GinaECFNC

Earth Day Bake Sale

Written by Cathy Lapain for The Egret – Issue 35 – Number 1

Sunday April 28, 2019 Please join us at Malden park for a Heritage Committee fundraiser 10:00a.m. to 3:00pm. Looking for volunteers to donate bake goods and help at the booth (2 hour shifts or whatever you can do) (You do not need to belong to the Heritage Committee). Please contact Cathy Lapain at ">. We need many bake goods to make this fundraiser a success, so please donate generously. If you cannot help by donating baked goods or helping out at the booth, please drop by and buy some goodies! If you are donating cookies or squares please packaged in 6’s or 12’s for easy pricing. Please cover all baked goods with clear plastic wrap.
As many people have allergies or restricted diets, it would be helpful if you could label all baked goods with a list of ingredients.

Thanks! See you there

International Day of Action for Rivers

Written by Gina Pannunzio for The Egret, Issue 35- Number 1

Each year on March 14, International Day of Action for Rivers recognizes and celebrates efforts made around the world to protect and restore rivers. Globally, rivers often share boundaries with numerous jurisdictions, and this day highlights the shared goal of strengthening regional and international networks who steward these resources.

The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of the Windsor-Detroit area and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. It connects Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron to Lakes Erie, Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is also designated as an American Heritage River and a Canadian Heritage River, the only river in North America to have this dual designation.

When the Windsor-Detroit area underwent rapid industrialization at the turn of the 20th century, the Detroit River became notoriously polluted. Years of extensive industrial, urban, and agricultural development along the Detroit River resulted in the historical release of harmful legacy pollutants from industry, bacteria from wastewater treatment plants, and nutrients from agricultural runoff. These environmental issues have caused the impairment of several beneficial uses. As part of the international cleanup effort, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) was signed between Canada and the United States in 1972, committing both countries to protect and restore the Great Lakes Ecosystem. The Detroit River was designated as an Area of Concern (AOC), which are regarded as the most environmentally degraded sites within the Great Lakes. The 1970s and 1980s saw the development of a massive conservation effort aimed at cleaning up the Detroit River.

Both the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup (DRCC) and the Friends of the Detroit River (FDR) implement separate Remedial Action Plans (RAP) for Canada and the United States. Through community-based partnership between the government (federal, provincial/state, municipal), local industries, researchers, environmental organizations, and citizens working together, the goal is to protect, restore, and enhance the Detroit River ecosystem.

Remediation efforts from both Canada and the United States in the Detroit River include sediment cleanup and remediation, habitat restoration, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, infrastructure upgrades, non-point source pollution management, as well as a suite of ongoing studies, investigations, monitoring, research, education and outreach.

To learn more about the DRCC, FDR, and associated RAPs, please visit their websites: www.detroitriver.ca and www.detroitriver.org respectively.

Cedar Creek Christmas Bird Count

Written by Paul Pratt for The Egret, Issue 35- Number 1

The thirty-fourth Cedar Creek CBC was held Saturday December 15, 2018. This count originally started in part to help count the huge winter roost of American Crows in Essex. Although relatively few crows have been counted in recent years (32 in 2018) our peak count recorded 117, 149 in 2000. By 2004 the Essex roost started to decline as crows shifted to the winter roost in Chatham. This year thirty-seven observers tallied 15,032 individual birds of 79 species. The most common birds recorded were Canada Goose 2911, Starling 2641, House Sparrow 1398, Blue Jay 528, Brown-headed Cowbird 513, Red-breasted Merganser 509. Lower numbers of American Tree Sparrows were found (86 vs and average count of 500). Unusual counts included 235 Canvasback (a record high), 23 Sandhill Crane, 1 Gray Catbird and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler. An after-count compilation and pot-luck was hosted by Tom & Peggy Hurst for all participants.