2026

This project aims to conserve and enhance Ontario’s natural resources through freshwater habitat restoration and hosting conservation education programs, including for youth. Ontario Streams will conserve and rehabilitate degraded watersheds in Southern Ontario headwater systems by using proven on-the-ground techniques and community action. Through implementing habitat restoration projects and educating the public by offering opportunities to participate in hands-on projects, Ontario Streams will restore watersheds which will ultimately contribute to improved ecosystems across Southern Ontario helping to ensure our natural resources remain healthy for all to cherish and enjoy.

A watershed is an area of land that catches rain and snow, draining into a single point. Ontario Streams has been developing and leading restoration projects to improve Southern Ontario’s watersheds since 1995. We focus on restoring smaller streams, wetlands, and natural areas near the beginning of these watersheds known as headwaters, as these very sensitive habitats are the farthest from the mouths of the rivers. Any rehabilitation actions have a domino effect at improving water quality as water flows downstream. Headwater systems are particularly important to conserve and restore as they drain into the Great Lakes and any negative impacts to water quality will affect all downstream ecosystems as well. Ecosystem rehabilitation projects within a watershed will improve habitat for many local sensitive and at-risk species. Some examples of at-risk species that will benefit from this project are the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum), and Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus). These species have all experienced loss of critical habitat due to increasing urban development. By rehabilitating these habitats, our hope is that remaining populations will be encouraged to return and reproduce throughout their historic ranges, which will improve the overall health and resilience of all watersheds in Southern Ontario.

All this work is supported by community volunteers. When community members engage with their local habitats, they are empowered to become stewards for the environment. This is incredibly important, particularly for youth, to empower future support for conservation work. Often community members are unaware of the sensitive wildlife in their own neighbourhoods and we offer an opportunity to reduce barriers to this knowledge through our community stewardship programs. These hands-on stewardship opportunities turn future generations into environmental stewards who take action and advocate for their local habitats. In addition, a significant portion of our rehabilitation work takes place in communities that are considered underserved in Peel and York Regions where we can provide free and accessible environmental programming to empower these communities, including to youth.

This proposed project will use meaningful conservation, rehabilitation, and engagement techniques to address the needs for building climate resilience, rehabilitating habitats negatively impacted by urbanization, and engaging communities in stewardship programs to foster positive environmental change. Ontario Streams is committed to this project which is aligned with the Ontario Wildlife Foundation’s priority of conserving and enhancing Ontario’s natural resources through restoration projects and conservation education programs. With your support, we can protect and rehabilitate watersheds in Southern Ontario with benefits that span from conserving small endangered fish to future generations of humans for years to come.

Actions that will be taken to implement the proposed project include the following where applicable:

• Install in-stream habitat enhancement features to reduce excess sedimentation caused by land development and to create habitat for aquatic wildlife. These techniques are described in Ontario’s Stream Rehabilitation Manual and can be seen in use by at-risk species on our YouTube channel.
• Remove litter from rehabilitation project sites, which provides an immediate improvement to water quality and wildlife habitat.
• Monitor and remove in-stream woody material blockages caused by land development and invasive species that can prevent fish passage and contribute to flooding, as well as assess and remove human-made barriers to migration such as culverts and dams.
• Plant native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in areas where they will act as a buffer for overland run-off as well as provide additional habitat enhancement measures. The roots of these plants stabilize eroding soil and the nutrients it contains, enhance carbon sequestration, and improve flood mitigation. This vegetation will also provide an added food source for fish, bird, insect, and amphibian species.
• Lead conservation education programs to engage youth and the local community with hands-on restoration activities and educate the public about environmental issues and the importance of healthy watersheds, which leads to long-lasting positive environmental change in the watersheds we work in.
• Create digital content and resources to engage new audiences in our vital conservation work and complement our in-person programs. This also improves our partner recognition to demonstrate how impactful funding through foundations, such as the Ontario Wildlife Foundation, is critical to our success and to the rehabilitation of ecosystems in Southern Ontario.
• Protect and enhance at-risk populations of fish, amphibian, and plant species through demonstrated techniques such as population monitoring, releasing locally extinct Atlantic Salmon, managing invasive species, installing habitat enhancement features (such as turtle basking logs and protective fencing for sensitive areas).
• Develop new projects and programs; liaise with new and existing partners to leverage capacity and funding; communicate with local landowners and communities (including local Indigenous peoples) to explore opportunities to broaden our scope to protect additional species and their habitats; monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to strengthen our understanding of local species and their habitats.