As the cold weather hits, opportunities to view a stunning array of fall colours are popping up around the province.
Ontario Parks is committed to making our parks as accessible as possible for visitors. If you’re planning a trip, we’ve rounded up a list of parks with accessibility features that are perfect for viewing the beauty of fall.
Today’s post comes from Jess Matthews, chief park naturalist at Rondeau Provincial Park. Special thanks to Kevin Gevaert for providing Prothonotary Warblers photos!
Close your eyes.
Try to imagine a spring with no birdsong.
A spring without flashes of colour flitting through the bushes.
A silent forest void of oranges, yellows, blues, and reds…
…it may be hard to imagine, especially if you spend springtime in Rondeau Provincial Park, where migrating warblers appear to be dripping from the branches in all colours of the rainbow.
While such a dire situation may be difficult for us to imagine, the reality for one spring singer is one of disappearance, silence, and extinction.
The Prothonotary Warbler is currently listed as endangered in Canada, which means it is facing imminent extirpation (no longer exists in Canada) or extinction.
Wondering where to go for your summer vacation?
Look no further, because Rondeau Provincial Park might just be the perfect getaway for you and your family!
Located on Lake Erie, Rondeau is a host of incredible biodiversity. There’s plenty to see and do during your trip, and lots to explore, from sandy dunes to beautiful Carolinian forests.
Here are five reasons we think you should plan a trip to Rondeau:
National Indigenous Peoples Day invites us to learn more about Indigenous history, perspectives and culture, and helps us build stronger relationships rooted in mutual respect and understanding.
We’re taking the opportunity to spotlight some of the wonderful initiatives and events shared with us by Indigenous leaders and communities across Ontario:
Continue reading Greetings, Boozhoo, Aaniin, Sekoh, Wachay, Ullakut!
Today’s post comes from Jess Matthews, a Chief Park Naturalist at Rondeau Provincial Park.
A change was needed at the Rondeau Visitor Centre and we wanted it to be big.
We worked with three different local Indigenous communities over five years to generate something amazing.
Ontario Parks is pleased to unveil a new outdoor activity that we hope will help connect you and your family to our amazing system of parks!
We’ve teamed up with Adventure Lab to create seven unique “Adventures” that teach you about our protected spaces!
Continue reading Adventure Lab: are you ready for an adventure?
It’s probably no surprise that hiking is good for your health, but it might surprise you that the benefits reach from head to toe!
Check out the brain and body benefits of hiking:
Today’s post comes from Laura Penner, a Discovery Program Group Leader at Rondeau Provincial Park.
Thousands of birdwatchers flock to Rondeau each spring to take part in one of natures most spectacular events, the annual songbird migration.
The male warblers, in their attempt to attract mates, are in their finest plumage with bold patterns and bright colours. Their unique songs fill the air! Beginner birders focus on the bird’s appearance to identify it. For more advanced birders, the songs may help identify birds that aren’t out in the open putting on a show.
But for those who are ready to take their warbler identification skills to the next level, there is the fall migration!
Continue reading Fall warbler migration at Rondeau Provincial Park
In today’s post, Rondeau Provincial Park Interpreter Shane Smits will take us through identifying just a few of the many sparrow species found in Ontario.
For several reasons, whether rightfully so or not, sparrows are often overlooked when it comes to birdwatching.
For starters, they tend to be plentiful. There are usually many sparrows seen hopping around near the forest floor or within dense cover.
But seemingly the most common reason to overlook sparrows amongst beginner bird watchers — that “all sparrows look the same” — is actually a misconception.
This is admittedly something that I have said on multiple occasions. Here’s why it’s wrong. Yes, all sparrows have their similarities. But after spending some time getting to know these little brown birds, their differences become more apparent.
In today’s post, Caitlin Sparks, a Senior Park Interpreter, shares a wonderful species-at-risk success story from Rondeau Provincial Park.
The Barn Swallow is a commonly seen bird around southern Ontario.
Actually, the most common and widespread of swallow species in the world!
So why, might you ask, are their numbers declining so much that they’re deemed a “threatened” species in Ontario? And what are we doing to help protect them?
