NASA's data says Canada's lakes are getting warmer, fast. What does that mean for their ecosystems?  Water Canada - The Complete Water Magazine just posted an article on this topic written by Craig Saunders. 

"Canadian lakes, like those in other northern regions, are warming up faster than lakes further south, according to satellite data from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That could have serious implications for fisheries and water systems"

Read the full at Water Canada

Trans CanEAUda is a cross Canada canoe expedition and project being undertaken by 8 friends throughout the spring, summer, and fall months of 2011. They will depart from Ottawa, ON, during the first week of May 2011, and paddle and portage some 7000 kilometers to the Beaufort Sea.  Why are they doing this you ask, all in one season too?  One of the groups common reasons focuses on the concern of our world’s degrading natural environments, particularly water environments.  Their expedition and website promotes and encourages donations to two non-profit organizations which work towards cleaner and healthier watersheds:

The Canadian and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and The Ottawa Riverkeeper

Read more about all of this their detailed itinerary at www.transcaneauda.ca

In all of Canada's history there are perhaps just two individuals that have so captured the public imagination as iconic defenders of the of the natural world. In the 1920's a young Englishman named Archie Belaney, learning from the Anishinabe people of northern Ontario, transformed himself into Grey Owl and became a passionate spokesperson for the First Nations value of living in harmony with the land, the waters and the animals that sustain us all. Despite having written best sellers and lectured to thousands, our memory of this man of mystery has largely been lost except by a few dedicated canoe trippers and conservationists.

Read more...

Paddle Canada just helped CPAWS protect the wild Restigouche river in New Brunswick by signing their petition.  You can help too!  

Sign the petition:
http://wildrestigouche.ca/action.php

The Restigouche River watershed, covering over 1 million hectares of northern New Brunswick and Quebec’s southern Gaspé, is a wild river and forest that’s home to iconic wildlife like lynx, wild Atlantic salmon and bald eagles.

But it’s ticking towards an expiry date.  Virtually unprotected from logging and mining, the wildest parts of the Restigouche could be decimated by 2015.

Now you have an opportunity to let decision-makers know that places like the Restigouche wilderness matter to you.

Over 6,000 people have signed the petition so far, and CPAWS is aiming to get 8,000 names by May 2011.With a new provincial government in place, please help us to let them know this matters to wilderness lovers far and wide!