Final 2012 Field Work

Trout Unlimited Canada staff members Mary and Simon were out in Duffins Creek last week retrieving temperature loggers.   These temperature loggers record the water temperature every 1/2 hour and store this information on a computer chip within the device.  These loggers were deployed in April at various locations around the watershed providing us temperature regime information for Duffins Creek.  Using this information, we can pinpoint "hot" spots and plan rehabilitation work to mitigate creek sections that are causing a warming up of Duffins Creek.  

Tree Planting Day a Success!!

Trout Unlimited Canada hosted a successful tree-plant workday in Paulynn, Ajax on Saturday, October 13^th. Great enthusiasm from the volunteers saw 378 shrubs planted along Duffins Creek. Trout Unlimited Canada would like to thank the volunteers for their marvelous dedication and hard work!  Many thanks to the generosity of Walmart Evergreen Green Grants for supporting this important environmental incentive.

If you are interested in helping TUC with tree-planting this fall, our next event will be taking place in Lowville Park, in Bronte Creek on October 27^th. Please visit the Bronte blog at www.brontecreekrenewal.blogspot.caor contact Stacey at 519-824-4120 x 56588 or Ontario@tucanada.org for more information. 

Ajax Tree Planting Day - Saturday, October 13th

We are currently recruiting enthusiastic volunteers for our upcoming Duffins Creek Tree Planting workday! For further details or to RSVP please contact Stacey at ontario@tucanada.org or 519-824-4120 ext 56588.

Landowner Workshops Postponed

The Duffins Creek Landowner workshop originally scheduled to take place in Stouffville this Wednesday, September 19th has be postponed to a later date.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program and/or obtaining free advice on creek stewardship, please contact Mary Finch, Project Biologist, at mfinch@tucanada.org

Claremont Landowners Workshop Cancelled

The Duffins Creek Landowner workshop originally scheduled to take place in Claremont this Thursday, September 13th has unfortunately been cancelled due to lack of participants. There is a second workshop scheduled to take place in Stouffville next week on Wednesday, September 19th (for more details, please see our previous blog post). If you are interested in attending the Stouffville workshop, please contact Stacey  to register at ontario@tucanada.org or 519-824-4120 ext 56588 by September 16th.

Duffins Creek Landowner Workshops in September

Are you a landowner in the Duffins Creek watershed? If so, you may be interested in attending one of our free upcoming workshops (details below). For more information or to register, please contact Stacey at 519-824-4120 ext 56588 or by email at ontario@tucanada.org

 

Please note that the deadline for registration for the Claremont workshop is September 10th, and the deadline for registration for the Stouffville workshop is September 16th.

 

Stouffville Yellow Fish Road Painting Day

On the hot and sunny Saturday afternoon of August 25, 2012, members of the TUC summer field staff painted parts of Whitechurch-Stouffville yellow! Neighborhoods bordering or near Stouffville creek had yellow fish painted on their storms drains to remind citizens that only water should be going down the drains. As part of our Yellowfish Road™ program door hangers were also handed out to every house on the streets that were painted. Over the course of the afternoon over 65 storm drains were painted with a yellow fish, over 400 door hangers were hung, 1 ½ bags of garbage were collected and a drainage area of 404,000 m² was covered. Fun was had by all!

Stream Assessment & Monitoring Workday

On August 21st, twenty smiling Enbridge Gas Distribution employees came out to help Mary Finch and the TUC summer staff with some local stream assessment and monitoring at Duffins Creek. The Enbridge employees got the chance to use their newly acquired knowledge from the TUC Lunch and Learns on assessment and rehabilitation of streams. Such monitoring is essential for planning and determining successful stream rehabilitation projects. 

Over the course of 3 hours the team finished 14 habitat transects assessing the characteristics of the stream while getting some fun-filled bug ID lessons. Many thanks to the energetic and enthusiastic volunteers. A fun day was had by all!

Enthusiastic volunteers from Enbridge Gas Distrubution

Verifying width and depth of stream 

Measuring rocks to analyze the habitat for bugs and fish

Yellow Fish Road painting in Stouffville this Saturday!

Brock Ridge Community Park Clean-Up

On the beautifully sunny morning of August 16th, TUC summer field staff teamed up with eager Enbridge Gas Distribution employees in Pickering, ON to clean up Brock Ridge Community Park, and more specifically, Duffins Creek. About a dozen volunteers came out to remove litter from the banks of the creek. The simple act of littering can make our beautiful rivers and parks look like a dump, let alone have major ecological effects on the environment. From 10:00 am to 12:00 pm 16 bags of garbage were collected by the volunteers and staff. Fun was had by all and remember that littering is not cool!

TUC @ Celebrate Ajax Waterfront Festival

On August 11^th, a blustery Saturday afternoon, the TUC summer field staff hosted Crayfish Craze at the Celebrate Ajax Waterfront Festival in Ajax. Despite less than ideal weather conditions TUC made appearances at Paradise Park and Rotary Park with fun activities, such as fish painting, making tide pool viewers and crazy casting! Even with the rain present dozens of people came out to partake in the fun educational festivities! Fun was had by all!

TUC Team with sand sculptor Nick Blandin

Jeff showing off his work at the fish print station

Out-of-water underwater viewer demonstration by Kirstin and Vee

Crayfish Craze in Ajax - Saturday, August 11th

Come out and join Trout Unlimited Canada for Crayfish Craze at the Celebrate Ajax by the Lake Waterfront Festival next Saturday, August 11 from 12-5 pm at Paradise Park in Ajax!

Monitoring and Assessment of Duffins Creek

Over the past few weeks, members of the TUC summer field crew have been working vigorously on monitoring and assessment projects within the Duffins Creek Watershed. Most of this work has come in the form of macro benthic invertebrate sampling, which looks at the insects, snails, worms, crustaceans, clams and mussels living at the bottom of the stream. These efforts have been focused on Stouffville Creek, Mitchells Creek, and Upper East Duffins Creek. The summer field staff has been heading out early in the morning to beat the heat and work safely. Stay tuned for more updates on our activities this summer!

Crayfish Craze postponed...

Crayfish Craze at Duffins Creek will be taking place this summer, unfortunately not this coming Saturday July 14th as originally planned. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks as we work out all the details for this free, fun, family activity!

Upcoming Event - Crayfish Craze July 14th

Yellow Fish Road Painting in Stouffville - July 7th

Help improve Duffins Creek by painting the town yellow through Trout Unlimited Canada's Yellow Fish Road program! 

Come help out at the upcoming painting day:

Saturday, July 7th, 2012 in Stouffville, ON 

10am through 12pm 

Meet outside Latcham Hall, Stouffville Memorial Park, 8 Park Drive. 

 

Duffins Creek Family Fun Day in SNAP Ajax

Check out these great photos from Duffins Creek Family Fun Day in SNAP Ajax:  

SNAP Ajax - Duffins Creek Family Fun Day

Family Fun Day: A good time was had by all!

This past Saturday, June 23rd, TUC staff and volunteers welcomed 200 Duffins Creek area residents to the first annual Duffins Creek Family Fun Day held at Greenwood Conservation Area in Ajax.

Families were greeted by Boomer the Bass and visited nine stations where they met the fish and aquatic bugs living in Duffins Creek, learned about the watershed model, ran the Fishy Escapades obstacle course, tried their hand casting for fish and tying flies with the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, demonstrated their artistic abilities at the fish print table and competed at Fish Jeopardy with Toronto and Region Conservation. The barbeque lunch courtesy of Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. was also popular destination!

Many thanks to our volunteers and the following organizations who made this beautiful, fun-filled day possible: Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club, Canadian National Sportsmen's Shows, and Toronto and Region Conservation.

Boomer the Bass

Amazing Aquatic Bugs

Fish Print station

Fabulous fish prints drying in the pavillion

Fish Escapades competitors

Barbeque station

Duffins Creek Family Fun Day June 23rd 2012

Duffins Creek Family Fun Day 2012 is only 3 days away!  Check out this fun video and poster that Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. created to encourage their employees to attend.  This event is FREE and open to the public.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Enbridge Yellow Fish Road Painting Day

On the beautiful morning of June 13, 28 Enbridge Gas Distribution employees joined Trout Unlimited Canada in a Yellow Fish Road painting event. Over 160 storm drains were painted with a yellow fish and approximately 700 hangers were handed out in Ajax, Ontario near Paulynn park on Duffin’s Creek to serve as a reminder to residents that any materials going down storm drains affects us all. It was two fun filled hours of painting the neighborhood yellow!

Trout Unlimited Canada’s Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation with founding sponsoring Enbridge Gas Distribution aims to protect the Duffins Creek headwaters and to improve water quality while engaging local residents in restoring the aquatic ecosystem of this significant river. By working together, we are ensuring a healthy future for Duffins Creek and ourselves!

For more information on Yellow Fish Road: www.yellowfishroad.org

Walmart Evergreen Green Grant Funding

Exciting news!  Trout Unlimited Canada’s Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program has received a Walmart Evergreen Green Grant of $8K.  

This grant will fund workday and outreach events.  Through streamside tree planting workdays and public outreach events such as Duffins Creek Family Fun Day, Trout Unlimited Canada will foster pride, appreciation and enjoyment of Duffins Creek.  Tree planting workdays will take place in Fall 2012.  Many thanks to the generosity of Walmart Evergreen Green Grants! 

Trout Unlimited Canada’s Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation with founding sponsoring Enbridge Gas Distribution aims to protect the Duffins Creek headwaters and to improve water quality while engaging local residents in restoring the aquatic ecosystem of this significant river.  By working together, we are ensuring a healthy future for Duffins Creek and ourselves.  

Duffins Creek Family Fun Day - June 23rd

Join us for Duffins Creek Family Fun Day!

Saturday, June 23rd 11am - 3pm

Greenwood Conservation Area

2290 Greenwood Rd

Ajax, ON 

 Free! Prizes!  Join us creekside to learn all about the critters that call Duffins Creek home.  Have fun while participating in fun, games, crafts and activities!

 

For more information regarding this event, please contact Mary at duffins@tucanada.org.

We are looking for a few volunteers to help out with the event.  If you are interested please contact Stacey at ontario@tucanada.org

Duffins Creek Renewal Program Launch

Check out these pictures from the Duffins Creek Renewal Program launch and tree planting workday:

Jeff Surtees, CEO of Trout Unlimited Canada showing off his treeplanting boots and inviting everyone to join him in TUC's effort to renew Duffins Creek. 

Mayor Steve Parish of the Town of Ajax

From left to right: Doug Dickerson, Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Pickering, Jeff Surtees, CEO, Trout Unlimited Canada, Arunas Pleckaitis, Vice President, Enbridge Gas Distribution, and Gerri Lynn O’Connor, Mayor of Uxbridge and Chair of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, at a tree planting at the Greenwood Discovery Pavilion in Ajax April 24th to help launch the Duffins Creek Renewal Program.

Arunas Pleckaitis, Vice President, Enbridge Gas Distribution and Jeff Surtees, CEO, Trout Unlimited Canada

Enbridge Gas Distribution employees and Trout Unlimited Canada members hard at work planting trees at Greenwood Conservation Area, Ajax

Enbridge Gas Distribution employees and Trout Unlimited Canada members hard at work planting trees at Greenwood Conservation Area, Ajax

Media coverage of the launch event of Trout Unlimited Canada's Duffins Creek Headwaters Renewal Program:

http://www.durhamregion.com/community/article/1342538--durham-s-duffins-creek-to-get-a-health-makeover-with-enbridge-s-help

http://www.trca.on.ca/news-media/news/releases/134201