Local Climate Groups & Initiatives – Climate Action Muskoka

The District Municipality of Muskoka – Muskoka Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Initiative

In December 2020 when the GHG inventory was finished, the District took several steps towards climate action including committing to GHG reduction targets of 50% reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050 for both corporate and community emissions based on a 2018 baseline.

Muskoka Watershed Council

Together, we can protect the future of Muskoka’s watersheds. “Climate is now changing more rapidly than it has changed at any previous time in the history of human civilization. If we continue on our current path, with ever rising emissions, we face unprecedented catastrophic climate change later in this century”. EXCERPT FROM “PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IN MUSKOKA”

Watershed Council Makes a Case for Integrated Watershed Management (IWM)

An integrated solution for flooding, climate action and economic prosperity
By Kevin Trimble.

Watershed governance: A selection of case studies for informing integrated watershed management in the Muskoka River watershed – new IWM report, January 2023 pdf

Friends of the Muskoka Watershed

We identify environmental threats and offer actionable solutions that the Muskoka community can take to protect the present and future health of the watershed.

AshMuskoka, a Friends of the Muskoka Watershed environmental project.
An initiative to use wood ash to restore the well-documented damage to forests and lakes caused by widespread calcium (Ca) decline in Muskoka.
The results are in … – ash addition to forest soil resulted in significant increases in soil pH and calcium and magnesium concentrations.

“Halt the Salt” Friends of the Muskoka Watershed is pursuing funding, via grants and private donations, to enable us to fully roll out this program in Muskoka.

Muskoka Water Web

There are over 680 lakes in Muskoka greater than eight hectares in size. The Muskoka Water Web was developed by The District Municipality of Muskoka to provide a portal to information about Muskoka’s most cherished resource – water. Find “Resources by Topic” –Here

The Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group –

June 29 2020

Interim report on issues and priorities for protecting the Muskoka River watershed and supporting the local economy.

Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve

Our biosphere reserve encompasses the eastern coast of Georgian Bay and stretches approximately 175 kilometres from the Severn River to the French River. This part of Lake Huron contains the largest collection of freshwater islands in the world.
The Georgian Bay Biosphere is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and is situated within the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 and Williams Treaty of 1923, and located on Anishinabek territory.

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit

The potential health impacts of climate change are varied. They may directly affect us through:

food insecurity due to changing environments;
increased range and transmission of infectious disease;
air pollution and temperature stress;
reduced access to safe water; and
injuries related to extreme weather events.

We have identified climate change as a priority public health issue, and to address its health impacts we have created a climate change action plan: A Changing Climate: Assessing health impacts & vulnerabilities due to climate change within Simcoe Muskoka. As a companion to this report, an interactive Climate Change Story Map can be accessed on our HealthSTATS website.

Trillium Lakelands District School Board Climate Change Action Plan

Six members of the G7 Student Senate shared their concern about how climate change is rapidly impacting communities around the world. Food security, mental health, transportation, energy, resource availability, and economic sustainability are all at risk if changes are not made to limit the impact of climate change. The group has developed the Climate Change Action Plan because they believe TLDSB has the opportunity to set the standard and take proactive action to ensure that all school communities comply with international climate agreements and promote a sustainable environmental education model. Read the full Climate Action Plan Report.

Flood Plain Mapping Project (FPMP) Feb. 12. 2020

Friends of Muskoka, working to protect and to preserve the natural environment and unique character of Muskoka

Muskoka Conservancy Plain and simple, our mission is nature conservation in Muskoka.

Sustainable Severn Sound has developed the area’s first Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP). The overall objective of the LCCAP is to educate communities and municipalities on climate change and ways we can reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the use of fossil fuels, lower our energy consumption, and adapt to our changing climate.

Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation, covering the Township area and watershed.

Other Climate Action Initiatives

Follow this link to see some of the many ways other communities around the world are acting now to slow down, stop and reverse the effects climate change.