Water Rangers Awarded $330K from Environment and Climate Change Canada for Lake Erie Guardians Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Water Rangers Awarded $330,000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada for Lake Erie Guardians Project

Ottawa, ON – October 15, 2024 – Water Rangers is proud to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of a $330,000 grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) under the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiative. This funding will support the three-year project Lake Erie Guardians – Increasing Community Participation in Citizen Science, running from 2024 to 2027.

Lake Erie Guardians Project
The Lake Erie Guardians project aims to increase community engagement in water quality monitoring across the Lake Erie basin, with a focus on the Niagara region and the western basin of Lake Erie. Citizen scientists will gather data on contaminants such as PFAS, nutrients, and chloride (road salts), filling critical regional gaps in water quality data and supporting pilot programs for new monitoring methods.

“By working collaboratively with freshwater scientists and local communities, we aim to reduce barriers to participation in data collection. Together, we will help inform key decisions to support freshwater stewardship,” said Kat Kavanagh, Founder and Executive Director of Water Rangers. “This project will not only generate valuable data on Lake Erie’s health but also deepen public understanding of the challenges facing the Great Lakes.”

Community-Based Science for Great Lakes Protection
The project’s goal is to empower over 400 new participants in citizen science by involving them in hands-on activities like data collection events (Blitzes), as well as long-term monitoring. By following standardized procedures and sharing data through open platforms such as Water Rangers and DataStream, community members will contribute essential information to support decision-making on Great Lakes priorities.

The project aligns with the broader goals of the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiative, which supports local efforts to address environmental challenges affecting water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes.

About the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiative
The Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystems Initiative is part of a $420 million, 10-year investment by the Government of Canada to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Through the Canada Water Agency-led Freshwater Action Plan, the initiative supports projects that tackle urgent challenges like toxic algae blooms, habitat restoration, and the reduction of harmful chemicals.

The initiative’s latest funding cycle, covering 2024–2025, will support 50 projects focused on restoring water quality in Areas of Concern (AOCs), protecting coastal wetlands, reducing chemical pollution, and advancing Indigenous participation in Great Lakes governance.

For more information on the Lake Erie Guardians project or to get involved, visit waterrangers.ca or contact:

Gabrielle Parent-Doliner
Director
Water Rangers
gabrielle@waterrangers.ca
waterrangers.ca

About Water Rangers
Water Rangers empowers communities to monitor and protect their local waterways through accessible citizen science. By providing easy-to-use water testing kits and data-sharing tools, we help communities and scientists collaborate to safeguard freshwater ecosystems for future generations.

Media Contact:

gabrielle@waterrangers.ca