts, Ruprecht and Belsnickel. Check the 'list' to see if you have been naughty or nice this year. Make a gingerbread cookie and traditional ornament to take home. Admission is $6 for adults, child (ages 3 to 16) $4 and family maximum $20.
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Candlelight Christmas
Tuesday December 11 2018, 7pm to 9pm, John R. Park Homestead, 915 Essex County Road 50, Essex, ON.
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See the 1842 house decorated with natural materials from farm and forest. Craft a traditional ornament, bake on the hearth, and ring the sleigh bells. Costumed guides will take visitors through the house and farm after sundown. Tickets are $15. Register HERE.
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Essex County Nature Meeting
Wednesday December 12, 2018, 7:30pm, Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor, ON.
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Come and share photos and stories related to your nature experiences and sightings. This is a relaxed evening of club member participation and pre-holiday mirth. Please join us for some light refreshments and social time. *If you would like to share photos, please bring them on a USB drive.
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67th Annual Point Pelee Christmas Bird Count
Monday December 17 2019, Point Pelee National Park, 1118 Point Pelee Dr, Leamington, ON.
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The 67th Annual Point Pelee National Park Christmas Bird Count will be held on Monday, December 17, 2018. We are asking for your help to assist the National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada in gathering information about winter bird populations and distributions in North America. You will be among the more than 50 000 volunteers participating in the 118th Christmas Bird Count season around Canada, the United States and other parts of the world.
The count generally runs from dawn to dusk (though earlier for those listening and looking for owls!) and all counters are invited back to the Visitor Centre for refreshments, courtesy of the Friends of Point Pelee, and a wrap-up of the day's sightings.
If you would like to participate, please call or email Sarah Rupert (519) 322-5700, ext. 3323 or Sarah.Rupert@canada.ca with your area preference. We will try and accommodate the requests, but some reassignments may be necessary.
Please respond by December 15th, 2018 if you plan to participate in this year's count. Pass this invitation along to anyone else you know who might be interested. We look forward to seeing you in December. Your participation is greatly appreciated!
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Holiday Beach Christmas Bird Count
Saturday December 29 2018, 8am to 4pm, Holiday Beach Conservation Area, 6952 County Road 50, Amherstburg, ON
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Started in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science program in North America. Each year, volunteers from across the continent gather to count as many individuals and species as they can during their designated count period. Volunteers will spend the entire day in the field, looking for birds, learning about the habitats they use in winter and join with others for some fun along the way.
For bird count in Zone One (HBMO) which stretches from Sprucewood Shores Vineyards to Holiday Beach Conservation Area and from the Lake up to County Road 20, please fell free to contact Bob Hall-Brooks at bhall-brooks@cogeco.ca.
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Other Christmas Bird Counts
Various dates and locations.
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Each Christmas Bird Count is conducted on a single day between December 14 and January 5. Counts are carried out within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. They are organized, usually as group efforts, at the local level, often by a birding club or naturalist organization. Here are s few more taking place in our region:
Dec 15 Cedar Creek (Harrow-Essex-Kingsville)
Dec 16 Blenheim (Rondeau)
Dec 22 Lakeshore (Tecumseh-Belle River)
Dec 29 Holiday Beach (Amherstburg-LaSalle)
Jan 1 Detroit River, MI (Ojibway-Windsor)
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The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup is a partnership between government, industry, academics, as well as environmental and community organizations that work together to improve the Detroit River ecosystem through a Remedial Action Plan. Our goal is to remove the Detroit River from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
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