Ontario Power Generation
Western Waste Management Facility & Bruce Complex
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Certified Gold through 2026
The Western Waste Management Facility & Bruce Complex program is in Ontario, Canada near the Baie du Dore, a part of Lake Huron. This site contains grassland, wetland and forest habitats that are home to a wide array of wildlife. The objective of this program is to protect, enhance and restore habitats across the site to benefit wildlife while also teaching the community the importance of these ecosystems.
Practices and Impacts
- A hibernaculum was created for native snake species by digging a six-foot depression below the frost line then covering the area with large and small rocks. In addition to providing a place to hibernate, larger rocks were placed so they receive direct sunlight for snakes to bask. The area is monitored visually by employees and an ecologist with use of a trail camera.
- Thirty-two wooden coverboards were deployed and GPS-located on-site. These boards provide artificial shelter within the habitat to attract snake species. Information collected is mapped, and photographs are taken whenever possible of the snakes and other interesting fauna found under the coverboards. Snake observations are documented during monitoring.