Wildlife scientists are hoping they can turn invasive carp into traitors to slow their Great Lakes push. Over the last five years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have employed a new strategy that uses turncoat carp to lead them to the fish's hotspot hideouts. Invasive carp are captured, implanted with transmitters and then released. Because carp often school in spring and fall, agency workers use the tagged fish to locate schools, monitor their movement and then drop nets to remove the fish from the ecosystem. From the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities to the Iowa-Missouri border real-time tracking of the tagged fish has helped wildlife managers and anglers as much as double the poundage of invasive carp pulled from that area of river. Four d

At the 2020 Water Levels Symposium hosted jointly by GBA and Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) we asked the International Joint Commission (IJC) to improve the harmonization of published data emanating out of the US and Canada regarding water issues in the Great Lakes. We are pleased to report that the IJC has made significant progress on this and the results are described in the “Transboundary Hydrographic Data Harmonization” section of their watersheds report that has just been publicized. - Read the report here. -

We are all connected to water and have a shared responsibility to take action to restore and protect the Great Lakes. This is the essence of the Biinaagami initiative. Biinaagami, which means pure, clean water in Anishinaabemowin, is a multimedia, change-provoking initiative rooted in Indigenous knowledge that aims to rebuild healthy relationships between wildlife, people and places in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. This initiative is led by champions of water including a former Grand Chief, Indigenous education advocates, Waterkeepers, Riverkeepers and Anishinaabek and Haundenosaunee Elders and Knowledge Keepers along with Canadian Geographic and Swim Drink Fish. GBA attended the launch event and the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network (GLEN), the organization GBA played a ke

Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year (just) – see first graph below. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario, are down 3, 1, 6, 4 & 6 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are lower by 6 & 1 inch, respectively, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 3, 3 & 2 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Erie are 4, 9 & 10 inches, respectively, above their long-term November average, and Lakes Superior & Ontario are 1 & 2 inches below, respectively. All the lakes remain well below their November record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Mi

The West Carling Association was awarded $4,029 from the Green Shovels Collaborative’s Invasive Phragmites Control Fund to combat the invasive phragmites in their area. Their project, Survey, Control and Monitor of Invasive Phragmites in Carling Township Coastal Areas, is an ongoing, collaborative project to complete surveys of the Carling Township coastline, which is estimated to be 220 kilometres long. This project will establish a baseline of the presence of coastal phragmites and become the basis of ongoing monitoring and management of infested sites in the community. This project joins 20 others from across Ontario supported through the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, a granting program made possible by an expanded investment of $250,000 from the Ontario Ministry of Natura

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is observed every year on the first Saturday in May. Communities are encouraged to host events and work on projects that raise awareness of wildfire risk and develop strategies to increase resilience to it. Groups can apply for a $500 award to fund your Wildfire Community Preparedness event or project that can take place any time between May and October 2024. FireSmart Canada in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), and The Co-operators are supporting this annual event by offering the $500 award. In 2023, 230 community groups in 10 provinces and two territories received an award Neighbourhoods, community associations, fire departments, Indigenous communities, as we

Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year (just) – see first graph below. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario, are down 5, 2, 1, 2 & 7 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior & Michigan-Huron are lower by 6 & 2 inches, respectively, and Lakes St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 2, 4 & 6 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 5, 12, 13 & 0 inches, respectively, above their long-term November average, and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their November record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Cl

Daylight Saving Time ended on Sunday and there were probably still a few clocks to manually change but did you remember to put fresh batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors? It’s the law for all Ontario homes, cottages, cabins and seasonal homes to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. You must also have a working carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to each sleeping area if you have a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. Follow this simple schedule to keep your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in peak shape: Every month (or every time you go to the cottage): Do a quick test of the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors using the test button to ensure they are working properly Every six

Boating from October through June offers a very different experience steeped in solitude and excellent fishing. It is a beautiful time to be on the water. But boating during this season also requires extra attention to detail and the ability to be self-sufficient given that there are fewer boaters around should you require assistance. Here are some helpful tips from the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters to make off-season boating safer for you. Check the weather forecast. The weather can change quickly and storms can be more violent. Fog is also more common. Ensure that your boat and engine are in good working order. Ethanol-based fuel can allow water contamination in the tank. The use of a fuel additive prevents water in the f

As nominated by Heather Sargeant  My Phragbuster Hero About 5 or 6 years ago, at an event jointly put on by the Georgian Bay Association, Georgian Bay Forever, and featuring Dr. Gilbert, an ecologist with Phragmites expertise , I first learned about invasive Phragmites and the harm it can have on wetlands. I decided to investigate if Phragmites was a threat in Woods Bay (my favourite area of Georgian Bay), and that’s when my journey tackling this plant began.  I wasn’t sure if a plant across from the family cottage was indeed the invasive type, and so I was nervous and queasy about leading people to help me cut it.  What if it was the native plant, and I’d taken all these people out to cut down something benign? One of my neighbors told me there was a hero on Georgian

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking motorists to look out for vulnerable turtles on our roadways. Road surfaces provide an attractive source of warmth for these cold-blooded reptiles, particularly in the spring and early summer. During this time, turtles are mating and nesting; in late summer and early fall, newly hatched turtles are travelling from their nests to nearby wetlands. The Nature Conservatory of Canada has an informative video and tips for safely moving turtles. Watch the video and read the tips here.

Here are some things to think about around Fire Safety at the cottage: Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and working. Have a list of local emergency numbers posted for all to see. Include all pertinent cottage location information.   Have the right fire extinguishers in the right places. Have an individual fire plan for evacuation. Make sure your plan has two escape routes. Respect local fire ratings. Have a fire pump and use it regularly to ensure it is in good working order. At the very least have a list of neighbours to call for assistance. Follow your association’s emergency plan if it exists. Make sure you have insurance. Make sure you understand what it covers and that it is adequate to rebuild and covers contents AND fire de

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has just released a useful guide on how to how we can all reduce our environmental footprints. Being a Guardian of the Bay also means doing what we can to reduce our individual consumption of carbon based fuels. - Here is a very good fact sheet and here is a full presentation on this topic. -

What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Cory Kozmik, Anthony Laforge, Samantha Noganosh, Chevaun Toulouse. We are the Lands and Resource Department for Magnetawan First Nation, in Britt, Ontario. - Source: Magnetawan First Nation Our connection to the Bay is the dense biodiversity that it hosts and the role its ecology plays in our lives, including the environment. It is also where ancestors of the Anishinabek Nation walked and practiced each day what it means to live with the land in reciprocity. The connection to the land and water is sacred to the Anishinaabe culture, and held very close to the communities that inhabit the area. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? We take great pride in being “Guardians” because it is our