The keynote speaker, at the annual Flood Emergency Planning Meeting, hosted by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority on March 28, 2023, was Mark Robinson. He is meteorologist with The Weather Network and he is also a storm chaser and co-host of two television series, StormHunters and Unearthed.
Weather Network meteorologist Mark Robinson speaks on extreme weather in Great Lakes region
Community Emergency Management Coordinators among more than 40 participants at annual Flood Emergency Planning Meeting in Exeter
Meteorologist and storm chaser Mark Robinson, of The Weather Network, spoke on March 28, 2023 about Extreme Weather in the Great Lakes Region. He was the keynote speaker at the annual Flood Emergency Planning Meeting hosted by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
Robinson, who has been present at 25 different hurricanes, is co-host of the television series StormHunters and Unearthed. The speaker shared his experiences chasing storms including personal encounters with tornadoes.
It can be a challenge to forecast storm events in southern Ontario as storms pick up moisture as they pass over the Great Lakes, according to the presenter. Storms often develop along the lines of lake breezes blowing off of Lake Huron and this has the potential to cause severe weather and heavy rains.
Ontario is not immune to tornadoes, Robinson said. There were 60 confirmed tornadoes in Ontario in 2021 and, said Robinson, more than 40 of those were in southern Ontario. “When we have these tornadoes in southern Ontario we’re talking about an extremely densely populated area and that is a big problem,” he said. “Yes, we see tornadoes, we see storms, just as strong in southern Ontario as we do down south,” he said. “We’ve had multiple EF-4s.”
Read the full article here:
Shown in the photo are the four presenters at the Annual Flood Emergency Planning Meeting, hosted by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA), and held at the Masonic Hall in Exeter on March 28, 2023. From left to right in photo are, Ross Wilson, ABCA Water and Soils Resource Coordinator; keynote speaker Mark Robinson, meteorologist and storm chaser, of The Weather Network; Davin Heinbuck, ABCA Water Resources Coordinator; and Marissa Vaughan, Chair of the ABCA Board of Directors.
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Notice of temporary closing of Triebner Tract for tree planting and wetland restoration
Spring tree planting and restoration work is planned, in spring 2023, for Triebner Tract.
The property remains closed until further notice.
Triebner Tract is owned and managed by Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
The affected property will be closed to the public and will not be accessible for hunting while the tree planting and wetland restoration work is underway.
The affected property, which is at the southeast corner of MacDonald Road and Ausable Line, in the Hay Swamp complex, is located at Concession 4, Lot 5, Township of Hay, Municipality of Bluewater.
The other properties, owned and managed by ABCA, that permit hunting, within Hay Swamp, will remain available for hunting with the required hunting permits.
Phase 1 was completed in 2022. This first phase included retiring 15 acres of marginal farmland, by constructing wetlands, and establishing mixed-species forest habitat.
Phase 2 is planned for 2023. This second phase includes tree planting and increasing the wetland and forest habitat.
There is also Butternut Seed Orchard that has been installed and trees are being planted this spring.
The Triebner Tract ecological restoration complements the adjacent Hay Swamp Provincially Significant Wetland and benefits watershed conditions by contributing towards forest and wetland cover, benefitting water quality and wildlife habitat.
The map of the affected closure area is included with the notice.
Learn more:
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Thursday is your last chance to get your 50-50 Raffle Draw ticket!
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF) is selling 50-50 tickets, leading up to the Conservation Dinner, in support of local community projects.
There are 1,000 tickets printed and the cash prize could be as high as $5,000 if all tickets are sold. Tickets are $10 each. The draw is to be held during the 33rd Conservation Dinner, on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9 p.m. at South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter.
To buy tickets for the 50-50 raffle, phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca or visit the Ausable Bayfield Conservation office east of Exeter at 71108 Morrison Line (just south of Highway 83). Alternatively, you can contact members of the Conservation Foundation or Dinner Committee members to purchase tickets. Net proceeds from the draw are to be donated to local community projects, including the South Huron Trail.
Dave Frayne is Chair of Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation and the Conservation Dinner Committee. “Buying tickets for the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation 33rd Conservation Dinner 50-50 raffle is a convenient way for people to support needed local community projects,” he said.
To learn more visit the ABCF web page:
Find out more:
The Conservation Dinner is sold out (thanks for your support of this charitable community fundraiser!). Please contact our staff if you would like to be on a waiting list for Dinner tickets, should any become available.
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Video series surpasses 25,000 views
The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region has prepared nine videos, about drinking water source protection, between 2020 and 2023.
People have viewed videos, in the series, more than 25,000 times.
You are invited to check out the full series here:
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New video introduces team working behind the scenes to keep local drinking water safe, clean
A new video, called Be Part of the Water Team, was released on April 4, 2023 and it has already received more than 3,500 views.
The video introduces the viewer to the different team players who work behind the scenes to keep local municipal drinking water safe and clean.
Learn more about the video:
Watch the video now:
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Take positive ACTions this Earth Day (and every day!)
Saturday, April 22, 2023 is Earth Day
This Earth Day, act locally while thinking globally.
(... and consider making every day Earth Day!)
You can ACT locally for healthier watersheds:
- A – Avoid (Improve filtration)
- C – Control (at or near the source)
- T – Trap and Treat
The ACT approach is to Avoid issues; Control any water quality issues at the sources; and Trap and Treat water running off of (and over) land before that stormwater enters a watercourse such as a creek, river, or lake.
For practical ideas on how you can preserve and enhance your local watershed community, find your most local (subwatershed) watershed report card, new in 2023:
Watershed Report Cards are produced every five years. This report (new in 2023) provides you with an update on the state of your forests, wetlands, and water resources.
The report cards also provide Next Steps we can take, together, to improve watershed health.
It offers recommended actions you can take on your rural property or farm; at your home and/or cottage; and in your community. It also provides recommended actions for agencies like ours.
Some of the positive action ideas include:
- Cover crops and overwinter vegetative cover
- Properly decommissioning abandoned wells
- Inspecting and pumping out septic systems every three to five years
- Rain gardens and rain barrels
- Planting of trees and shrubs and native species in gardens
- Volunteering
- Reducing fertilizer and chemical use
- Creating wetlands and other stormwater management enhancements
- Low impact development strategies
- Enhancing rural and urban green infrastructure
- ... and more.
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