Enjoying the bounty of summer foods and trekking along one of its numerous hiking trails is not the only way to enjoy the Greenbelt this summer. You can also explore one of the many beaches that the protected watersheds of the Greenbelt flow into.
You can’t fool me—that is a forest not a river—what is a watershed?
A watershed is a geographical region where all the precipitation that falls within that area flows to a common water source. As rain or melted snow makes its way through rocks and soil it is filtered (for free) of things such as viruses, oils, metals, nutrients and sediments by the natural environment.
Forest and wetland cover—like those protected in the Greenbelt—are essential to cleaner rivers, streams, lakes and beaches.
The watersheds of Ontario’s Greenbelt service eight Blue Flag beaches. A beach that has Blue Flag accreditation means that it has met strict international standards for water quality, environmental education, environmental management, and safety and services
So cool off after a long hike, or take a local food picnic down to one of The Greater Golden Horseshoe’s Blue Flag Beaches:
To learn more about watersheds in the Greenbelt, check out this report from the David Suzuki Foundation: Watersheds of the Greenbelt: Policy Options to Preserve, Protect, and Restore the Watersheds of the Greenbelt.
