The Program helped to establish 0.9 hectares of native Carolinian
woodland habitat in Eatonville. In addition,
1.2 hectares of Carolinian woodland habitat have been restored at three
sites in the watershed through the Carolinian Habitat Restoration Initiative.
Volunteers, including SCUBA divers, collected 18.51 tonnes of garbage from the Rondeau Bay shoreline and channel through three volunteer clean-up events.
The RBWRP implemented the first stream bio-engineering project in the area to restore bank stability and stream-side vegetation to a watercourse that had been degraded by previous drainage works and cattle access.
Galerucella beetles have been released in two locations. Monitoring will determine their ability to biologically control the spread of Purple Loosestrife, an invasive, exotic species.
A public awareness program warned people of the threat that Purple Loosestrife poses to native wetlands.
Blenheim and Ridgetown elementary school students painted yellow fish symbols beside storm sewer drains and handed out flyers to local households and businesses raising awareness about the detriments of improper household hazardous waste disposal.
Landowners with suitable habitat were invited to erect and monitor Bluebird nesting boxes constructed by local students.
A Bald Eagle nesting platform was installed at a private sanctuary at the north end of Rondeau Bay to attract a pair of birds to this otherwise suitable location.
The Take a little Lead Out! program encourages fishermen to exchange their toxic lead fishing sinkers and jigs for free non-toxic bismuth and tin replacements. To date 200 kg of toxic lead has been collected.
A landowner contact program was conducted in the Sinclair's Bush Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and Rondeau Bay's class 1, provincially significant marshes to encourage natural heritage stewardship and provide landowners with contacts needed to assist them.
Research was undertaken to determine the practicality of using native prairie seed mixes in grassed waterways and buffer strips.
A shoreline creel census conducted during the summer of 1997 will update decade old information regarding the status of Rondeau Bay's sport fishery.
Monitoring of Marsh and Amphibian Monitoring Routes, Back Yard Frog and Forest Bird Monitoring Stations, Bluebird Nest Boxes, successional habitats and water quality provides a baseline of information prior to restoration and an on-going way of measuring RBWRP successes.
Back to Rondeau Bay Watershed Rehabilitation Program...
This page was developed by Donna Wonnacott, Stan Sowinski &
Vicki McKay
Last revised September 13, 1999