Citizen Scientists

The health of our environment or ecosystem is really a component of of ecological integrity, however people refer to health as a general condition of the ecosystems around them. Definition of Ecological Integrity according to the Canada National Parks Act: a condition that is determined to be characteristic of its natural region and likely to persist, including abiotic components and the composition and abundance of native species and biological communities, rates of change... and supporting processes. A healthy ecosystem will have the ability to be resilient and persist over time, thus contributing to the integrity of the ecosystem. What exactly is ecological integrity? For an ecosystem, integrity generally encompasses three major ecosystem organizational facets. Ecosystem health, the ability to maintain normal operations under normal environmental conditions, is the first requisite for ecosystem integrity. But it alone is not sufficient. To have integrity, an ecosystem must also be able to cope with changes (which can be catastrophic) in environmental conditions; that is, it must be able to cope with stress and change. As well, an ecosystem which has integrity, must be able to continue the process of self-organization on an ongoing basis. It must be able to continue to evolve, develop, and proceed with the birth, growth, death and renewal cycle. It is these latter two facets of ecosystem integrity that differentiate it from the notion of ecosystem health. An important aspect of how these ecosystems function is their biodiversity. Biodiversity acts as the information in the ecosystem and can help us understanding both what is changing and what might be wrong within an ecosystem. This understanding of the behaviour of complex self-organizing systems provides a framework for the investigation of environmentally induced changes in ecosystem organization and integrity. It establishes that ecosystems can respond to changes in the environment in five qualitatively different ways: 1) The system can continue to operate as before, even though its operations may be initially and temporarily unsettled. 2) The system can operate at a different level using the same structures it originally had (for example, a reduction or increase in species numbers). 3) Some new structures can emerge in the system that replace or augment existing structures (for example, new species or paths in the food web). 4) A new ecosystem, made up of quite different structures, can emerge. 5) The final, and very rare possibility, is that the ecosystem can collapse completely and no regeneration occurs How is your ecosystem changing over time?

While many enjoy the scenic winter weather on land, there is still winter wildlife spotting to be had under the ice. While this wasn't the species we were hoping to spot, it illustrates that there is life under the ice. Using underwater cameras and lighting we can investigate life beneath the ice along the river. We hope to better understand where different species go, what they do, and how they behave to offer them better protection. Although this is just a common species th...ere are many rare and sensitive ones that do need our help. Life underwater does not get nearly as much attention as life on the land, but it often tells us more about the health of our landscape than do our terrestrial ecosystems. If you want to support this kind of work or other related work like our Brook Trout fish ladder which will return Brook Trout to spawning habitat, please donate here https://www.canadahelps.org//char/rouge-valley-foundation/ See more

Despite being routinely surveyed by formalized government programs they continually miss the presence of this Aquatic Invasive Species. The value of volunteer not for profit data cannot be understated, as those that care about the local ecosystems also know and understand the local ecosystem (real stewardship). The problem is getting the current system to change, to improve, and to develop effective, adaptive and innovative management action by those who manage the resources on our behalf.

When looking at the health and ecological integrity of an ecosystem, can you not see the forest for the trees? The two images here look remarkably similar, and if you simply looked at the trees to determine forest health you may get a misleading answer. Looking at the whole system requires time, effort and dedication and can start to shed light on what is going on in the broader environment. Something that local dedicated volunteers do because the land and local environment h...as meaning to them, and they have often invested their own time and resources into learning about it and trying to protect it (actual stewardship). The short answer to the question above is that one forest ecosystem is highly stressed while the other remains relatively healthy. The difference between the two forests is how they are and have been managed. The number of trails present, the number of hikers allowed, off leash pets, garbage, etc all make a difference. In the upcoming giving season don't forget that the ecosystems and how we interact with them makes a big difference to our health and future generations health. Giving to charities and non profits like ours helps to keep track of what governments, agencies and land managers are doing with our common resources. Imagine what could be done by small environmental charitable organizations and non profits if governments and agencies acted as enablers and partners instead of only regulators and as competitors. With more resources we can hopefully make this dream and reality. See more

We are about to launch our Brook Trout connectivity project. Reconnecting our declining Brook Trout population to some amazing spawning habitat they have been disconnected from for decades. We are still looking for donations you can help by donating here https://www.canadahelps.org//char/rouge-valley-foundation/ Brook Trout are one of the key indicator species in our watershed responding negatively to urban development and climate change. They need substantial help to survive into the future and we are looking make it happen, with help.

July is the time for research and monitoring to get into full swing. Tuesday we start we arthropod surveys in the forest, followed by moths and invasive species