Family friendly parks in the near north

Summer is here, and now’s the perfect time for a last minute family road trip!

During the busy summer months, the solution to finding your serene camping trip is heading north.  Here are a few near north parks we suggest visiting with your little ones.

Continue reading Family friendly parks in the near north

Explore nature with our Discovery program!

The Ontario Parks Discovery team is hard at work coming up with creative ways to connect visitors with the special stories and values protected in our parks.

If you visit any of the parks offering Discovery programming, you may connect with Discovery staff along a trail, as they rove through the campground, at a drop-in program, in a Visitor Centre, or at a scheduled program.

Continue reading Explore nature with our Discovery program!

5 reasons to visit Earl Rowe Provincial Park

With hundreds of parks in Ontario, it’s easy to overlook one that’s right next door.

But you don’t need to drive far for great camping options!

Here are five reasons you should consider Earl Rowe Provincial Park when you’re planning your next (or your first!) camping adventure.

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Ontario Parks featured in CSA-nominated videos!

Did you know our parks, moths, and Discovery staff were featured in an episode of TVOKids Leo’s Pollinators Explorer Club?

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The series was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series!

These awards are the Canadian equivalent to the Emmy Awards.

We caught up with our three Ontario Parks stars featured in this episode for an exclusive interview to learn more about their experience:

Continue reading Ontario Parks featured in CSA-nominated videos!

The story behind Emily Provincial Park’s pollinator garden

Today’s post comes from Alexander Renaud, former Discovery program lead at Emily Provincial Park.

A few summers ago, our Discovery staff at Emily Provincial Park wanted to do something BIG to help the park.

Previous years have seen the instillation of turtle nest protection boxes, the collection of species data through a BioBlitz, and the design and creation of a new trail system.

We decided upon creating a pollinator garden!

Continue reading The story behind Emily Provincial Park’s pollinator garden

An Ontario Parks glossary

Are you new to parks, or maybe a park veteran looking to brush up on your knowledge?

We’ve assembled a handy guide to all the terms you’ll need to know and understand before you visit the park…

Continue reading An Ontario Parks glossary

“What the heck is that?!”: when to #AskanOPNaturalist

Today’s post comes from David LeGros, a park naturalist with the Ontario Parks Discovery Program.

“I’ve never seen one of those” is among my favorite sentences.

There’s a scary thing that happens the longer you look into nature. The more you find, the more you find out that you don’t know that much. It can be an intimidating feeling, but also, an exciting feeling.

Your mind is about to be blown.

Repeatedly.

Continue reading “What the heck is that?!”: when to #AskanOPNaturalist

5 things I love about being a Discovery Ranger

Today’s post comes from Madeline McNabb, a 2017 Discovery Ranger at White Lake Provincial Park

We all dream of turning our passion into a job.

My chance came this past summer when I worked at White Lake Provincial Park as a Discovery Ranger.

The Discovery program aims to inspire curiosity in park visitors and encourage exploration of our natural environment. I made so many amazing memories this past summer. There are too many wonderful things I want to share!

After much deliberation, I have narrowed it down to five top reasons why I loved being a Discovery Ranger:

Continue reading 5 things I love about being a Discovery Ranger

Students: join our Discovery team this summer

Applications are for our 2024 season are now open! Read on to learn more about spending the summer with us.

Discovery rangers are the storytellers of Ontario Parks.

Roughly 300 Discovery staff work in over 60 parks across the province engaging visitors with stories of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage.

Discovery rangers help our visitors experience the best of what Ontario Parks has to offer by facilitating experiences through educational and interpretive programming.

Piqued your interest? Learn more about how you can join our Discovery team. Continue reading Students: join our Discovery team this summer