This project will engage the Severn Sound community of citizen science volunteers to collect data, learn about their local environment and feel empowered to protect it, while providing valuable information on Severn Sound and its watershed that would otherwise be missed during open water sampling. Sites will be monitored in Severn Sound and inland lakes in the watershed area through SSEA’s citizen science Shore Watch program. The purpose is to collect water quality observations, including temperature, weather/wave conditions, algae presence, water clarity, habitat conditions, and invasive species, to inform SSEA environmental quality reporting and guide stewardship priorities. SSEA will also conduct zooplankton and algae sampling as part of Open Water and Inland Lake Monitoring Programs to characterize the lower food web, determine current nutrient status, and examine trends over time. Information on lower food web conditions will be communicated to volunteers and the general public.
Nearest city or town: Tiny, Tay, Midland, Penetanguishene, Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Severn, & Georgian Bay Township
Project start date: June 1, 2021
Project focus: Combination of Education, Restoration, and Monitoring
Project contact: Aisha Chiandet