When you first hear the word “bioblitz,” you might be a little confused. What does this strange word mean?
When you break the word down into smaller pieces, it becomes much easier to understand: “bio” means “life” and “blitz” means a “sudden, energetic, and concerted effort, typically on a specific task.”
Today’s post comes from our Discovery Specialist Dave Sproule.
We are lucky to live in a province where nature has blessed us with many lakes, a variety of landscapes, and an incredible diversity of wildlife.
However, some of the plants and animals that call Ontario home are at risk.
Our provincial parks and conservation reserves play a critical role in protecting these special species.
Stay tuned as we learn all about the at-risk plants and animals found within Ontario Parks, starting with this introduction…
Continue reading Polar Bears and Prothonotary Warblers: species on the edge
In today’s post, the Chairdog of the Ontario Barks committee shows us his favourite parks to take a W-A-L-K!
Nothing gets my tail wagging faster than seeing my humans pack their bags for a park adventure!
I know that’s true for you too, my furry friends.
But with 340 provincial parks, how do we let our humans know which one deserves an outstanding round-of-a-paws from the Ontario Barks committee?
With this top five list, of course. Show this to your human to make your next W-A-L-K extra special!
Cellphones have changed our lives in many ways. It seems like there’s an app available to cater to our every need, from baking to banking and all things in between.
At Ontario Parks, we generally encourage green time over screen time, however there’s one app we believe every visitor should have on their phone.
Continue reading The cat and the Mudbug: a guide to using iNaturalist
Today’s post comes from Jessie Robinson, a Discovery staff member at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
As we become a more environmentally conscious generation, we are paying more attention to how our own lifestyle habits may be affecting the environment.
We strive to reduce our waste, use our reusable and recycle our recyclables, but when it comes to vacation time, we may slip up on our eco-friendly habits. It’s easy to put these values on the back burner during a camping trip where you want everything to be as easy as possible so you can maximize your enjoyment outdoors.
So here are ten simple solutions on how to keep it green in Ontario Parks while still having fun in nature!
Continue reading 10 low-waste solutions for your next camping trip
Today’s post comes from Jazmin Gall, Acting Assistant Discovery Leader at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
Moose are, without a doubt, a magnificent sight to see.
Having the opportunity to see one while camping is a memory that can last a lifetime. It’s something that never gets old.
Despite their size, moose can sometimes be tricky to spot. So when we find evidence of them like their tracks or fallen antlers, it’s an exciting day!
Continue reading Life after loss: the importance of moose antlers
Gardens are not something you typically think of when it comes to Ontario Parks, considering we preserve many of Ontario’s natural landscapes. But there’s one type of garden we’re happy to build in our parks: pollinator gardens!
Last summer, two southeastern parks worked hard to build and establish new pollinator gardens. Why? Because planting native plants supports biodiversity and helps our pollinators, some of which have populations in dramatic decline.
Continue reading For the pollinators! Two pollinator gardens you can visit and learn about this year
For its 25th year, Killarney Provincial Park is hosting its Annual Butterfly Count.
And if you’re heading to Killarney on July 8, 2023, we’d like your help!
Continue reading Calling all citizen scientists: come to the Killarney Butterfly Count
`In today’s post, Kettle Lakes Provincial Park‘s senior park naturalist Sarah Wiebe shows us that loons and campers aren’t so different!
Just like many families, Common Loons choose Kettle Lakes as the place to stay with their family in the summer.
You could say that loon families love parks as much as we do!
Like many visitors, I grew up visiting parks, spending every summer of my childhood exploring shorelines and lakes.
I would spend hours making sandcastles at Arrowhead Provincial Park, splashing in the water at Balsam Lake Provincial Park, going fishing in The Massasauga Provincial Park, and paddling through Algonquin Provincial Park.
I can easily say that I love parks.
As I was watching a family of loons return to the lake near our staff house at Kettle Lakes this spring, it got me thinking about how loons like to spend their summers in Ontario Parks, too!
By observing the loons, I’ve noticed that loons love parks as much we do.
Continue reading Loons are like campers — they love their park!
In today’s post, Awenda’s Chief Park Naturalist Tim Tully defends what some may think is the undefendable: the gull.
If there was ever an animal that gets a raw deal, it’s the gull.
It’s time to set the record straight and come to the defense of this unfairly maligned avian “underbird.”
For starters, we can’t even get the name right. I hate to tell you, folks, but there is no such thing as a seagull!
