About the Lake Erie Guardians program

What’s the program all about?

In partnership with Canadian Freshwater Alliance, Water Rangers is helping individuals, families, households, and community groups monitor waterbodies across the Lake Erie watershed in summer 2021. This program is generously supported by the Government of Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund.

What are Guardians in charge of doing?

Lake Erie Guardians are in charge of testing the water at a nearby lake, river, or stream in the Lake Erie Watershed on the last weekend of every month from May to November.

In addition to monthly water monitoring, Guardians will also get to take part in:

• Shoreline clean-ups
• Identifying and removing invasive species 
• Capturing photos of wildlife as part of a scavenger hunt 
• Spreading wildflower seeds 
• Plant native trees and shrubs that we provide

And more! 

I’m a Guardian. Where should I test?

You are free to test wherever you’d like throughout the program. We suggest looking at the Water Rangers map to see if people are testing near you, and then deciding on a spot! It would be most helpful for you to test at a location where nobody has tested before. That way, we can get more data about that spot!

As a Guardian, you should aim to test at 1 to 3 locations per month. Once you’ve decided on a location(s), you should try to test at these same locations each month. Consistency is super important! We’ll only be able to establish trends about these locations if you test at the same spot(s) month after month.

How often should I test?

As a Guardian, you are required to test at least once per month from May to November. You are more than welcome to test even more than that, though!

We’ll reminding all Guardians about our official testing days, which happen on the last weekend of every month. Keep your eyes peeled for a reminder email about it, or follow along on our social media channels!

I have questions about how to use my kit.

No problem! We have a ton of free training resources available on our website. If that’s not enough, contact us!

I’m an educator taking part in the program. Do you have any special resources for me?

Yes, we do! Check out our special training page for educators for more information. You can also contact us, and we’ll put you in touch with our science education coordinator.

I’m part of the temperature challenge. What do I do?

Welcome! We’re so glad you’re taking part in this challenge.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Sign up for account. It’s free and takes less than 5 minutes to do!
2. Request to join the Lake Erie Guardians group on our data platform. Our program coordinator will approve your request within 24 hours.
3. Pick a sample location- this can be any nearby lake, river, or stream! Plan to measure air and water temperature at this location once per month starting the weekend of August 28th-30th, 2021.
4. Take your test! Water temperature should be measured at least 15cm below the water’s surface if possible. Taking pictures while out at your sampling spot is highly recommended, too- it helps us establish context for your readings.
5. Upload your results to our data platform using the website or app. Currently, our app is available for iPhone only- simply search for “Water Rangers” on the app store!

More questions? Check out the quick guide we put together for you.

I have more questions about Water Rangers, the program, etc.

First thing’s first, check our our FAQs! After that, we recommend browsing the website. There is tons of helpful information on almost every page, sometimes it just takes a bit of exploring. Last but not least, you are always welcome to contact Emelia with any questions you may have. She’s your main point of contact for this program!