Frank Figuli, Woodlands and Waterways EcoWawtch]]> Lymburner, Alison McMahon, Courtney Miller, Dexter Adkin, Hailey Brown, Jessica Livingstone, Kaleigh Mooney & Sophia Mulder]]> Frank Figuli, Woodlands and Waterways EcoWatch]]> otherwise. It can manipulate the data more easily and with little training. It is also easier to compare
data against previous years which was used in this assessment of lake health. When assessing
Kashagawigamog Lake, a baseline was created with the lake data in order to analyze trends in lake
health and to compare water quality data between the different sites sampled. Benthic invertebrates
were sampled to determine lake health and water quality.]]> Frank Figuli, Woodlands and Waterways EcoWatch]]> water quality and health due to the variable tolerance to
pollution and disturbances that groups of invertebrates
possess. Monitoring their abundance and diversity in the
environment (bioassessment) alongside chemical variables
such as DO, pH, and temperature can be used to detect water contaminants and the extent of its effects.
This report details the 5th year of benthic assessment on Glamor and Little Glamor Lakes]]> Frank Figuli, Woodlands and Waterways EcoWatch]]> Dave Wilfong - Green Plaid Construction]]> Portage Routes and
Traditional Rights of Way
Initiative]]> Avneet Kamboj, Manpreet Kaur, Kaelyn Welde
]]> pollution in Haliburton County Lakes]]> HALIBURTON COUNTY]]> diverse selection of organizations. It also underscores the vital importance of integrated
watershed management (IWM) in maintaining ecological balance and human well-being,
particularly in Haliburton County, which lies within the Great Lakes watershed. The report
highlights the diverse ecosystem services provided by watersheds, including freshwater supply,
flood control, recreation, and economic prosperity. It identifies challenges such as the impact of
improper water management on habitat and property owners along the Trent Severn Waterway
(TSW), emphasizing the need for balanced approaches to support economic activities while
preserving ecosystem integrity. The proposed watershed council (hereafter “the council”)
prioritizes community engagement, flexible funding, and diverse expertise for effective watershed
management through a water quality approach. It recommends funding opportunities with
organizations like the Trillium Foundation for funding flexibility and aims to obtain charitable status
to diversify funding sources. Volunteer participation and collaboration with academic institutions
will be key to the council’s success. Overall, the report highlights the critical role of community
involvement, adaptive management, and collaborative partnerships in ensuring the long-term
health and sustainability of watersheds in Haliburton County and the Upper Kawarthas.]]> Flora and fauna observational data, organic content data, water chemistry, and water flow data were collected. All data was then inputted into the OWES scoring manual for Northern Ontario, and a score for the Grace Lake Wetland (GLW) was calculated. Our preliminary results found that the wetland could be deemed provincially significant, as it scored 247.52 points in the “Special Features” component, and a wetland can score a minimum of 200 points in this component to be considered a provincially significant wetland (PSW).
Our findings suggest that there is likely justification for a formal assessment of the GLW, and there may be more findings by a professional team than we were able to gather in this preliminary assessment. There are various opportunities for the expansion of our findings in future research, including conducting the assessment over multiple seasons and engaging members of the Grace Lake community to partake in various citizen science initiatives. If a
formal assessment designates the GLW as provincially significant, then it and any area within 120 meters of it will be protected from unsustainable development.]]> including cycling nutrients, pollinating plants, acting as a food source for other taxa, and many
more. However, regarding non-environmental applications, insects play important roles in
forensic entomology. Although well-studied in urban regions, there is a lack of biodiversity
information on blowfly species in rural habitats. Therefore, this study aimed to determine
blowfly species composition in Haliburton, Ontario. Four bottle traps were set up across three
different types of forests in Glebe Park between July 1st to September 2nd, 2022. In the family
Calliphoridae, we report 11 species: Lucilia illustris, Phormia regina, Calliphora livida, Lucilia
silvarum, Lucilia coeruleiviridis, Calliphora vicina, Lucilia sericata, Calliphora vomitoria,
Cynomya cadaverina, Calliphora terraenovae, and Protophormia terraenovae. We examined if
several environmental variables affected species abundance and composition. We found
accumulated degree days above 0°C, numeric date, total precipitation (14 days), and humidity
affect species abundance. However, none of the variables examined (forest type, elevation, and
distance from the water) seemed to affect species composition. Our results align with previous
research in which accumulated degree days affected Calliphoridae abundance. The results of this
study can help answer questions in forensic entomology, such as calculating post-mortem
intervals, stages of decomposition, and determining if a body has been moved from its original
location.]]> Leblond, Emily Lemon, Megan MacPherson, Emilia Violin, & Taylor Howe
]]> difficulties related to the use of building plasters with natural bases. Plasters made of clay, lime,
gypsum, and natural fibres are only a few examples of natural-based materials that are contrasted
with synthetic counterparts. The review examines the thermal resistance, mould resistance, VOC
retention, physical strength, and characteristics of various plasters while also examining the
importance of indoor air quality and any potential health advantages of utilising construction
materials with natural bases. The study also outlines the difficulties and impediments to the use
of building plasters with natural bases, such as financial viability, building norms and
regulations, and the requirement for case studies of successful implementation.To encourage the
broad use of building plasters made from natural materials, this literature study concludes with
recommendations for industry experts and politicians.]]> an important role in the physical decomposition of organic matter and thus can play an important
role in forensic investigations. We conducted a survey of Silphidae in Glebe Park, Haliburton,
from June 2022 to September 2022. The area of Glebe Park is located Ontario Shield ecozone
and Georgian Bay ecoregion and is located in a mixed forest habitat. We set four bottle traps in
Glebe Park in an effort to update the known distributions of Silphids, determine environmental
factors and their effects on abundance, and if any present species have implications for species at
risk in the Haliburton region of Ontario. A total of 1,308 Silphidae beetles were collected and
consisted of five species: Nicrophorus tomentosus, Nicrophorus pustulatus, Nicrophorus sayi,
Nicrophorus defodiens, and Oiceoptoma noveboracense. Nicrophorus tomentosus was the most
abundant species found consisting of 991 specimens in total. Nicrophorus pustulatus, N. sayi, N.
defodiens, and O. noveboracense were found in totals of 131, 116, 64 and 6 respectively. Out of
the environmental factors that were analyzed, it appears that mean wind speed and mean dew
point are the greatest factors in Silphidae abundance. When wind speed is higher, there is a
decrease in the abundance of Silphidae, but when there is an increase in dew point, there is also
an increase of Silphidae.]]>
The Haliburton County Gardeners initiated a project to assess and catalogue the presence of insects and flora, in order to further understand the biodiversity present along the Riverwalk but also to look at the range of pollinators that were aiding in pollination, as well as other insect and plant interaction that were occurring along the Riverwalk. This information would be compiled for a self-guided audio tour, which would be made public online for the town and any visitors curious about the ecology of the Riverwalk.]]>