SNC Virtual Field Trip
Join us on a virtual field trip to the
Ottawa and St.Lawrence Rivers...
Meet your Virtual Field Trip Tour Guides...
Click here to meet Kelsey...
Click here to meet Karen...
Layout of Field Trip Modules & Learning Objectives:
Module 1: Introduction
Module 1: Let Us Introduce Ourselves!
In this module you will:
Who is South Nation Conservation?
Quick Facts:
The South Nation River begins near the �St. Lawrence River outside of Brockville and flows northeast for 175 km where it empties into the Ottawa River near Plantagenet
Watershed jurisdiction covers 4,441 km2 of complex ecosystems
Where is the South Nation River Located?
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land that drains into a larger waterbody, like a river.
We all live in a watershed.
What we do on land impacts our rivers.
DYK - You can create your own watershed example to better understand how water drains collectively into one river system. Try it here!
River Systems:
Let’s explore some of the basics!
Rivers are complex ecosystems made up of many different life forms!
Headwaters are where a river starts (they are not always flowing down from mountains or waterfalls).
The Headwaters of the South Nation River consists of a wetland complex and groundwater.
Tributaries can be small rivers or streams that flow into a main river.
Module 2: The Ottawa River
Module 2: The Ottawa River
In this module you will:
Getting to Know the Ottawa River...
Facts about the Ottawa River:
Where is the Ottawa River?
Click here to fly with us from the SNC office to the shorelines of the Ottawa River!
Wetlands:
What are they and what do they do?
Wetlands are a precious resource and have even been referred to as the heart of a river system!
Help control water flow & levels through absorption
Act as natural filters
Improve water quality by trapping sediment, nutrients and contaminants
Swamp:
A water body characterized by lowland seasonal flooding and is forested with woody plants such as trees and shrubs.
Marsh:
Typically permanent, treeless water bodies that feature grasses, sedges, cattails, and rushes.
watercanada.net
Bog:
An acidic, low mineral, peat-dominated wetland that often supports growth of sedges, shrubs, and sphagnum moss.
Round Leaved Sundew
Spotted Turtle in a Bog
Pitcher Plant
Fen:
Similar to a bog in that this wetland features peat, but instead has an alkaline chemistry and is fed by mineral-rich groundwater/surface water which supports grasses, sedges, rushes, and wildflowers.
Sciencesource.com
The Kitchissippi River
Understanding the value of the Kitchissippi River (Ottawa River)
Meet Julie and learn about:
The value of water
Concerns for water
How to protect water
Agriculture:
What does it have to do with rivers?
Agriculture is important to everyone! Watch this video to learn more about how farmers are working hard to mitigate pollution and improve sustainability.
Agriculture and rivers have a close relationship.
Agricultural runoff may be a source of water quality deterioration and is a major contributor to groundwater contamination and wetland degradation.
Unconfined animals (with access to rivers), shoreline erosion, pesticides, spraying and fertilization are all examples of agricultural activities that may pollute rivers.
The Ottawa River
What lives in and along the river?
DYK - Rivers served historically for transportation routes
The Ottawa River sustains many diverse species of flora and fauna.
Flora and fauna are the plants and animals that survive in an area.
How many species can you name?
Module 3: The St. Lawrence River
Module 3: The St. Lawrence River
In this module you will:
Getting to Know the St. Lawrence River...
Facts about the St. Lawrence River:
Where is the St. Lawrence River?
Click here to fly with us to the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River!
What is the St. Lawrence Seaway?
Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation: Great Lakes, Great Opportunities, September 29, 2016
The Story of the St. Lawrence Seaway, 16mm Educational Films
What’s so great about the Great Lakes? Cheri Dobbs and Jennifer Gabrys, Ted-Ed
Water Control Structures:
What are they and why are they important?
60 Years of U.S.-Canadian Collaboration-The Moses-Saunders Power Dam, August 24, 2018, New York Power Authority
Chesterville Dam on Christmas Day 2020, February 9, 2021, South Nation Conservation
The St. Lawrence River
What lives in and along the river?
The St. Lawrence River provides a home to many of the same types of flora and fauna found in the Ottawa River.
Many types of plants, plankton, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and animals live here.
How many can you name?
Module 4:
Connecting It All
Rideau Canal & Ottawa River
Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River
St. Lawrence River, Montreal QC
Module 4: Connecting it All
In this module you will:
Can you name all five Great Lakes?
Where are the Great Lakes in Relation to the St. Lawrence River?
Click here for a “bird’s eye view” of the Great Lakes & the St. Lawrence River
How are the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers Connected to the Great Lakes?
Hint - It’s easier than you think; they are connected by….WATER!
Let’s explore water in a bit more detail…
Do you know the difference between Freshwater and Saline water?
DYK only 3% of water on Earth is FRESHwater, and only 0.5% is available for drinking?
Understanding the Hydrological Cycle
The hydrological cycle describes the continuous movement of water:
Freshwater Facts
How is freshwater replenished?
Groundwater
Rain
Icebergs & ice melt
DYK: We are drinking the same water as the dinosaurs drank?! That’s right, we have the technology to filter and clean water, but the world cannot ‘make’ new water. What we have is what we have.
Did You Know?
How Do We Use Water?
Water has many uses including some of the following:
Ways we use water:
Ways we use virtual water:
(Virtual water is water that is used indirectly to produce things that we consume or use) such as:
Can you think of other ways we use water?
Water Pollution...
Let’s explore some of the ways our freshwater sources might become polluted:
Water Pollution
Take a look at pollution under the surface of the St. Lawrence River here...
Let’s Take a Minute to “Absorb” Microplastics and What They Mean to Us...
What are microplastics and how do they get into our water, food and even the air that we breathe?
Microplastics are tiny microscopic plastic fragments that enter our waterways via…, the food we eat via our water and the air we breath as they brush of synthetic clothing materials and into the air.
DYK: The average person consumes a credit card worth of microplastic each WEEK!?
What Can One Person Do?
Still need inspiration? You can...
Are you part of the solution or are you part of the problem?
Are You Ready For a Challenge?
Now that we understand the importance and limits of freshwater on the planet, it’s time to dig a bit deeper.
Let’s use critical thinking, working alone or in a group, to determine YOUR water footprint!
But wait...what is a “water footprint”?!
(click this video to learn!)
Challenge Activity:
In your group (or solo):
Resources (for Students):
Resources (for Teachers):
Thank You!
We hope that you enjoyed the Ottawa & St. Lawrence River Virtual Field Trip!
With special thanks to Julie Vachon
Funding support provided by Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks