Our Canadian wildlife is more diverse than we might realize, especially our avian friends - the birds. Though we're used to geese, ducks, chickadees, and the like, the species in Windsor-Essex County extend far beyond that. Besides being diverse and beautiful, birds are essential parts of the ecosystem and they have immeasurable value balancing the food chain. This Fall migration season, we shine a light on the importance of birds in our region, get wrapped in raptor-talk, and cue the drumroll for the upcoming Festival of Hawks at Holiday Beach!

Most of us have grown up with the Great Lakes in one way or another—from colouring them in during geography class to swimming in them during the summer. It can be easy to take for granted bodies of water we’ve known for a lifetime. But where do the Great Lakes fit in on a larger scale and how do they function? How are they doing? And why do we need to concern ourselves with governing them? Read on to learn about freshwater access, water governance, how our Great Lakes fit into the system, as well as what we can do to shape their future in a climate change future.

How do we break the cycle of production, consumption, and demand in our communities? What do we do when we start losing our connections to each other, our relationship with nature and consequently, our time? Dane & Alley reflect on breaking their ties to systematic consumption by simply turning towards one thing connecting all of us right now : the soil.

In this article, Cameron Fioret talks to us about taking a community-first approach to tackling the urgent climate impacts in our region, allowing for inclusiveness and equity amongst the people it affects the most.

News of extreme weather events in Canada and beyond have plagued us this summer and in the past. The physical and economic damages from climate change impacts are quite well-documented; however, there remains one aspect of impacts that is possibly the least discussed and most overlooked - mental health. Over the upcoming weeks, Windsor of Change will share a series of articles on the toll of climate change on our minds and health, written by guest author and Policy Planner at the Town of Essex, Jeff Watson.

Earth Day is on April 22nd, and every year, community members assemble to plant trees, clean up streets and beaches. This year we put the focus on water. Windsor of Change interviews Jacqueline (Jackie) Serran, the Remedial Action Plan Coordinator at the Detroit River Canadian Clean-Up, about Earth Day celebrations, the work they do, and how we can continue to be involved in protecting our River.