ALUS Middlesex

Located in southwestern Ontario, Middlesex County is a largely agricultural area with diverse cropping systems in field, horticulture and livestock, as well as an important rural-urban interface nestled around the city hubs of London and Strathroy. All ALUS programs work closely with landowners to develop and support projects that are best suited to local needs and priorities. The ALUS Middlesex program aims to help address environmental issues affecting water quality in the Great Lakes, given that the Middlesex region is split between the Lake Huron and Lake Erie watersheds, and that the local Thames River has been identified as priority watershed for Great Lakes health. By managing their marginal lands differently, ALUS participants can create habitat connections, filter water before it enters sensitive wetlands, and enhance wildlife habitat across these critical Canadian watersheds. The ALUS Middlesex program also aims to re-establish tallgrass prairie ecosystems, improve buffer areas, manage wetlands and establish other projects providing ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, carbon sequestration and pollinator support. Through their ALUS projects, ALUS Middlesex participants will help to produce cleaner water, cleaner air and more biodiversity, including pollinator habitat, for the benefit of everyone in surrounding communities.