Join the Detroit River Coalition and members in celebration of Earth Day this year! There will be many events and stewardship activities you can participate in along the Detroit River for the entire month of April.

Art + Earth Art Exhibition
April 21 2022, 10 am - 4 pm, Belle Isle Aquarium

Earth Day Community Tree Planting
April 24 2022, 10am to 2pm, green space between Wyandotte Street east and Florence Avenue. Register here.

Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee Earth Day Tree Planting
April 23 2022, 8:30am to 12pm, Libro Centre Arena. Register here.

Brock Park Community Tree Planting
April 30 2022, 9am to 11am, Brock Park, Sandwich, Windsor. More information.

College Avenue Bikeway Community Tree Planting
April 30 2022, 1pm to 3pm, College Avenue Bikeway, Sandwich, Windsor. More information.
State of the Strait Conference
May 11, 2022, 8am - 5pm 

Contaminated Sediment Remediation in the Detroit and Rouge Rivers: Legacy, Present State, and Approaches to Collaborative Financing

The State of the Strait is a binational (Canada-United States) collaboration that hosts a meeting every two years to bring together government managers, researchers, students, environmental and conservation organizations, and concerned citizens. Participants work to understand historical ecosystem conditions and assess current ecosystem status in order to achieve a better future for the Detroit River and western Lake Erie.

Program Summary
  • Introductory remarks from Representative Debbie Dingell
  • Keynote: Arsenal of Democracy and its Legacy
  • 9 invited talks from key agencies, researchers, and stakeholders (including the DRCC!)
  • Panel discussion: Collaborative financing and partnerships

Registration is free and the conference is taking place at the University of Michigan - Dearborn.
Call for Submissions for Logo Designs for the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network (GLEN)
Great Lakes Ecoregion Network (GLEN) is calling for submissions for an original logo which will symbolize international cooperation within the Great Lakes Basin over fifty years and beyond.

Although 2022 is a major historical event (the 50 year anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement!), there is still much work to be done to continue the restoration of the watershed. The goal of GLEN is to generate momentum to strengthen the protection of water quality.

The design should represent the past, present and future partnerships to protect water quality and the ecosystems within the Basin.

The logo will be used at public events and media announcements across the Great Lakes Basin during 2022 and into the future. Specifically the logo may be displayed both virtually and physically on websites, publications, T-shirts, hats, giveaways, etc.

Deadline for submissions will be April 20, 2022. Final decision will be April 30, 2022.
Planting native plants in your garden
Now that spring is around the corner it is time to think about what you're planting in your garden. Consider native plants!

WWF-Canada has partnered with Loblaws to source native plants for 35 of their Garden Centres across southern Ontario. This initiative supports the Carolinian Canada Coalition In the Zone program to bring native plants to your backyard. Loblaws/Superstore/Zehrs garden centres in Windsor-Essex will carry a variety of locally grown and ethically sourced native plants, including shade and sun-loving species as well as grasses and sedges, all of which grow easily in local conditions. They’ve been carefully selected and grown by the following Ontario native plant growers and will make excellent habitat for pollinators and other wildlife in your garden: Native Plants in Claremont, St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre and Native Trees and Plants nursery in Amherstburg. These plants will be available sometime in May. For more information about this initiative, visit: https://inthezonegardens.ca/where-to-find-native-plants.
 
Other ways include native plants:
 
Get Hooked Fishing Tournament
Get ready to cast your line! Tourism Windsor Essex is proud to present the Get Hooked Fishing Tournament – a socially distanced catch & release tournament taking place each spring. We want you to learn a little bit more about fishing across our region with an amateur tournament – from all ages.

The 2022 Get Hooked Fishing Tournament will take place Friday April 22nd through Sunday May 1st, 2022. How does it work?
  1. Register online through the Anglers Atlas app.
  2. Cast your line anywhere along the shores of Essex County
  3. Record all your catches in the app
  4. WIN for the biggest & most fish caught!

There are prizes for:
  • The most fish caught
  • The biggest pickerel caught
  • The biggest perch caught
  • The biggest bass caught
  • The best hero shot (of you catching your fish)
  • The best catch & release video
  • ..and many more!

They are giving away over $2k in prizes throughout the entire tournament.
Wild Rice and Fisheries Protection in the Lake Huron Basin 
Join Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 11 a.m. ET for a one-hour public webinar as they discuss wild rice and fisheries protection in the Lake Huron basin, the stressors affecting these resources, such as climate change, and actions the U.S. and Canada are taking to address these issues.

Hear from guest speaker Arunas Liskauskas of the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, who will discuss the status and conditions of Lake Huron fisheries and current fish rehabilitation projects that will help protect this important resource.

Also hear from Jon Mauchmar of Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, who will discuss how environmental changes are affecting manoomin (wild rice) in the Great Lakes basin and restoration work to preserve this culturally significant plant.

Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions to the experts.
This is a virtual webinar hosted on Zoom and is the latest in our webinar series, Let’s Talk Lake Huron!
Canada’s Great Lakes Strategy for PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs Risk Management now available
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) commits Canada and the United States to prepare and issue binational strategies for Chemicals of Mutual Concern (CMCs), which may include research, monitoring, surveillance, and pollution prevention and control provisions. Canada’s Great Lakes Strategy for Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), and Long-Chain Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (LC-PFCAs) Risk Management is comprised of 16 management actions to address threats to the Great Lakes by reducing the release of PFOS, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs to the Great Lakes basin. While some management actions are being undertaken by Canadian governments, other actions can be considered by a variety of stakeholders, including industry, academia, and non-government organizations.
Days Worth Mentioning
National Volunteer Week - April 24-30
Earth Day - April 22
Let’s celebrate Canada’s volunteers. The empathy, compassion and generosity of volunteers creates connected communities and builds a stronger Canada. The DRCC is so thankfu for our volunteers who help keep the Detroit River clean!
The Earth Day 2022 Theme is Invest In Our Planet. What Will You Do? We need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet.
Upcoming Local Events
Save the date for these great local events! Contact the organizers for more information.
Virtual Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
April 17-30, put on by the City of Windsor
Thanks to the City of Windsor's partnership with Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA), residents will again be able to use the GooseChase app to participate in an educational, inspirational and exciting activity! Each day between April 17 and 30, the app will feature unique missions on environmental themes, including biodiversity, waste diversion, climate change, active transportation, wastewater and the Detroit River. These missions will help us to discover local actions to invest in a healthy, sustainable Windsor-Essex, all from the safety of your home, backyard or neighbourhood, and they can all be completed at your own pace. Learn more.
Malden Park
Sunday April 24 2022, 10 am to 3 pm, Malden Park, 4200 Malden Rd, Windsor, ON N9C 0C5

Earth day will once again be held at Malden Park on Sunday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature exhibitors, vendors, and activities to help inspire and guide us to "Invest in Our Planet." Come out and explore unique exhibits while enjoying great entertainment, food, and activities for the whole family! Learn more.
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.  
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.