Algae Monitoring
Muskoka Watershed Council developed the Algae Monitoring Program to collect information on the distribution, abundance and seasonal cycles of a) all phytoplankton combined, and b) blue-green algae in particular, across…
What Are Algae Doing in Muskoka’s Lakes?
By Peter Sale Responding to considerable community interest, the Muskoka Watershed Council wants to find out what algae are doing in Muskoka lakes. These tiny single-celled plants…
When Algae Go Bad
By Dr. Norman Yan In a previous article I argued that “we’d be stupid, hungry, and dead without algae” in the waters of the world, because every other breath…
We Owe Our Lives to Algae
By Dr. Norman Yan The 2014 Muskoka Watershed Report Card was released in May and presents the results of monitoring the health of our watersheds. For the first time…
You mean one problem isn’t enough?
How the cumulative effects of multiple stressors impact the Muskoka Watershed. By Neil Hutchinson. This slide from Friends of the Muskoka Watershed show an example of cumulative effects — many…
Citizen Scientists Play Important Role in Sustaining Our Watersheds.
By Dr. Norman Yan. Whether sampling algae in a lake or spreading ash in a sugar bush, citizen scientists are making an important contribution to understanding our watersheds. My friend…
MWC Chair’s Annual Report for 2024.
Delivered by MWC Chair Aaron Rusak at MWC’s Annual General Meeting held on February 21, 2025. My usual style of brevity and efficiency may not lend itself well to summarizing…
A History of Environmental Actions.
‘Polluters deny, obfuscate and predict’ harm to the economy with scientists’ persistence eventually leading to change. by Neil Hutchinson. The successful pattern of environmental management (centre) describes the path from…
How might multiple divergent threats pile on to damage Muskoka’s lakes?
By Dr. Norman Yan. Norman Yan and Lenore Inniss (R), Chair of Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, examine animal plankton on board the Peerless on Lake Rosseau in September. Photo…
Local Organizations Recognize 13 Watershed Stewards in 2024!
Muskoka Watershed Council supported a number of local organizations in 2024 to recognize 13 watershed stewards through the Doug Cross Stewardship Recognition Program and the Robert Allen Memorial Stewardship Award.…
An Indigenous Perspective on Watershed Health
By Christopher Stock. Our watershed is made up of natural and human elements that work independently and collectively. Photo by Keanna Stock. In order to fully understand how Indigenous Peoples…
MWC Chair’s Annual Report for 2023
Delivered by outgoing MWC Chair Peter Sale at MWC’s Annual General Meeting held on February 23, 2024. The monthly meetings of Muskoka Watershed Council (MWC), usually with informative presentations on…