Today’s blog comes from Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator for Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
With all the coloured leaves and migrating birds, autumn is all about big performances.
But even before sharing these spectacular displays, autumn delights us with the sights and sounds of another performance: the fabulous fall show presented by European Starlings.
Continue reading Autumn isn’t just coloured leaves and migration — bring on the murmurations!
Today’s post comes from Emily Wright, a Discovery Leader at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. The park’s campground is surrounded by three crystal-clear lakes, and that rich biodiversity inspired Emily to take us on an aquatic tour of Ontario’s lakes and some of the complex life cycles contained within, from hard-working microbe clean-up crews to feisty Small-mouth Bass.
Cannonballing into a refreshing lake, casting a line hoping for the “big one,” dipping your paddle into serene waters, or simply enjoying the shifting lights dancing across the water’s surface on a sunny day…
Lakes offer us a plethora of enjoyment, both invigorating as you take a brisk swim, or peaceful and relaxing as you watch a sunset turn the waters from blue-green to wine red.
Today’s post comes from Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
What do a Polar Bear, a Prickly Pear Cactus, a Five-lined Skink, and a Bobolink all have in common?
Aside from their snazzy names, they’re plants and animals that require unique environments to survive. Some of these special spaces have been changing and disappearing throughout history.
That’s where Ontario Parks comes in. We protect important landscapes, and conduct research on how we can ensure the species living in parks can thrive.
This year, we’re excited to share the science of parks during Science Literacy Week.
Today’s post was written by summer student Danielle Bullen from Rondeau Provincial Park.
It’s that time of year again, and across Ontario, we’re starting to see those beautiful orange and black wings.
Monarch Butterflies come all the way from Mexico over a few generations, depending on the amount of milkweed available during their travels, spending summer here in Ontario.
Today’s post comes from Mark Read, our Discovery leader at Murphys Point Provincial Park.
This blog is not going to be an identification guide; nor is it going to be packed full of mind-blowing facts.
Instead, it is more of a celebration of the fungal diversity found in Ontario.
I hope that along the way you’ll be encouraged to take a closer look at these fascinating organisms that play such a critical role in maintaining the ecological integrity of our parks!
Today’s blog comes from Piping Plover Biologist Monica Fromberger from Ontario Parks’ southeast zone.
Every year, Darlington Provincial Park runs a Piping Plover conservation program to help these special endangered shorebirds.
This year, the park’s plover lovers have done it again!
Lovebirds Blue and Miss Howard have successfully hatched, fledged, and raised all four of their chicks to migrate for the second year in a row.
Continue reading The Piping Plover power couple of Darlington
Today’s post comes from Rachelle Law, a Discovery leader at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
Are you looking for a fun do-it-yourself project to do this summer?
Would you love a solution to the amount of pesky mosquitoes in your backyard?
Are you passionate about creating habitats for wildlife?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this blog is for you!
Today’s blog comes from Tim Tully, Discovery Coordinator at Awenda Provincial Park.
That is the question.
After decades of doing things a certain way, can I rally the forces of change and adopt a new way of recording species data? Should I submit species data to iNaturalist or not?
I decided to empirically investigate in an unbiased scientific way. Specifically, what is all the fuss about iNaturalist anyway?
Here’s what I discovered….
Continue reading Can you teach an old naturalist new tricks?
Today’s post comes Kevin Gevaert, senior Discovery staff at Rondeau Provincial Park.
Not too many people are fond of the idea of staying in the forest when it gets dark.
It might sound sound discouraging or even scary to most, but experiencing Rondeau Provincial Park’s forest at night is something you won’t soon forget!
The billions of stars in the night sky, the sound of owls hooting, coyotes howling in the distance, and the odd mosquitos buzzing are all part of the magic that makes nighttime here at Rondeau so special.
Things really start to appear when we shine a bit of light on the subject!
Today’s post comes from Mat St-Jules, a park interpreter at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
The sights of the Mattawa River keep drawing me back.
I find incredible beauty in a scraggly cedar clinging to sheer rock or in the gleaming coat of a river otter standing on a sandbar. But, of course, these marvels don’t stand on their own.
Below the wildlife and past the trees is the foundation of this land: the geology it all rests on.
