GENERAL NOTES
These activities free of charge for organizations and their participants are funded through a grant from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. They are grouped by region, defined approximately rather than on a strict administrative basis. To facilitate coordination, they will be organized as regional tours of approximately four days (Thursday through Sunday).
✔ TRAINING
Our team can train your seasonal staff to improve the efficiency of your operations:
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Hull and trailer decontamination
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Internal decontamination (live well, turbine, engine cooling system, and ballast)
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Boater management and logistics
✔ AWARENESS
Our awareness activities increase your knowledge of aquatic invasive species (AIS). They are ideal for the following audiences:
- Lakeside residents and waterfront property owners
- Boaters and watercraft owners
- Municipal council members
- Municipal management and service department leadership
✔ EQUIPMENT
We bring a mobile station that enables complete watercraft decontamination. For these activities, our team only requires access to a water source to fill the station’s reservoir.
Topics Covered
- What are AIS and what are their impacts?
- How do you properly clean a watercraft?
- What does it take to set up a cleaning station?
- How can you prevent spreading AIS?
- What resources are available related to AIS? (Tools and organizations)
- A citizen-based approach to AIS outreach and awareness
Activity Overview
Approximate total duration: 3 hours per location
- Arrival of the Ozero team on site
- Equipment setup (approximately 30 minutes)
- Introduction with participants to identify the topics they wish to cover
- Discussion and awareness session on aquatic invasive species
- Watercraft cleaning demonstration, with the opportunity for participants to try it themselves
- Q&A and open discussion with participants
- Brief survey completed by participants at the end of the activity
What Is Needed On Site?
The following elements are recommended to optimize the activity, but are not mandatory
- Presence of at least one representative from the partner organization on site
- Ideally, having a motorized or non-motorized vessel on site for the cleaning demonstration
- Sufficient space for the truck, the cleaning station, and, if applicable, vessels coming in for decontamination (approximately 24 ft × 36 ft). If space is limited, it is possible to disconnect the trailer from the truck to reduce the footprint
- If available space is a concern, we can review the site configuration with you in advance
Before the Activities
Before each activity, a few preparatory steps can be taken to maximize participation and ensure smooth execution.
- Social media outreach to invite residents and municipal stakeholders to meet the team and ask their questions
- Ozero prepares a “media kit” (visuals, copy, and ready-to-publish content) to help promote the activity
- Logistical planning for each activity, including the exact on-site location and access to a water source to fill the station’s reservoir