The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, recently announced $8.95 million in funding over four years for 36 local on-the-ground projects under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative. The Initiative supports projects across the Great Lakes Basin, which will help restore areas of concern, prevent toxic and nuisance algae, reduce the release of harmful chemicals, engage the public through citizen science, and engage Indigenous Peoples. This funding includes two new fish and wildlife habitat creation projects for the Detroit River! Stay tuned for more details!

In partnership with the Town of LaSalle, University of Windsor, Essex Region Conservation and Just Fishin' Friends, the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup hosted our second annual Learn to Fish event on July 7th at Front Road Park in LaSalle. Over 150 participants came to fish (some for the first time!) and learn from expert volunteer anglers with the use of free equipment and bait. And the fish were biting!

Researchers gave tours of the University of Windsor Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre and the Ontario Clean Water Agency and Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters were also on hand with great educational displays. Big thanks to everyone who joined us and to all our volunteers. For more photos from the Detroit River Family Fishing Day click here. 

 

The International Joint Commission sponsored a survey to collect information on the public's perception of the Great Lakes. The survey revealed that, " Eighty eight percent of respondents believe protecting the Great Lakes is highly important and are willing to pay more to ensure their restoration." Other survey highlights include:

• 88 percent feel it is essential to protect the Great Lakes.
• 89 percent feel it is important to protect the lakes for recreational purposes.
• More than half of respondents believe there are too few regulations to protect the lakes, compared with 46 percent in the 2015 poll, and 55 percent said they would be willing to have greater protection of the lakes through regulation even if it meant an increase in the cost of some consumer products.

The International Monarch Monitoring Blitz started on July 28 and runs until August 5th!

Monarch enthusiasts and citizens across North America are encouraged to get outside and examine milkweed plants for monarch caterpillars, pupae and butterflies, and share these observations on the  Mission Monarch website here.

 

This information helps contribute to a better understanding of Monarch habitat hot spots and where they are at during different stages in their life cycle.