March 16, 2010
The
weather outside is warming up as spring is upon us. Planning has
already begun for spring tree plantings, community cleanups, and other
events in the Detroit River watersheds. Are you looking to get out of
the house after a long winter? There are several exciting events
happening around Essex County this month including a free film
screening, an environmental fair, a candlelit yoga class, and more!
Check out the 'Save the Date' section below.
Remember, we love to hear from you! Please email
your environmental events/news or newsletter suggestions. Depending on
timing, we can include your event in our newsletter or on our events calendar.
Natalie Green, RAP Coordinator
postmaster@detroitriver.ca
Did you know??
...that you can make every hour 'Earth Hour'? Below are a few tips to make a difference for the environment 365 days a year.- BYOB: Bring your own bags. Instead of using the grocery store's plastic bags, bring your own re-usable cloth bags. These not only help the environment but are much more durable.
- Leave the car at home. If you have an errand to run close by or drive the kids to school, consider walking instead. You'll feel better, get more exercise and will help the environment by reducing your carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. If walking is not an option, take public transit. Either way, you will save on gas.
- Hang dry your clothes. Instead of using your energy-guzzling dryer, hang up your clothes to dry either outside in warm weather, or in your laundry room in the winter and on rainy days.
- Eat local. Local food is grown close to where it's being consumed, so it doesn't travel thousands of miles to reach our plates. Go ahead and fill your plate with yummy local fruits, vegetables and packaged foods.
- Get CFL bulbs. When your old light bulbs burn out, replace them with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. They last longer and use far less energy. Remember, CFL bulbs contain mercury and should never be placed in the trash. Take the bulbs to the Hazardous Waste Depot (more information).
Source: World Wildlife Fund Canada: Earth Hour - March 2010
Turn off your lights for one hour on March 27, 2010
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The event began in one city just three years ago and has now grown to be the largest environmental movement in history! In 2009 hundreds of millions of people turned out their lights for one hour to show their support for climate action. You can join them on March 27 to tell world leaders that action on climate change is needed. Earth Hour is meant to bring awareness to energy usage and climate change. Do your part....every little bit counts.
You can have a candlelit dinner with friends and talk about climate change or attend the 3rd Annual candlelit Karma yoga class hosted by Eastside Yoga Studio (www.eastside-yoga.com). All proceeds of the yoga class will go to World Wildlife Fund and the Citizens Environment Alliance.
For more information about Earth Hour, visit wwf.ca/earthhour/
Wanted: People Who Are Wild About Wetlands!
LaSalle - Bird Studies
Canada (BSC), in partnership with Environment Canada and the Essex Region Conservation
Authority, is looking for volunteers to be trained as amphibian and/or bird
monitors for wetlands in Windsor and Essex County. The Detroit River, a
federally-listed Area of Concern is a focal area for BSC's Marsh
Monitoring Program (MMP). Marsh monitoring in the Windsor area has
been ongoing since 1994 and, after fourteen years, there are existing MMP
monitoring routes that are in need of new surveyors. Additionally, there are
several priority marshes along the coastal areas of the Detroit River that are
in need of surveyors.
"The Marsh Monitoring Program
provides everyone - from amateur naturalists to professional biologists - a
unique and rewarding opportunity to help learn about and conserve wetlands,"
states Kathy Jones, MMP Volunteer Coordinator with BSC. If you are
interested in learning how to identify amphibians and/or marsh birds and are
willing to spend about 10 hours per year monitoring a local wetland, then the
MMP may be right for you.
"Volunteer-based monitoring efforts
like MMP are a great conservation and research tool," comments Ms. Jones.
"For example, population trends developed from 10 years of data collected by
MMP participants have shown significant declines in Black Terns, Red-winged
Blackbirds, Chorus Frogs, and American Toads, and have shown significant
increases in Great Blue Herons and Spring Peepers."
Interested and prospective
volunteers are invited attend an MMP Orientation and Training Workshop on
Saturday, March 20, 2010, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Integrite Group Inc. in
LaSalle. The cost for the workshop is $12 per person and this includes a
catered lunch from Seasons Bistro. Come out and learn the techniques used
in this internationally recognized volunteer monitoring program and visit the
Petite Cote Conservation Area with ERCA staff (weather permitting). Help
advance the study and protection of the marshes in YOUR area! Space
is limited, so please register by Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by
contacting Caroline Biribauer, Friends of Watersheds Organizer with ERCA, at
519-776-5209, ext. 245, or at cbiribauer@erca.org.
Save the Date...
for these upcoming events
World Water Day - Movie Screening
Monday, March 22, 2010 - 6:00 pm
You are invited to celebrate World Water Day with a free screening of two documentary films, Blue Gold: World Water Wars
and Water Under Fire. The film screenings will take place at the SilverCity Windsor (4611 Walker Road, Windsor, ON) beginning at 6 pm. Admission is free with pre-registration.
Call 519-776-5209 x366 or email stomkins@erca.org by March 19, 2010 to reserve a seat!
International World Water Day, held annually on March 22,
focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the
sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Designated by the United Nations in 1992, the observance draws awareness
to the struggle of the more than one billion people worldwide lacking access to
clean, safe drinking water.
Earth Friendly Fair
Thursday, March 25, 2010 - 6-9 pm
Lakeside Park Pavillion, Kingsville
Learn about organic food and farming, native plants, earth-friendly home & beauty products, and more! Handouts will be available on a number of topics, including water smart gardening, backyard composting, impacts of pesticides on wild birds, lawn alternatives and organic care of groundcovers, organic fertilizers, organic weed control, natural insect management, natural plant disease management, and natural home-cleaning recipes.
Mr. Howard Pawley, former Premier of Manitoba, will give a presentation at 7 pm entitled "Canada At An Environmental Crossroads".
This event is free & open to the public, and refreshments will be available. For more information, contact Caroline Biribauer at 519-776-5209 x245.
"Keep the Boat Afloat": Riverkeeper Fundraiser Dinner
Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 7pm
The Friends of the Detroit River (U.S.A) cordially invite you to attend the annual Detroit Riverkeeper fundraising dinner to be held at the Wyandotte Boat Club on Saturday, March 27, 2010. Come enjoy a catered dinner by Carrabba's Italian Grill. The evening includes a cash bar, door prizes, raffle and a silent auction. Doors open at 6 pm for socializing, dinner to be served at 7 pm, followed with a presentation to be given by Detroit Riverkeeper, Robert Burns.
The Wyandotte Boat Club is located at 1 Pine Street, just off Biddle (West Jefferson) Ave., south of Eureka, directly across from Portofino restaurant in Wyandotte. For more information, call (734) 675-0141 or visit www.detroitriver.org.
Tickets are $35/couple, $20/individual, $10/child (USD)
3rd Annual Candlelit Karma Yoga Class
Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Please join Eastside Yoga Studio (8-9733 Tecumseh Rd. E., Windsor, ON) for the 3rd annual candlelight karma yoga class led by certified Yoga instructor Dianne Bondy.
This class is by donation with all proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund and the Citizens Environment Alliance. If you are unable to attend but would like to make a donation, please do so. The Studio will be accepting donations through the month of March. For more info visit their website www.eastside-yoga.com.
5th Binational Lake St. Clair Conference
Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Managing Lake St. Clair for an Ever Changing Environment. At the Hilton Riverfront, Windsor, Ontario. For more information, visit the LSC website.
Guest Speaker - Citizens Environment Alliance Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 7 pm
Join the Citizens Environment Alliance (CEA) for a presentation by Dr. Ken Drouillard of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. The presentation will take place at the WFCU Main Branch (2800 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor, Ontario). Please contact the CEA for more information: 519-973-1116 or ceaadmin@cogeco.net.
Thrilling Thursdays at Ojibway Nature Centre
Family Owl Prowl
Thursday, March 25, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
$6/adult, $5/child
Family Deer Hike & Other Animal Clues
Thursday, April 15, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
$6/adult, $5/child
Family Pond Scooping with Frogs & Turtles
Thursday, May 20, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
$6/adult, $5/child
Visit http://www.ojibway.ca/events.htm for more information on this event.
Canada South Land Trust's Second Annual Dinner
Friday, April 9, 2010
Enjoy a delicious dinner in the Marconi Room of the Caboto Club.
Tickets are $35. A silent auction will be a part of the evening's
activities. The guest speaker will be Dr. Oliver Love, Assistant
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor.
Dr. Love has entitled his talk as 'Unappreciated invaders: what
European starlings can teach us about maternal stress'. Call Betty at
519-944-0825 for more information.
Enviro-Expo 2010
April 16 - 18, 2010
Location: Caesars Windsor Convention Centre (map)
Visit www.enviro-expo.org for more information on this event being hosted by the Essex Region Conservation Foundation.
Essex-Win
dsor Earth DaySunday, April 25, 2010 - 10 am to 3 pm
Come out to celebrate Earth Day at Mic Mac Park and Malden Park in Windsor (see map) for a variety of activities including exhibits, presentations, a barbecue, nature crafts, games, and a tree planting event. More details to come.
International Wildlife Refuge Alliance - 5th Annual Benefit Dinner
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Location: Pointe Mouille State Game Area, Rockwood, Michigan
Environmental Job Postings
(note: the links will expire after the deadline closes.)- Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Coordinator, Ann Arbor, MI
Must be U.S. Citizen - (Deadline: March 26) - Research Technician - Ann Arbor, MI
Deadline: until filled - Fishery Management Program Associate - Ann Arbor, MI
Deadline: March 19 - Wetlands Program Assistant - Edmonton, AB
Deadline: March 26
- Assistant Water Resources Technician (April 9)
- Aquatic Monitoring Assistant (March 19)
- Wetland Monitoring Assistant (March 19)
Essex Region Conservation Authority - Essex, ON
Grand River Conservation Authority - Cambridge, ON
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority - Toronto, ON
- Aquatic Plants Program Assistant (March 24)
- Environmental Field Labourer (March 24)
- Assistant Conservation Lands Technician (March 24)
Ministry of Natural Resources - Northern Ontario
- Fish and Wildlife Technical Specialist (South Porcupine, ON - March 19)
- Biologist Intern (Wawa, ON - March 29)
- Fisheries Biologist Intern (Sioux Lookout, ON - March 23)
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email: postmaster@detroitriver.ca |