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Lake Huron e-news July 2010

Au Naturel

The wooded corridor that runs along the Lake Huron coastline is gradually disappearing. Every time a new cottage or home is built or expanded, more of our lakeshore woodlands are lost. Every decision to clear vegetation to have an unobstructed view of the lake impacts the natural corridor. It's not just the trees that are removed, but often the shrubs and native groundcovers are lost as well. It’s a gradual process, but it amounts to “death by a thousand cuts”, as the process of vegetation removal gets repeated over and over again. Natural ecosystems, whether it's a woodland, wetland or dune grassland become fragmented from intact systems to smaller, less robust, units prone to disease, erosion or infestation by invasive species.… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news June 2010

Getting Fixed

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) is getting an overhaul. This is an agreement between Canada and the United States that provides for binational efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The agreement was first signed in 1972, dealing primarily with sewage discharges. It was amended in 1978 to address toxic substances, and 1987 to target basin toxic hot spots, called in the agreement Areas of Concern. The governments completed a review of the Agreement with public input in September 2007. 
… continue reading »

Asian Carp

An article "Asian carp threaten our Great Lakes" by Jon Wells spec.com 905 526-3515 at the Hamilton Spectator says that the Great Lakes Water Agreement is currently being renegotiated between Canada and the United States. Public input will be received only in May and June, according to Great Lakes United at www.glu.org .… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news May 2010

Most Unwanted
 
In our biodiversity series, commemorating the UN's International Year of Biodiversity, we look at the issue of invasive species and their impacts on Lake Huron's biodiversity. There are more than 180 non-native, invasive species that have become established in and around the Great Lakes since the 1800s. Alien invasive species are often described by scientists as “biological pollution”, due to their ability to negatively impact the ecosystem and the native populations of the flora and fauna that it supports. Once introduced, invasive species must be managed and controlled, since they are virtually impossible to eradicate.
… continue reading »

Wind Farm Revolt

The Armow Wind Farm in the Municipality of Kincardine, has yet to receive a power contract, but it has already drawn criticism from the neighbours.

About 25 people, part of Central Bruce-Grey Wind Concerns Ontario, gathered in front of the Armow Women's Institute Hall, in the former Kincardine Township, Tuesday evening (April 20), offering information to people heading into a public open house for the proposed Acciona wind farm in the Armow area.… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news April 2010

The HIPPO in the room

In this issue, we'll talk about the threats to biodiversity along the Lake Huron coast.  Threats to biodiversity can be described through the acronym HIPPO. 
 

Habitat Loss - Habitat loss, alteration and fragmentation directly affect the species that rely on the habitat that is being changed.  Shoreline and urban development, agriculture and various recreational activities in sensitive parts of the lakeshore has caused, and continues to cause, loss of habitat along Lake Huron.  Lake Huron coastal ecosystems, including coastal meadow marshes, dune grasslands, bluff and alvars are among the rarest environments in Ontario, with an abundance of rare and at risk species.
… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news March 2010

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At Your Service ...

Continuing on the theme of biodiversity (in celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity), this issue will explore some of the services that ecosystems provide us, and why it's important to protect these benefits.

To begin, an ecosystem is a community of animals and plants interacting with one another and with their physical environment. Ecosystems include physical and chemical components, such as soils, water, and nutrients that support the organisms living within them. These organisms may range from large animals and plants to microscopic bacteria. Ecosystems include the interactions among all organisms in a given habitat. People are part of ecosystems. Our health and well-being depends upon the services provided by our local ecosystems and everything that makes them up ­ organisms, soil, water, and nutrients.  Along Lake Huron, some of our coastal ecosystems include wetlands, bluffs, dune grasslands, alvars, and woodlands.… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news February 2010

 Stepping Back

In our last issue, we introduced the term "biodiversity", the diversity of living things in our environment. In this issue we'll discuss biodiversity from a broad lake-wide perspective, and how plant life in particular contributes to the health of our lake environment.

 When we observe environmental problems showing up at the beach, like excessive algae washing ashore, or posted beaches due to high bacteria, often these problems originate beyond the local beach area. Some of these issues are compounded by the state of our watersheds.  The Lake Huron watershed covers roughly 134,000 square kilometres.  Since European settlement of the Lake Huron region, the watershed has undergone significant changes, particularly south of the Bruce Peninsula, and along southern Georgian Bay. Forest cover, for instance, has been reduced from  an estimated pre-settlement extent of 90% to around 18%, and as low as 6% in some of Huron's river systems.

… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news January 2010

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It's a Wonderful Life

This new year celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity.  Over the course of 2010, e-news will include topics that are linked to biodiversity - and more specifically, coastal biodiversity.
… continue reading »

Lake Huron e-news - December 2009

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Give like Santa, Save like David Suzuki

Having a hard time thinking of a unique gift for a family member or friend? Why not give something that is not only special, but benefits Lake Huron's environment? We've listed some ideas that anyone with a passion for Lake Huron would love to receive. Just select an item from the list, send a cheque with a note naming your selected gift, the name and address of the recipient, and we will send them a gift card from you with the item you bought for them.
… continue reading »

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