From the abundant to the rare, parks protect them all

Today’s post comes from Natural Heritage Education Supervisor Alistair MacKenzie at Pinery Provincial Park.

The landscape of Ontario Parks is renowned for being strongholds for myriad species, both common and rare.

A primary objective of Ontario Parks is the maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity, and the strengths of our protected areas are evident in the diversity of life found within.

Together, all of the native species found in Ontario make up the province’s biodiversity. Ontario’s biodiversity consists of species that are abundant and widespread across the province as well as others that are very rare and found only in isolated populations.

It is key to keep all of the species that we have to ensure healthy natural communities continue to thrive and provide ecological services to humans.

Continue reading From the abundant to the rare, parks protect them all

Why social trails are damaging to provincial parks

Park-lovers are natural explorers, and we love our visitors’ passion for adventure.

Sometimes, we see our visitors create their own shortcuts by cutting through sensitive habitat. This is otherwise known as creating a social trail.

Social trails can have a wide range of damaging effects on protected areas, and we’d like to ask our visitors to always stay on designated trails.

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Building a safe haven with Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park’s artificial turtle nesting site

Today’s post comes from Rose Brandt, a Discovery student at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park. 

If you’ve been to Bagwa Day-Use Beach at Samuel de Champlain, you might’ve wondered what that seemingly random pile of sand beside the beach is all about.

That would be our artificial turtle nesting site!

Continue reading Building a safe haven with Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park’s artificial turtle nesting site

Can we bring painted rocks to the park?

Art and nature go together like columbine flowers and hummingbird tongues.

Indigenous artists express their relationship to land through art; Canada’s Group of Seven found inspiration in several Ontario Parks; parks offer residency programs, and our park visitors find many artistic ways to capture their memories. We love it when visitors share their artistic creations with us.

However, a new trend is starting to cause problems province-wide: the painted rock.

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Why are snakes so misunderstood?

We often hear our visitors say how much they fear or hate snakes.

Ophidiophobia, the name for an intense fear of snakes, is certainly a legitimate condition, and we do not judge anyone who struggles with it.

Many of our own staff are working through this fear. No one chooses to have a phobia. The outdoors should be a place for relaxation and rejuvenation, not the constant fear of a chance encounter with a native species.

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Life after loss: the importance of moose antlers

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!

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The scoop on dog poop: why all scat is not the same

Part of being a good pet owner and park visitor is cleaning up after your dog.

“Stoop and scoop” is a phrase all pet owners have heard for decades, yet park staff are often asked: “why do I need to pick up after my dog when wildlife poop does not need to be picked up?”

It’s a good question. How is dog poop different from raccoon, coyote, moose or even bear scat?

As it turns out, not all scat is the same.

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Our 2022 Turtle Protection Project results: a reason to “shell”ebrate!

We’ve got some “egg-citing” news!

In 2022, we went on a mission to protect Ontario’s at-risk turtles.

It was a huge success! In fact, at one park, we had our first Painted Turtle hatchling emerge from a nest in ten years!

And it wouldn’t have been possible without our “turtley” awesome donors and the Turtle Protection Project.

Continue reading Our 2022 Turtle Protection Project results: a reason to “shell”ebrate!

Turtles: the ultimate survivors

In today’s post, Discovery Leader Olivia Bennett discusses turtles’ impact on Grundy Lake Provincial Park — and vice versa!

When I first started working at Grundy Lake, I was talking turtles with our park superintendent when someone asked, “Why do you care so much about turtles here?”

The answer is simple: while the park boasts a healthy turtle population and quality habitat, other areas are not so lucky.

This is only the beginning of why we should all care about turtles.

Continue reading Turtles: the ultimate survivors