GRANTS IN ACTION: Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Assoc.

Water samples being taken for ongoing water sample analysis along the Bruce Peninsula.

The Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, an award winning environmentally focused charity, is continuing their conservation efforts with a project supported by Community Foundation Grey Bruce. The Improving Water Quality on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula project is part of a larger initiative to determine improvements in water quality.

Elizabeth Thorn, Chair of Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association’s Board, says that “Ongoing water sample analysis is fundamental to the understanding of environmental conditions; the results will allow us to better plan our next series of restoration activities, leading to improved water quality in the streams and along the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay shores.”

In collaboration with the farming community in the area, the organization has been taking water samples for over ten years, gathering information on nutrient movement in streams and fields. Testing is completed six times per year in Judges Creek, Stokes River, Old Woman's River, Black Creek, Swan Lake, and Unnamed Creek.

Unfortunately, the charity has recently faced significant financial difficulties due to the high cost of laboratory sample analysis. “Funding is now extremely difficult to obtain” says Thorn. “Few Provincial grants related to the environment exist and competition at the Federal level is fierce.”

The Improving Water Quality on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula project is vital to the environmental protection of the Bruce Peninsula, as there is no official Conservation Authority for the region. As a result of this work, Thorn says that “Fish habitat will be improved and beaches protected - important for preserving biodiversity, enhancing human enjoyment and the tourism economy, thus benefitting all residents and visitors.”

For more information on the ongoing work of the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association, please visit www.bpba.ca. If you would like to support organizations in Grey Bruce that are improving the environment, donate today at www.communityfoundationgreybruce.com/donate.