Ontario Parks: Homes for Species at Risk
It's something to think about when you're enjoying a leisurely hike along one of our trails or a relaxing day at the beach: provincial parks offer more than natural landscapes and recreation, they also have an important role in protecting native species of plants and animals that are at risk.

Home on the range
Did you know that Ontario's provincial parks are home to animals at risk such as the Boreal Woodland Caribou and the Polar Bear?

What's more, they offer sanctuary to endangered migratory birds such as the Prothonotary Warbler that nests in Rondeau Provincial Park. And they provide refuge for reptiles in jeopardy such as the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (specially protected in Killbear) and Black Rat Snake (found in Charleston Lake Provincial Park) and the wood turtle, the subject of ongoing research in several provincial parks as well as elsewhere in Ontario.

Of course, it's not just animals and birds that are in need of protection. In our parks, you'll find insects, fish and plants that are at risk. To find out more, talk to a park naturalist.

Given the active role we play in protecting these varied species of plants and wildlife, it isn't difficult to figure out why Ontario provincial parks are among a species at risk's best friends. To learn about Ontario's Species at Risk program, visit www.rom.on.ca/ontario/risk.html

Species at risk - act today so they have tomorrow.