Did you miss the chance to donate to Watersheds Canada before the end of 2024? Well, we have some exciting news - the deadline to submit 2024 tax receipts for charitable donations has been extended to February 28th, 2025! 📢 This means that you can submit charitable tax receipts from your gifts of $100, $50, or even $25 before this date. Such funds will directly help expand the reach and impact of our freshwater stewardship work, translating into benefits for our wildlife and increased climate resilience for all 🌎 Every one-time and monthly donation will receive a 2024 charitable tax receipt! Donate today!: 👉👈 #charitablegiving #Canadafreshwater #conservation #sustainability #Canada

In a world of increasing climate variability, information sharing is more important than ever ℹ️ Find out how @CLIMAtlantic is contributing to this important mission by joining them for a free webinar on Wednesday, February 12th at 2:00pm ET! 🗓️ They'll take a deep dive into how to find, understand, use, and communicate the latest climate change data for water resources work 🌎 Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity! Register here: 👉 👈 #climatechange #wildlife #ClimateAction #freshwater #climate

Species spotlight: Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) Blue Flag Iris is a species of semi-aquatic perennial wildflower that can be found in swamps, marshes, wet meadows, and along shorelines. The flowers of this species have three large sepals that are blueish-purple at their ends and white to yellow at the centres. Its leaves are light green and grass-like, growing in clusters around the flowers Blue Flag Irises typically grow in groups of 3-6, and their unique flowers bloom in early spring. With a native range extending from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, this species has the largest range of any native Iris. Irises thrive in moist to wet conditions, and their tolerance to flooding makes them a great plant for shoreline properties. Blue Flag Iris flowers benefit pollinators, while their seeds provide food for wildlife like birds and small mammals. Blue Flag Iris has also been used in perfumes - when crushed into a powder, its roots emit a violet aroma. Learn more: 👉 👈 hashtag#nativeplants hashtag#Canadanature hashtag#wildflower hashtag#shoreline hashtag#wetlands

Why restore shoreland areas?🌱 The riparian zone - the area between the edge of a body of water and its surrounding uplands - is nicknamed ‘The Ribbon of Life’, and for good reason. Such areas support 90% of aquatic species and 70% of terrestrial wildlife at some point in their lifetime, as they use them for food, water, shelter, breeding, and nesting🐢 Besides their ecological value, naturalized riparian areas also help prevent erosive processes from acting on the shoreline, improve water quality by filtering excess nutrients and toxins from surface water runoff, and improve resilience to many climate-change related impacts such as flooding💧 If you’re intrigued by the ‘why’ like to take a deep dive into the ‘how’ behind naturalized riparian areas, you can download our free resource, ‘The Science Behind Vegetated Shoreland Buffers”, right here:👉👈 #freshwater #conservation #SustainableFuture #ClimateAction

Calling all waterfront property owners in the Cornwall/Akwesasne region of Ontario! 📢 The Natural Edge program is now booking site visits in the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern (Cornwall/Akwesasne)! Shoreline owners will be connected with a trained professional that helps plan and deliver a customized shoreline restoration project 🌱 🌲 The diverse mixture of planted native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses will help restore the natural function of these critically important areas, resulting in cleaner adjacent waterways, vibrant riparian habitat, and reduced shoreline erosion 💚 Book a site visit today! email 👉 ne.stlawrenceriver.aoc@watersheds.ca. You can also read more about this exciting opportunity in our latest press release: This project is delivered in collaboration with @MCAkwesasne, @raisinregion, @RiverInstituteC, @CityofCornwall, and the Great River Network. This project is made possible thanks to the generous funding provided by the Government of Canada's Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative. #nativeplants #shorelinerestoration #StLawrenceRiver #greatRiver #riverhealth #Cornwall #Akwesasne

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? ⚡ To understand hibernation, first we need to understand metabolism. Metabolism is the process of converting food into energy, which then powers animals’ movements while they forage, hunt, and do everything else they need to do. ⬇️ Throughout hibernation, metabolic rates of animals drop. That means that they limit all excessive energy use - they even lower their heart rate and breathing rates! Lower metabolic rates means that less energy is needed every day to sustain them throughout the winter, and what little they need, they take from their fat stores. 🐻 Even though a grizzly bear is often the first animal that comes to mind when we think of hibernation, grizzlies are not in fact true hibernators - they instead go into a state of ‘torpor’, where their body heat remains high while their heart rate goes up. Some examples of true hibernators include little brown bats and groundhogs! #canadawildlife #winter #nature #wildlife #wildanimals

Watersheds Canada's Freshwater Stewardship Community is BACK for 2025! 📢 We're thrilled to be joined by Alex Cadel, Climate Services Specialist at Nova Scotia Environment & Climate Change / @CLIMAtlantic, for our first webinar of year on February 12th, 2025 at 2:00pm ET! 🗓️ CLIMAtlantic is an NGO that facilitates access to important climate information, and support its use in planning and decision making in the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Join them for a free webinar where they'll take a deep dive into how to find, understand, use, and communicate the latest climate change data for water resources work 🌎 Don't miss this exciting opportunity! Register here: 👉 👈 #climatechange #wildlife #ClimateAction #freshwater #climate

We have a feature piece on @CanadianWater in celebration of World Wetlands Day! Learn about these important ecosystems that are brimming with life and benefit both nature and humanity.

Today is World Wetlands day! Wetlands provide critical habitat for hundreds of species, act as natural defences against drought and flooding events, help maintain water quality, and so much more 💧🌱 Discover what steps Watersheds Canada is taking to help protect these vital ecosystems: 👉 👈 #WorldWetlandsDay #nature #outdoors #Environment #wildlife

Wetlands, which include bogs, swamps, and marshes, are some of the most biologically diverse and ecologically productive ecosystems in the world. They provide numerous benefits to us and our native wildlife that span local, regional, and global scales. For example, they buffer against the effects of climate change, maintain water quality, absorb excess water and thereby prevent flooding events, provide essential habitat for countless native species, and so much more 🌎 In celebration of World Wetlands Day, which is tomorrow (February 2nd), we are excited to share with you a blog post that provides some resources to help you understand these vital areas and take steps towards protecting them! 🌱 You can access this blog post here: 👉 👈 Photo by Nicole Dubé

World Wetlands Day is fast approaching 🌎 Here's a short video primer to help you better understand and appreciate these incredible ecosystems! 🌱💧 #WorldWetlandsDay #naturefacts #conservation #Wildlife

@water_rangers @kassy4 @GabiDoliner

Species spotlight: Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) Balsam Fir is a species of large coniferous tree that can reach up to 30m tall. They can be found from Newfoundland to Alberta, and their range also extends into Northern Ontario and Quebec. The tree grows sticky and upright, and has dark cones that will shed their seeds in the fall, although the cones themselves will remain on the tree. Firs are known for their shallow root systems, and the Balsam Fir is no exception. They can thrive in thin, rocky soils with only a few inches of space over the bedrock, however this means they can get blown over easily by the wind. While they have a preference for slightly acidic, moist, and well-draining soils, Balsam Firs are tolerant of occasional wet conditions. This species is often confused with spruce trees (Picea) - a good way to tell them apart is to take a needle and try to roll it between your fingers. Firs have flat needles, so they won't roll like a round spruce needle will! Eco Zone: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b Learn more at:

It’s who we are. Watersheds Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit organization and registered Canadian charity working to enhance and protect freshwater health. Our vision is for communities to come together to care for their waters, resulting in clean, healthy lakes and rivers that will support humans and wildlife for years to come. Learn more: #sustainability #Conservation #Canada #canadawildlife #nature

@Volunteer4Birds

Looking for a gift that makes an impact? A tribute gift, whether given for a birthday, holiday, in memory of a loved one, or simply as a thoughtful gesture, offers a meaningful way to celebrate and honour family and friends! With each tribute gift, you can send a personalized eCard or print a copy of the card at home to give in person. You are not only sending a thoughtful message but also helping to protect freshwater for generations to come. A Canadian charitable tax receipt is provided for each donation, which will be emailed in the following calendar year of your donation (ex: 2025 donation, emailed in 2026). Give a tribute gift today:

Among all of Canada’s species of freshwater fish, sturgeon are certainly some of the most unique! 📏 White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in the country; they can grow over 6m long, weigh over 635kg, and surpass 100 years of age! 🦴 A sturgeon’s skeleton is made up mostly of cartilage rather than bone. They also have 4 whiskers (called barbels) that help them locate food, and a heterocercal caudal fin similar to a shark’s. ⏱ Sturgeon roamed the earth with the dinosaurs! Fossil records suggest sturgeon as we might recognize today first appeared in North America around 100 million years ago, in the Upper Cretaceous period. By contrast, the earliest record of modern salmon in North America appeared only 7 million years ago. #sturgeon #wildlife #canadianwildlife #naturefacts #freshwater

What legacy will you have for Canada's freshwater? Have you ever had an "awe" moment? The sunset on the river that was too stunning to seem real, the glass-like reflection on the lake as a loon called in the distance, the chasing of fireflies as your children and grandchildren laugh in glee. These moments define us for the rest of our lives, shaping our relationship with nature. You can make sure those memories are possible for generations to come with a legacy gift. Watersheds Canada is a member of Will Power, a national campaign that educates Canadians about the power of leaving a charitable gift in their will. Even 1% of your estate can have an incredible impact. See for yourself using the Will Power campaigns legacy calculator. Try the legacy calculator: