November 19, 2008
Visit our website and check
out some new additions! Some of the highlights include: information about the
remedial action plan, areas of concern, DRCC committees, and a new, interactive
events calendar! So, remember to send us your DRCC-related events/stories/job
postings. There is also a list of actions you can do at around your home to
help protect and restore the Detroit River.
Happy November!
Natalie (Carreau) Green
DRCC Coordinator
Questions? Email me
Did you know??
Did you know that the Detroit River is not actually a river? It's actually classified as a strait or a connecting channel that links the Upper and Lower Great Lakes. In fact, water from all of the Upper Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, and Huron) flows through the Detroit River!
Keeping toxins out of our land and water!
Beginning this Saturday at the
Shoppers Drugmart on Manning Road (Tecumseh) and continuing into December, the
C.A.W. Local 200 Computers for Kids along with Shoppers Drug Mart and the Detroit
River Canadian Cleanup will be promoting awareness about recycling
electronic waste or E-Waste (electronic devices such as computers, TVs,
monitors, radios, etc.) and properly disposing of pharmaceuticals (prescription
drugs).
Expired or unused medication should never be thrown into the garbage or flushed
down the toilet because their chemical components cannot be removed at waste
water treatment plants and are released into the Detroit River. Although the
chemicals may be found in low concentrations, they can cause adverse effects to
our health and to the environment. To help avoid toxins entering the
environment or our drinking water, collect the unwanted/expired medication in
your home and bring it to your local Shoppers Drug Mart free of charge! They will ensure that the medications are
properly disposed.
Students at Holy Cross get dirty creating an outdoor classroom
LaSalle, Ontario - On Friday, November 7th, 2008,students and
staff at Holy Cross Elementary School rose to the challenge of creating an
outdoor classroom in their otherwise barren schoolyard.
The DRCC Outreach Commmittee funded the purchase of 115 trees & shrubs for
the schoolyard planting. Volunteers, students, and school staff along
with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) worked through the cold
rain to plant the trees and shrubs until the clay soils became too difficult to
work with. They returned to the site on November 11 to finish planting the bare
root, large stock trees, shrubs, and conifer windbreak. The weather was more
cooperative on Tuesday and the task was completed via a series of classes being
brought out to the outdoor classroom to lend a hand. By the end of the day, all
700 students had taken part in the project.
Earlier this year, staff at Holy Cross Elementary partnered with ERCA to design
the outdoor classroom, organize volunteers, select and order trees, and
coordinate the involvement of all students which ultimately created a sense of
ownership and pride for the entire school.
Many other tree plantings in the Detroit River watersheds occurred in November
2008. If you would like more information, please contact Caroline Biribauer or Ian Naisbitt.
The DRCC Outreach Committee
thanks Environment Canada and the Ministry of the Environment for funding
assistance.
Save the Date...
for these upcoming events
Naturalized Habitat Network: Cultivating Community Sustainable Practices for our Environment and our Communities
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 -5:30 pm
Join the Naturalized Habitat Network at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens in Ruthven for some great food, fellowship, door prizes and a great guest speaker. The group welcomes a respected educator, ecologist and author, Dr. John Ambrose, who will highlight his ongoing participation in developing a unique community project: the creation of an organic farm on Pelee Island. This event is open to the public with doors opening at 5:30 pm and dinner being served at 6:30 pm. Admission for this event is $22 or $20 (active members) and includes dinner.
Friends of the Detroit River Book Sale (U.S.)
The Friends of the Detroit
River (U.S.) are hosting a holiday book sale on weekend from 9 am to 5 pm on
the following days:
November 22-23
November 28-30
December 6-7
December 13-14
December 20-21
The Book Sale includes an amazing selection of books on nature, conservation,
field guides, children's nature books, note cards, conservation literature and
philsophy, local history and more! You won't find a better selection in the
Detroit Area!
Also featured at the Holiday Book Sale are 2009 Calendars of the Humbug Marsh
Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The calendars are $5
US each and proceeds benefit the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.
Location:
2674 W. Jefferson Trenton, MI
Lower level of the temporary Trenton City Hall
Signs that say "Book Sale" will be out front
Great Lakes Sustainability Fund Call for Proposals
Deadline: December 12, 2008
The Great Lakes
Sustainability Fund (GLSF), administered by Environment Canada, is mandated to
assist in delivering federal responsibilities in restoring impaired beneficial
uses in Canadian Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem as
required by the Canada - United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
(GLWQA) and in conjunction with the 2007 Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting
the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA). This is a call for project proposals to
the GLSF for fiscal year 2009-10.
In completing the GLSF Application Package 2009-10, please demonstrate clearly
how the project contributes (quantitatively if possible) to restoration targets
of the AOC(s). Priority will be allocated to projects that contribute
directly to the goals, results and commitments of the Areas of Concern Annex
(Annex 1) in the 2007 COA (e.g. those projects whose results further the goals
of the Remedial Action Plan and move the AOC closer towards delisting) and to
priorities identified in latest RAP workplans for the AOCs. Please visit www.on.ec.gc.ca/coa/ for more information on
the 2007 COA.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the GLSF, please contact
Rose Lantorno at (416) 739-5882 or by e-mail at glsf@ec.gc.ca.
Should you have questions about proposed projects for the Detroit River Area of
Concern, please contact Sandra Kok: (905) 336-6281 or Sandra.Kok@ec.gc.ca
Species at Risk Stewardship Fund
Deadline: December 12, 2008
Applications are now being accepted for year three of Ontario's Species at Risk
(SAR) Stewardship Fund which supports volunteer efforts to protect and restore
species at risk and their habitats across the province.
In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, $5 million will be invested through an
application process and through grants to organizations involved in stewardship
activities. The application deadline is end of business day, December 12, 2008
The following priorities have been established for the 2009/10 SAR Stewardship
Fund: recovery, habitat improvement, and protection activities (e.g. creating
nesting structures, installing protective measures to minimize direct threats);
Surveys, inventories and monitoring (e.g. collection of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, conducting species inventories and assessments); and Education and awareness activities to increase awareness and knowledge about species at risk (e.g. promoting best management practices, communications products, youth employment opportunities).
The Ministry has established a collaborative working relationship with the federal Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) and Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk (AFSAR) delivered by Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Parks Canada. The announcement opening the call for proposals for these programs is anticipated shortly. Opportunity may exist for you to apply to the provincial Species at Risk Stewardship Fund as well as one of the federal funding programs.
For additional information on the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, please contact Paula Julio, SAR Stewardship Fund Advisor at (705) 755-1208.
Click here to download the application package.
Environmental Job Postings
An Assistant Ecologist is needed (12 month contract) at the Hamilton Conservation Authority to provide technical assistance to all aspects of the Ecology program. The search closes on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 4:00 pm.The Grand River Conservation Authority is looking for temporary/full-time Water Quality Technician. The deadline for application is Friday, November 21, 2008.
W. F. Baird & Associates is seeking a Coastal or Hydraulic Engineer with experience in numerical modelling who enjoys seeking out new knowledge to join their dynamic team in the Ottawa, Ontario office.
The NOAA Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health (CEGLHH) is currently seeking a Beach Quality Forecasting Coordinator to coordinate on-going efforts of CEGLHH and other agencies with the purpose of developing and implementing a generalized approach to beach quality nowcasting and forecasting. Candidates should possess a Ph.D. in a water quality field with emphasis on statistical or computer modeling.
The City of Hamilton is looking for a Project Manager - Pollution Prevention to facilitate the development and implementation of the Pollution Prevention Program in order to proactively gain further reductions of industrial, commercial and institutional pollutants to the City's wastewater collection system and Hamilton Harbour. Please apply before November 26, 2008.
A Special Projects Coordinator position is open at the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The coordinator will support all aspects of special projects, liaise with stakeholders involved in these projects, and oversee the work done by contractors and consultants. The Coordinator will also play a key role in ensuring that special project activities are aligned with other related CaGBC projects.
Sendex Environmental Corporation in London, Ontario is seeking a full-time Environmental Technician (Environmental Engineer) to provide field support in the areas of environmental site assessments and site remediation work. This position closes on December 14, 2008.
LimnoTech (Ann Arbor, Michigan) is seeking an Environmental Engineer/Scientist I or II to provide support in the following areas: sediment quality assessment, contaminant fate and transport, hydraulic/hydrologic evaluations, and watershed and water quality assessments. Initial tasks may also include data management and analysis, model development and output evaluation, and presentation of results. Visit their website for more job opportunities.
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