Three months after being elected board chair of Watersheds Canada, Mike Thomas says he has big plans to expand the conservation agency’s reach in the Highlands and across the nation.
The Highlands East resident stepped into the role in December after five years of serving on the board. He stepped down as president of the Paudash Lake Association last fall, giving him the capacity needed to take on a larger role with the national charity.
Founded in 2002 as the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds – and rebranding in 2013 – Watersheds Canada focuses on protecting and restoring freshwater environments across the country, specializing in shoreline restoration and stewardship programs.
Thomas said the group has had a big presence in the County since 2014, when it partnered with the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA) on the ‘Love Your Lake’ program. Since its inception, detailed land surveys have been conducted on 50 local lakes, offering property owners personalized reports and recommendations on how to maintain natural shorelines and protect against pollution and erosion.
“Through ‘Love Your Lake’ we’ve evaluated over 1,000 kilometres of shoreline… the goal was to re-naturalize 75 per cent to promote healthy waters and clean lakes,” Thomas said. “I think it’s been a major success story.”
Watersheds Canada’s executive director, Robert Pye, said, through the program, partners have assessed more than 50,000 individual properties on over 300 lakes nationwide, including in Ontario, Alberta and on the east coast.
Last year, the charity brought its inaugural national conference to Haliburton’s Pinestone Resort. Thomas said it was an overwhelming success, with more than 100 prominent scientists, environmentalists and water enthusiasts participating in hands-on workshops in the community.
Having a County resident in such a prominent position “is a big win for the community,” Thomas added. With experience running a lake association to go along with his many years volunteering with fish hatcheries in Haliburton and Bancroft – where he’s helped restock lake and brook trout locally – Thomas feels he brings a unique approach to the role.
“Organizations tend to work within their own tunnels, but I can draw from work with many organizations that help me to see the different things one does that could really benefit another. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I can bring people and groups together to benefit our wider community,” Thomas said.
He has three primary goals he hopes to achieve during his tenure: finding a sustainable way to fund Watersheds Canada’s operations, continue expanding into other areas of the country, and bolster its pool of learning resources.
“We have a budget of well over $1 million, but no real steady stream of income. We rely totally on individual and corporate donations and grants,” Thomas said. “We also want to be in all provinces and territories – right now we work in eight provinces… and we’re also trying to put ourselves in a position where we are a strong resource of information.
“We have a new library we’ve developed that will be rolled out shortly… where people can go and get scientific, quantified and credible information on a range of subjects that we know other conservation associations are dealing with,” he added.
“It will offer suggestions for planting native plants and trees on a shoreline, the exact types that are most fitting and where people can source them from.”
On its restoration efforts, Thomas said the group is focusing on its ‘Natural Edge’ program that focuses on rehabilitating shorelines and working on restoring old spawning beds for walleye and lake trout.
Asked how County residents can help Watersheds Canada, Thomas encouraged people to reach out if they have ideas for environmentally-based projects.
“We have ample capability to work with people at the grassroots level, particularly in Haliburton. We want to continue the relationship we’ve developed with people in the area here and give the lakes and rivers and streams every resource we can,” Thomas said.
