Wetland Work: TRCA Monitoring is on the Watch for West Nile

Summertime in the GTA brings a lot to savour: backyard barbecues, Blue Jays games, and long, lazy afternoons on the patio. But it also brings unwelcome visitors — like mosquitoes.

Every year, from June through August, TRCA’s Environmental Monitoring division regularly investigates the standing water areas in its jurisdiction for the presence of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus.

The monitoring program, conducted in collaboration with TRCA’s municipal partners, is now in its 15th year. Monitoring team members visit 48 different wetland sites across the GTA, collecting mosquitoes to check for the presence of West Nile. If a hot spot is found, word goes out promptly to regional public health units.

Wet weather this year has created prime conditions for mosquitoes to breed, making the work especially important. In this new video, Jessica Fang from TRCA’s monitoring team explains the process and its role in reducing risk for residents and visitors to the region.

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