Successful screening of MAKING WAVES: BATTLE FOR THE GREAT LAKES  
Thank you to everyone who attended our free screening of MAKING WAVES: Battle for the Great Lakes on March 26!

This film explored the impact of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes and the efforts under way to control and prevent them. Scientists estimate that over 180 invasive species have invaded the Great Lakes since the 1800's. As we continue to address historical  environmental issues originating in the Detroit River, there's no denying that the Round Goby, Zebra Mussels, and Phragmites have all had an impact on fish and wildlife populations and habitat in the river and across the Great Lakes Basin. Basin-wide research and management are critical to prevent, monitor and control the impacts of these species. Many thanks to our expert panel Dr, Barb Zielinski from the University of Windsor and Dan Lebedyk from ERCA for answering questions after the film.

For those interested in viewing the film, you are able to watch online by clicking here (note: a fee applies). There are no scheduled public broadcasts at this time, but check back with the MAKING WAVES site here, as they will update the list when opportunities are available.
ACT Recycling Day is April 21st at Devonshire Mall - Celebrating 10 Years! 
Devonshire Mall's yearly recycling program is celebrating 10 Years!  Here's your opportunity to start some spring cleaning. Simply visit the drive-thru drop-off located in the Devonshire Mall south-east parking lot near Cineplex on Saturday April 21st.  You can recycle your electronics, household items, clothing, bicycles, old medication and more.

Then, come inside to learn more about local environmental programs and organizations! The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and Essex Region Conservation will have a booth in front of Purdy's Chocolatier.
 
For more information please visit Devonshire Mall's events page here.

Join the DRCC in Celebrating Earth Day 2018!
Earth Day Tree Planting
Sunday April 22rd 2018, Green space near Wyandotte and Florence, 10am to 12pm

Grab your shovels and join the DRCC and Essex Region Conservation on Sunday April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day and help plant more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs in the Little River Watershed in the City of Windsor! While there are some shovels to share, you may consider bringing your own to this free event.

Event happens at the green space near the  Florence & Wyandotte intersection in Windsor. Parking will be available at the Sand Point Beach Parking Lot off Riverside Drive. To see a map of the event, please click   here.

Register your Green Team by visiting  www.erca.org/earthday to fill out the online form. Teams of 10 or more receive special recognition!

Earth Day Windsor-Essex
Sunday April 22nd 2018, Malden Park, 4200 Malden Road, 10am to 3pm

Join the City of Windsor in celebrating Earth Day 2018 on Sunday, April 23 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Malden Park (4200 Malden Road). There will be over 40 environmental exhibits at this FREE EVENT, including the DRCC and City of Windsor, as well as a wildflower planting, arts and crafts, a nature scavenger hunt, and many more environmental activities! 

Earth Day is a day on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the earth's natural environment. The City of Windsor aims to educate residents on environment and sustainability issues using hands-on, interactive methods. Earth Day Windsor Essex has been celebrated since 1989. For general information, call 311. For detailed inquiries, please contact: 

Environment & Sustainability Coordinator
Email:  emp@citywindsor.ca
Phone: 519-253-7111 ext. 3290

Earth Day Student Contest 2018

Each year, millions of tons of plastic are dumped into our waterways, which takes hundreds of years to break down. As Earth Day 2018 approaches, we're asking students to tell us how they will make a difference and reduce their plastic consumption. Whether it's spreading the word on social media, creating a poster to hang in your school, or showing us ways you you would recycle more plastic - we want to know about it! Students can submit illustrations, essays, poems or photos.

 

How to Submit 

Entries can be submitted digitally by email to contest@erca.org with the subject heading "Earth Day Art Contest" or via mail to:

Essex Region Conservation
RE: Earth Day Art Contest Entries
360 Fairview Avenue W. Suite 311
Essex, ON. N8M 1Y6

 

Submissions must include the student's name, grade, school name, as well as their teacher's name and email address. Submission deadline is April 15, 2018

For questions about the contest, please contact: Peter Baldwin at 519-776-5209 x 367, or pbaldwin@erca.org.  

 

For guidelines and more details please visit www.erca.org/earthday.  

Upcoming DRCC Projects
Research and Monitoring 
 
During the spring and summer of 2018, DRCC research partners will undertake a third year of Tree Swallow monitoring for the Bird and Animal Deformities and Reproductive Problems beneficial use impairment. Coastal wetlands along the river will be monitored again for water quality, vegetation, marsh birds and invertebrates to inform the Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat beneficial use impairments. The DRCC is currently undertaking an assessment of the Degradation of Benthos beneficial use impairment.

For more information about research and monitoring activities in the Detroit River Area of Concern, please visit www.detroitriver.ca.
In the Community

In partnership with Caesar's Windsor CodeGreen and the City of Windsor, the DRCC is undertaking a garbage cleanup this spring along a section of the Little River. A DRCC cleanup kit is also being provided to the River Canard Canoe Co. for a canoe clean up on Earth Day they're hosting. Are you interested in joining a cleanup or scheduling your own? We can help you by directing you to a planned cleanup or providing supplies! Contact Gina.

In addition, this spring, DRCC is pleased to be supporting two schoolyard tree-plantings in May at St. Thomas of Villanova and St. Peter Elementary School.
IAGLR 2018 June 18-22

Fellow researchers from around the world will gather in Scarborough, on the green edge of Toronto, for IAGLR's 61st annual Conference on Great Lakes Research. A great program is in store with four days of scientific sessions and speakers focusing on our theme Great Science for Tomorrow's Solutions. Mark your calendars for June 18-22, 2018. You won't want to miss it! Early bird registration ends April 27.
Duck Nesting in your Yard?
It's that time of year again!  Spring has sprung and ducks are nesting is some unusual spots. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you find a duck nest in your yard. Don't touch the nest -- Mallard ducks are federally protected, so moving the nest is illegal without a permit. Don't feed the ducks -- leaving food and water out near a nest can attract predators. Also, feeding them unnatural food like bread can cause problems with their growing bones and feathers. Check out the Toronto Wildlife Centre website for more information and some tips.

If you find injured or orphaned wildlife this spring, please be sure to check with a local wildlife rehab centre ( Erie Wildlife Rescue or Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre) before moving or disturbing it.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!   
The Detroit River in the news. Here are some links to articles that may pique your interest. Click the link  to read on.  
Upcoming Events  
Save the date for these great local events! Contact the organizer for more information. 
Winter/Spring Hike at Ojibway
Thursdays, March 8 to May 3 2018, 10am to 11:30am, Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor, ON.  
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. Fee is $50 for seven weeks.
Spring Migration Field Course
Various dates, 8:30am to 12pm unless noted otherwise, various locations.  
Field trips are led by Paul Pratt, with a fee of $16/adult, $14.50/senior each trip (dates are tentative).

April 14  (Saturday) meet at the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee.
April 28  (Saturday) meet at the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee.
May 5    (Saturday) meet at the Rondeau Prov Park Visitor Centre.
May 19  (Saturday) meet at the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee at 8:00 am.
May 23  (Wednesday) meet at the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee at 8:00 am.
Friends of Ojibway Prairie Cleanup
Sunday April 8, 2018, 12am to 3pm, Black Oak Heritage Park parking lot on Broadway Street, Windsor.  
The Friends of Ojibway Prairie are hosting a spring cleanup in Black Oak Heritage Park. All are welcome. Please contact friendsofojibway@gmail.com for more information. 
Essex County Field Naturalists' Club Member Meeting
Wednesday April 11, 2018, 7:30pm, Ojibway Nature Centre. 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor.   
Breaking Birding Boundaries: My 2017 Ontario Big Year- Point Pelee area birder and naturalist
Jeremy Bensette had a very successful Big Year in 2017, travelling to the far reaches of his home province of Ontario in pursuit of every bird species he could possibly cross paths with. This presentation touches on many of the highlights, lowlights, statistics, results, and antics of his Big Year. Join Jeremy at 7:30 pm at the Ojibway Nature Centre for a summary of his year-
long competitive and very social birding journey that turned out to be so much more rewarding
than he expected!
Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday April 19 2018, 9am to 11am, Belle Isle Nature Zoo, Flynn Pavilion - Near Intersection of Picnic Way & Loiter Way, Belle Isle, Detroit, MI, 48207 
Please visit their website for past agendas, meeting minutes, and additional information! 
In the Zone Workshop
Thursday April 19 2018, 7pm, Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor 
Friends of Ojibway Prairie Annual General Meeting
Thursday April 19 2018, 8pm, Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor 
Belle Isle Stewardship Saturday
Saturday April 21, 2018, 9am to 12pm. Meet on Central Avenue, just east of Portage Way. FYI, this street is listed as Meadow Rd in Google Maps.  
Join the DNR and Belle Isle Conservancy for Stewardship Saturdays. For questions or more information please email Laurel Malvitz-Draper, DNR Resource Steward for the Stewardship Unit at malvitzl@michigan.gov. 
Ganatchio Trail Community Cleanup
Saturday April 21, 2018, 9am to 12pm, Ganatchio Trail at the Little River Parking Lot 
Two local community pages, W.E. Put the WIN in Windsor-Essex and Eyes on Windsor are hosting a Ganatchio Trail cleanup.Parking is available at the base of the hill in Little River and the Little River Park on a first come basis. Parking is also available along side streets, please be aware of parking restrictions. For more details and to register, please visit the Facebook event page here.  
Spring Bird Walk at Holiday Beach
Saturday April 21, 2018, 9am. Holiday Beach Conservation Area, 6952 50 Cr, Amherstburg, ON  
Join members of the Holiday Beach  Migration Observatory (HBMO) on Saturday, April 21 to celebrate spring at Holiday Beach C.A. and the Big Creek Important Bird Area. There is a birding/wildflower walk followed by a hummingbird talk by Bob Hall-Brooks at 11:00. After a break for a potluck picnic lunch there will be the HBMO annual general meeting at 1:00 pm. All are welcome to attend. The walk starts at the park's hawk tower at 9:00 am.  For more info contact Paul Pratt at hbmo.ca@gmail.com.  
What's Croaking
Saturday April 21, 2018, 7pm. Visitor Centre, Point Pelee National Park, 1118 Point Pelee Dr, Leamington, ON. 
Visitors will be introduced to the frogs and toads that make Point Pelee home and learn how we monitor frogs by participating in a nocturnal survey. 
Dark Sky Night
Saturday April 21, 2018, 7pm to 12am. Meet at the Visitor Centre parking lot, Point Pelee National Park, 1118 Point Pelee Dr, Leamington, ON. 
Explore the park on your own after dark and experience the dark skies of Point Pelee. You'll have the opportunity to stay late and see what goes on after dark. Please note that there are no formal programs this evening. Visitor can pick up a seasonal star chart at the gate upon arrival.
Earth Day Beach Cleanup
Sunday April 22, 2018, 10am, West Beach, Point Pelee National Park, 1118 Point Pelee Dr, Leamington, ON. 
Celebrate Earth Day with a beach clean-up. Join park staff at West Beach and help clean up the garbage washed up on the beach over the winter. Call park for more information. 
Earth Day River Canard Cleanup
Sunday April 22, 2018, 1pm, River Canard Canoe Co., 9530 Malden Road, LaSalle, ON 
Celebrate Earth Day by participating in a cleanup along River Canard. Call the River Canard Canoe Co. for details: 519 734 8558. Barbecue to follow. 
Point Pelee National Park Centennial Celebration - Windsor Symphony Orchestra
Saturday April 28, 2018, 6pm, Visitor Centre, Point Pelee National Park, 1118 Point Pelee Dr, Leamington, ON. 
In celebration of Point Pelee National Park's centennial, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra will be giving this special performance in the park. Visit www.windsorsymphony.com for ticket information. Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited.  


The DRCC initiative 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 main goal is to remove the River from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.