Author: Ontario Parks

Winter adventures at Algonquin Provincial Park

Algonquin Provincial Park is one of the most iconic places in Ontario all year round, and that’s for good reason!

With so many activities to try, the vast winter landscape is an opportunity for you to choose your own adventure.

Snowshoeing through the forest is rewarded by the scenic vistas and solitude. Winter camping gives you a stunning a view of the moon casting long shadows through the trees on a clear winter night. Making a discovery of your own by following tracks along the path is a real treat.

New this year: come to the West Gate on weekends for a campfire and fireside chats with park naturalists!

Here are seven reasons you need to visit this winter:

Continue reading Winter adventures at Algonquin Provincial Park

December’s digital download

Don’t stay inside pining for warmer weather!

There’s tons of things to do (and wildlife to see) while visiting parks in the winter! Check out our Visiting in Winter page for more info!

This month’s FREE digital download features a Pine Marten spotted at Algonquin Provincial Park.

The elusive Pine Marten is a captivating predator in Ontario’s northern forests.

In preparation for winter, they grow fur between the pads of their toes, creating a snowshoe effect that allows them to walk on deep snow. The solitary, agile Pine Marten expertly navigates in the winter months, diving underneath snow to hunt in tunnels made by Red Squirrels.

Captivated by the Pine Marten? It’s one of the four winter animals featured in our greeting card set!

Continue reading December’s digital download

How do chipmunks prepare for and live through winter?

Today’s post comes from Gabriel Argenti, a Discovery Student at Rondeau Provincial Park.

As winter approaches, most wildlife undergoes seasonal changes or new habits.

Some animals prepare for the cold by storing food away, going into hibernation, eating to gain weight, growing a thicker coat. Others migrate south to warmer climates to wait out the season.

Let’s take a look at one animal in particular, the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), and see how they make it through the coldest time of the year.

Continue reading How do chipmunks prepare for and live through winter?

Woodpeckers 101

Today’s post comes from Barb Rees, our Discovery Program and Marketing Specialist in the Northwest Zone of Ontario Parks.

Winter is a great time to watch for woodpeckers. Why? Simply because there are less leaves on trees making most birds more visible.

Typically, there are also more birdfeeders placed out in the winter than the summer (since the bears are hibernating). So attracting birds closer to your home makes bird-watching possible right from the warmth of your living room window.

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Don’t leave it hanging

Our trees are spectacular organisms. They make oxygen, can live to be quite old, have beautiful foliage, provide homes and food for countless wildlife, and through transpiration of water through their leaves, can even influence the weather.

Maybe our trees do deserve some form of decoration or recognition?

I was out in my park the other day, and with the leaves gone, I did notice some brightly coloured decorations on a tree down the trail.

Continue reading Don’t leave it hanging

Your winter preparedness guide

If you’re reading this, you’re likely a human being with a core body temperature around 37ºC.

Your body works very hard to maintain this temperature. If it drops even a few degrees, moving, thinking, and other basic tasks become difficult. You will need to warm up quickly, or you may find yourself in a dangerous situation.

To prevent cold-related emergencies, it’s important to plan your winter adventures with care.

Our friends at Subaru Canada want to share the best ways to stay safe in cold weather:

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Butterball’s story

Today’s post comes to us from David Bree, former Discovery Program Lead at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.

Butterball was a bit of a miracle child.

The way the year went, it was amazing that his egg was ever laid, let alone hatched. And he never should have flown.

But, somehow, he did.

To truly understand Butterball’s story, and the miracle it was, we must go back eight years. And oh yeah, you should know: Butterball is a Common Tern.

Continue reading Butterball’s story

Where can a paddle take you?

In today’s post, Rondeau Provincial Park‘s Chief Park Naturalist Jess Matthews takes us back in time…

There may be a time when you used your paddle to get through white caps. At other times, it leisurely pulled you over still wetlands.

They are a lifeline. Solid, reliable; something that won’t break down on whatever journey you may be on.

But what if we told you that a paddle can also take you through time to the very beginning of the provincial park system? A time when the only two superintendents in Ontario Parks were 600 km away from each other, and correspondence was mainly though letters.

Just two paddles are the tangible pieces of history that connects Algonquin Provincial Park and Rondeau Provincial Park through a story of beginnings, friendships, and marriage.

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The amazing journey of Ontario’s provincial tree

What is it about White Pine? No other tree species in Ontario seems to inspire as much reverence and passion.

The history of White Pine is deeply intertwined with the history of people in Ontario. It has been an important species for Indigenous people for millennia, played a huge role in establishing Ontario’s cities, and has faced some tough challenges, including one that led to one of our province’s most amazing ecological restoration stories.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves — let’s start at the beginning!

Continue reading The amazing journey of Ontario’s provincial tree