Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Heritage Management

Protecting Habitat for Plants and Animals

We create tools, guidelines, and strategies for the management of plants and animals and their habitats in the Credit River Watershed. This helps us, our municipal partners, academics and researchers and other stakeholders understand what is needed so that:

Species and their habitats are preserved
Ecological function is maintained
Watershed health is supported
The Credit River Watershed Natural Heritage System (CRWNHS) can be maintained, restored and enhanced

Our Areas of Work

Tool, Guidelines and Strategies

We use these tools in our own work and make them available to help everyone assess restoration opportunities, understand flood risks and protect natural areas in the Credit River Watershed.

Fields Surveys and Monitoring and Inventory

We carry out research and field work to assess the effectiveness of different biodiversity conservation and natural heritage management practices.

Sharing Knowledge

We provide technical input and share knowledge on the management, conservation, and ecology of plants and animals in the Credit River Watershed.

Natural Heritage System

We have developed a Natural Heritage System to guide our work in the Credit River Watershed and make recommendations to support its management and restoration..

Conservation Lands Restoration Projects

We restore and enhance nature on our conservation lands.

Our Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Heritage Management Tools

Wetland Ecohydrology – Wetland Hydrologic Assessment Method

Use this tool to describe the natural hydrologic variation in a wetland, assess and compare different management and mitigation scenarios, and guide and support adaptive management programs for wetland management.

Local Conservation Status Assessment Method

Use this tool to assess the local conservation status of species in other jurisdictions with areas smaller than provincial in scale.

Migratory Waterfowl and Shorebird Stopover Habitat Survey Protocol

This document describes a protocol to conduct migratory shorebird and waterfowl surveys, in aquatic habitats, to identify Significant Wildlife Habitat (SWH).