The Natural Edge is restoring shorelines in the Crowe Valley Watershed! The pictured sites were planted thanks to partnerships with Crowe Valley Conservation Authority and Shawano Ratepayers Inc., & funding by Canada Water Agency through the Government of Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program

Celebrate those you care about in a meaningful way with a tribute gift from Watersheds Canada! Along with the donation, each tribute gift includes a beautiful personalized card (eCard or at-home print copy) in which to share a thoughtful message. Learn more: watersheds.ca/give-them-th...

Have you ever seen pancake ice? Pancake ice occurs when freshly formed ice is still flexible and easily shaped. External forces like water currents or wind play a key role in bringing these ice floes together, creating the distinctive circular 'pancake' shape. #nature #water #ice #naturefacts

Funding from TELUS Friendly Future Foundation and Kawartha Financial Services will support a new Nature Discovery Backpack library for TRACKS Youth Program and 200 Indigenous youth in 2026! Our staff recently met with TRACKS to map out community needs around outdoor learning & education programming.

#OpenDataDay is an annual celebration of open data all over the world, and DataStream is thrilled to participate! Did you know that DataStream is the leading open access platform for water data in Canada? Check out DataStream and feel free to reach out to us: datastream.org/en-ca/

Looking for a way to stay up to date on everything in the world of Watersheds Canada? Sign up for our newsletter today to hear about fun freshwater facts, recent program updates, upcoming events, new projects, and so much more! Subscribe here: 👉 watersheds.ca/newsletter-s... 👈

1/ Thanks to a microgrant received from Watersheds Canada and @cwf-fcf.bsky.social through the Love Your Lake program, St. Charles Lake Watershed Stewardship Association was able to purchase and give-away 175 rooted native plants to local residents. Testimonial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HCJ...

1/ What is ice push? ❄️ Ice push, also known as ice expansion or ice shove, occurs when expanding ice from a lake or river compresses your shoreline. What can result is a so-called 'ice ridge', a raised mound of rocks, soil, and sand that runs parallel to the shoreline.

Help protect Canada's freshwater by joining the Watersheds Canada team! 💧 New summer and internship opportunities are now available. Learn more: https://watersheds.ca/employment/

1/ The Common Loon is one of the most easily recognizable species of Canadian waterfowl, both by sight and sound. But did you know that their plumage changes dramatically depending on the season? #wildlife #freshwater #conservation #lakes #Canada

Yamaha Financial Services Stay Outdoors Program spawns new projects for Watersheds Canada’s fish habitat program: https://watersheds.ca/yamaha-financial-services-stay-outdoors-program-spawns-new-projects-for-watersheds-canadas-fish-habitat-program/

Did you know our Executive Director, @pye75.bsky.social , is a contributing writer for @outdoorcanada.bsky.social? His latest column is homage to Watersheds Canada's grassroots volunteers:

1/ Happy World Wildlife Day! 🌎 🐾 This day celebrates and raises awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora. It occurs annually on March 3rd, the day 184 parties under the United Nations signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.

Join us TOMORROW from 6:30-8:30 pm ET / 3:30-5:30 pm PT to learn from experts and discover practical steps to protect our freshwater ecosystems this winter and beyond. Registration: www.waterwatchers.ca/road_salt_al... Presented in partnership with Water Watchers and @waterrangers.bsky.social ❄️

🚨 Invasive Species Spotlight: Giant hogweed 🚨 🔎 ID tips: thick green stems with reddish-purple blotches (3–8 cm wide), grows 3–5 m tall (up to 5.5 m), huge jagged leaves, coarse white hairs at leaf stalk base, large white umbrella-shaped flower clusters. #InvSpWeek

Invasive insects pose a serious threat to our forests, damaging trees and disrupting entire ecosystems. Help stop the spread: use local firewood, clean your shoes and stay on trails, learn to ID invasive species, and report sightings at www.eddmaps.org. #InvSpWk

🚨 Invasive Species Spotlight: Common buckthorn 🚨 🔎 ID tips: large shrub/small tree (up to 7 m), smooth gray-brown bark with thorny branch tips, oval dark green leaves with curved veins and fine teeth, stays green late into fall, small black berries in late summer-fall. #InvSpWk

I’m excited to take part in an Water Watchers webinar on March 3, where I’ll share insights on the current state of the Great Lakes and why better road salt management is critical for protecting freshwater ecosystems. @iaglr.bsky.social @waterrangers.bsky.social @watersheds.ca

🚨 Invasive Species Spotlight: Purple loosestrife 🚨 This showy plant threatens wetlands and native habitats. 🔎 ID tips: tall (1–2 m), bright pink-purple flower spikes in mid–late summer, square stems, leaves in opposite pairs/whorls, dense clusters in wetlands and shorelines. #InvSpWk

Invasive species outcompete native plants and harm ecosystems. Learn to spot them and help stop the spread: buy native plants, avoid composting or dumping invasives, stay on trails, leash pets, and report sightings at www.eddmaps.org. #InvSpWk

Have you seen these aquatic invasive species? They outcompete native species and harm ecosystems. Help stop the spread: never release aquarium pets or plants, clean/drain/dry boats, follow local guidelines, and report sightings at www.eddmaps.org. #InvSpWk

Invasive Species Lookalike Quiz! Can you tell the difference? 👀 Many invasive species can closely resemble native ones. Learn how to recognize and distinguish these lookalikes to help protect the health of our environment. #InvSpWk

What’s invading our ecosystems? Next week is Invasive Species Awareness Week! Tune in for educational content and activities all about invasive species. You’ll learn how to identify common invaders and discover simple actions to help stop their spread in your community. #InvSpWk

Nearly 30% of participants from our Road Salt Pollution - Public Perception and Awareness Survey were unaware of the environmental impacts of road salts on aquatic ecosystems. It’s time to change that.  Visit https://watersheds.ca/salt/ to learn more about our road salt awareness campaign.

1/ Grab some pencil crayons and spend a few minutes bringing colour into the world of this walleye spawning bed! 🖍️ Drawn by Sudbury, Ontario artist, Debra Lynn Ireland, this colouring sheet highlights a species that benefits from our habitat restoration programs.

Meet the Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris)! These leopard-looking amphibians are found in wetlands, lakes, and ponds across southern Canada. They feed on a wide variety of insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates. #frog #conservation #wetland #water #Canada

For pollinators, spring can be challenging. Flowers are just starting to bloom, and food is scarce. Help bees and other pollinators by planting native wildflowers and shrubs that bloom early. 🌸🐝 Learn more in our latest blog: watersheds.ca/welcoming-sp... #conservation #nature #pollinators #bees

Looking for a way to stay up to date on everything in the world of Watersheds Canada? Sign up for our newsletter today to hear about fun freshwater facts, recent program updates, upcoming events, new projects, and so much more! Subscribe here: 👉 https://watersheds.ca/newsletter-sign-up/👈

Most coniferous trees, like pines, spruces, firs, and cedars, retain their foliage year-round. As a result, they are often the only trees in Canada with greenery throughout the winter months. This makes it the perfect time to go out and practice identifying evergreen trees!

Keep your eyes on the sky this weekend! From February 13 - 16, 2026, head outside and take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count 🦅 Go birding for at least 15 minutes and submit your observations using the eBird or Merlin apps. Your sightings can help scientists protect birds around the world 🌍

Thanks to a microgrant received from Watersheds Canada and @cwf-fcf.bsky.social through the Love Your Lake program, Nepahwin Lake Watershed Stewardship Group in Sudbury, ON, was able to enhance the naturalization of the riparian zone of the City of Greater Sudbury-administered Nepahwin Beach park.

📢 Join us for our free Freshwater Stewardship Community webinar tomorrow 📢 Registration: watersheds.ca/freshwater-s... #biodiversity #conservation

1/ Another historic walleye spawning bed restored! 🐟 Watersheds Canada worked with volunteers from Kennebec Lake Association, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation, and Springwood Cottage Resort to restore a walleye spawning bed on Lake Kennebec in eastern Ontario.

1/ Canada's rivers, lakes, and streams are home to many species of freshwater fish. While many of us have familiarized ourselves with them through fishing, the relative inaccessibility of their watery homes makes it challenging to fully understand and address issues affecting their populations.

Join our next webinar as Dr. Peter Soroye from Wildlife Conservation Society Canada introduces KBA work in Canada and provides an overview of how this tool may support stewardship and conservation work in watersheds across Canada. Registration: https://watersheds.ca/freshwater-stewardship/

1/ We are thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of Water Canada magazine! 💧 This article highlights the importance of wetlands and how a new partnership between Watersheds Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada is ensuring more wetland habitat will be available for migratory waterfowl.

Join us in protecting our wetlands this World Wetlands Day! #WorldWetlandsDay #Wetlands #Conservation

1/ Watersheds Canada’s The Natural Edge team undertook a novel project last year - enhancing constructed wetlands! Restored alongside Ducks Unlimited Canada, Watersheds Canada staff recreated the shores of newly constructed wetlands using thousands of native trees, shrubs, and sedges in 2025.

1/ Why are wetlands important in the winter? ❄️ ➡️ Snowmelt regulation: Wetlands help regulate the gradual release of water from snowmelt, preventing rapid runoff and flooding. ➡️ Biodiversity support: Wetlands provide essential winter habitats for diverse wildlife, such as turtles and frogs.

1/ Who lives in your local wetland? It is estimated that up to 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands. From birds to bugs, every species plays a part! #worldwetlandsday #wetland #wetlandconservation

Today is World Wetlands Day! Wetlands are often overlooked and undervalued. However, acre for acre, few places on Earth give back to our water, climate, and wildlife more than wetlands. Learn about wetlands and how to protect them with our e-library resources: library.watersheds.ca/search/?q=we...

Check out Watersheds Canada's piece in the most recent issue of Just Fishing with "Big" Jim McLaughlin magazine! Learn about our different fish habitat programs and how you can support this critical restoration work by checking out the Winter 2026 issue: https://justfishing.ca/winter-2026/

Program Spotlight: The Natural Edge The Natural Edge is Watersheds Canada's award-winning shoreline naturalization program. Our qualified staff help streamline the process of shoreline restoration to benefit freshwater systems across the country. Learn more here: naturaledge.watersheds.ca

1/ What is hibernation? Hibernation is a period of prolonged sleep or inactivity which allows some of Canada's wildlife to get by throughout the winter months without having to find food. How exactly does it work, though?

1/ The new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) – Marginal Lands Initiative provides critical funding to support farmers and rural landowners in implementing on-the-ground environmental projects.

Ready for a fungus word search? We need your help finding the species of mushroom in the grid! Print off this sheet (by right-clicking on desktop or by pressing and holding on mobile), and begin the hunt for each species listed.

1/ Have you ever heard that no two snowflakes are alike? ❄ Well, it's true! All snowflakes have 6 points, however the branching along each of their points is different in each and every one.

Watersheds Canada is now offering shoreline re-naturalization starter kits to shoreline owners in the Crowe Valley Watershed in Ontario! 📢 You'll receive a customized assortment of 50 native plants and the materials and resources needed to kickstart your very own shoreline restoration project 🌱🌲

Species Spotlight: Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) Bog Rosemary is a species of coniferous shrub that grows 30-60cm tall. It has leaves that are glossy, deep green to blue-green with a pale, fuzzy underside, and which are narrow with a pointed tip.