|
|
|
|
Farmers planting more cover crops in watershed in 2020
Cover crop grant programs supported record 3,000 acres of cover crops in Ausable Bayfield watersheds in 2019; in 2020, almost 4,000 acres of cover crops will be planted
The challenges of the year 2020 haven’t prevented local agricultural producers from moving forward with the adoption of beneficial cover crops.
Last year, in 2019, farmers in Ausable Bayfield watersheds planted close to 3,000 acres of cover crops with the support of programs administered by Ausable Bayfield Conservation. That was a record year in the watershed.
This year, in 2020, local farmers have applied for grants for planting of almost 4,000 acres of cover crops. That is a new record. It is also in addition to all the many thousands of acres of cover crops planted in the watershed that did not receive funding from financial incentive programs.
Learn more here:
To find out more about the benefits of cover crops visit the cover crops web page on the abca.ca website at this link:
The use of cover crops is a practice that benefits soil health and water quality. Cover crops have many benefits to the landowner and the community, according to Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
Cover crops help to protect water quality and build soil health. Cover crops help to reduce loss of nutrients and topsoil, reduce the amount and speed of water running off of land, and reduce wind speed at ground level which reduces wind and water erosion and the speed of water runoff. Those are just some of the benefits.
“We are pleased to see so many local farmers embracing cover crops and learning about them and adopting them even during a challenging year,” said Kate Monk, Manager of Stewardship, Land and Education with Ausable Bayfield Conservation. “We also appreciate the funding partners that support programs providing grants that make it possible to adopt cover crops as a best management practice. Our soil, our water, and our local residents all benefit from more year-round vegetative cover.”
The month of November is #NoTillNovember with a #KeepTheStubble campaign that encourages less tillage and informs producers they can ‘save time, save money, and save soil.’
Neil Sass is owner of a no-till farm in the United States. He is a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Area Soil Scientist in Iowa and creator of No-Till November. He has written about Six Tips for Switching to No-Till.
His six steps include:
- Start planning at least a year before implementation;
- Pick an easy entry point and crop;
- Select the right seeds;
- Set up your planter correctly;
- Plant according to soil conditions, not the calendar; and
- Seek advice and recommendations from successful no-tillers.
For more details read his article here:
|
|
New outdoor conservation education programs start in January 2021
New for January 2021, Ausable Bayfield Conservation is introducing two new outdoor conservation education programs for students in kindergarten to Grade 3.
‘Coyotes & Pups’ and ‘Muskrats’ are six-week outdoor forest play and inquiry based programs taking place in the scenic woods of Morrison Dam Conservation Area near Exeter.
“We feel that with so many parents tackling learning at home, we needed to offer something to help guide parents to use the outdoors for learning while in a safe, natural setting,” said Denise Iszczuk, Conservation Educator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
Learn more here:
To find out more visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation website at abca.ca at this web page link:
|
|
|
|
Ausable Bayfield Conservation, Ontario Streams restore streambank, working with Southcott Pines in Grand Bend
Restoration of streambank undertaken in October 2020 to help protect important Old Ausable Channel ecosystem
Ausable Bayfield Conservation has completed the first phase of a streambank restoration project in partnership with Ontario Streams and Southcott Pines Park Association (SPPA). Staff from the three organizations completed the restoration work on October 1, 2020.
“It was exciting to work with the Southcott Pines community on this project,” said Rosalind Chang, Healthy Watersheds Technician with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). “We were pleased to complete the first phase of the stream restoration project.”
The restoration of more than 100 feet (36 metres) of riverbank will help to reduce erosion, protect water quality, and protect species at risk fish and turtle species in the important Old Ausable Channel (OAC) ecosystem. The work supports implementation of the federally-approved Ausable River Action Plan (ARAP).
“The Government of Canada is dedicated to the protection and recovery of aquatic species at risk,” said the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. “Through the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, we have partnered with the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority to protect the aquatic habitat in the Ausable River. We are excited to learn that phase one of the streamside restoration project has been completed. The restoration of streambanks to reduce erosion will mitigate one of the main threats to the fish species.”
Learn more here:
The work on the streamside project was made possible with funding from the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the dedication of SPPA, according to ABCA.
The first step in the project is to make an area along the channel bank where native plants can grow.
“When we restore the streambank and reduce erosion this helps to keep the water clean and to reduce floating sediment and to limit turbidity,” Chang said. “Restoring a streambank has benefits for property owners because soil won’t wash away as much in a heavy rain.”
The buffer work completed in October will also make it harder for geese to walk up the bank. The buffer also helps to filter water runoff, reducing the amount of pollutants and chemicals entering the channel. Phase Two includes a proposed planting of native shrubs in the spring.
“This vegetation provides habitat but it also shelters and provides shade for the water, keeping the temperatures cool,” according to Chang. “Cooler temperatures often mean more oxygen in the water and that’s something we need for the fish,” she said. “Here in the Old Ausable Channel we do have problems with low oxygen and we want to do everything we can to increase the health of the channel.”
Other current projects between SPPA and ABCA include a dissolved oxygen concentration study, as well as a long-term water sampling program to monitor nutrient levels.
To find out more about the restoration project please visit: oldausablechannel.ca, abca.ca or ontariostreams.on.ca.
This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été realisé avec l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada
|
|
Foundation invites you to support conservation projects in your local watershed community on Giving Tuesday
Eighth Giving Tuesday takes place on December 1, 2020
The first day of December is a day for giving to your community. The eighth annual Giving Tuesday takes place on December 1, 2020.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation is asking you for your support, for community conservation projects, on Giving Tuesday. You can give the gift of nature and the gift of community with your donation, according to the Foundation.
Learn more here:
You may donate to support all the programs of the Conservation Foundation or you can specify which program you want to support.
To find out more about the community projects of Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, or about how to support their work with a donation, visit this web page:
Also, feel free to contact the Conservation Foundation by email at info@abca.ca or leave a voicemail message by phone at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
You may contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation directly to donate or you may visit their Giving Tuesday web page here:
There is a line on this online donation form:
The line says ‘MESSAGE FOR AUSABLE BAYFIELD CONSERVATION FOUNDATION (OPTIONAL).’ In that field, feel free to mention the program you want to support. For instance, you might want to support tree planting, or conservation areas and trails, conservation education, or another program of your choice.
There are days, like Black Friday, devoted to supporting the economy. Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesdayCa) is a day devoted to supporting your community. Giving Tuesday is a global movement, for giving and volunteering, that takes place each year after Black Friday.
The Chair of Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation is Dave Frayne. He encourages you to donate.
“The Conservation Foundation supports many improvements in our community thanks to the support of your donations,” he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Find out more about Bill 229 – Schedule 6
The changes, in Schedule of 6 of Bill 229, if approved, would change conservation in Ontario dramatically.
If you want to maintain the current protections Ontarians enjoy in terms of protection of life, property, water, soil, and habitat for living things, please find out more about this proposed law and tell your MPP what you think.
This conservation authority has protected you and your watershed resources for our history spanning almost 75 years. If you want to make sure we can continue to deliver local watershed monitoring and local research, conservation education, 'boots on the ground' rural stewardship, programs to protect life and property from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion ... and more ... please learn about Bill 229 - Section 6 and make your voice heard.
Learn more here:
#ConservationMatters #RemoveSchedule6
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most staff are back working in the office but the office is currently closed to the public until further notice, in response to the current pandemic. Staff, however, are available to serve you by email and phone and Zoom video conference or, using COVID-19 public health protocols, on site. Programs and services, including essential services and flood forecasting and warning, are continuing. For updates and current notices of service disruptions and adaptations visit abca.ca
71108 Morrison Line,
RR 3 Exeter, ON
N0M 1S5
|
|
|
|
|
Staff continue to serve you by email and phone, and most staff are working in the office, with regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), but the office is closed to the public until further notice at the time of this newsletter. Staff are delivering programs in the field using pandemic protocols to protect public health. For this and other notices of service disruptions and adaptations, and updates, visit abca.ca
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
