Today’s post comes from Shannon Walshe, biologist at Wabakimi Provincial Park.
Peering out from among the trees, I am certain these curious animals watched us as we paddled by.
We know they exist, but they’re so seldom seen that they’re referred to as “the grey ghosts.”
Wabakimi Provincial Park is home to the elusive creature known as the Woodland Caribou, at the southernmost edge of their range.
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?
Today, we join Discovery and Marketing Specialist Dave Sproule for a chat about the ecological and cultural significance of the beaver, which became Canada’s official symbol in 1975.
We all know beavers are industrious. They build dams, canals and sturdy homes called lodges, which are warm in winter. They repair all those dams and collect enough food to survive long northern winters.
We know beavers are well-suited to the Canadian environment. Beavers are amphibious — they’re more at home in the water than on land — with webbed hind feet, nostrils that can close, a third see-through eyelid that protects the eye when they’re underwater, and a big flat tail that acts as a rudder while swimming.
However, the biggest reason to celebrate the beaver is that it built Canada, shaping both its historical and ecological landscape.
Our parks are wearing the green this St. Patrick’s Day and you don’t have to be Irish to appreciate it!
“You do need to be observant, though,” says Algonquin Provincial Park biologist Alison Lake. “But it will be well worth the effort.”
Taking St. Patrick’s Day stroll? Here are 7 shades of green you might spot in our parks:
Exploring remote forests, searching for rare species. Trekking through fields in hot, heavy gear to eradicate invasive ones. Using technology to monitor the ecosystems in parks and conservation reserves, and communicating conservation science to Ontario’s decision-makers.
Working as a biologist for Ontario Parks is sometimes action-packed and always rewarding.
Are you dreaming of spending your days working to protect and enhance ecological integrity in protected areas?
Well, here are five top tips from Ontario Parks ecologists to help make your dream a reality:
Continue reading So you want to be an Ontario Parks ecologist
Today’s blog post comes from bird researchers Alex Sutton and Koley Freeman, PhD candidates at the University of Guelph.
In the world of Canada Jays, winter means one thing: it’s breeding season!
Canada Jays are common in Algonquin Provincial Park. Continuing a 55 year-old tradition, a dedicated team of researchers is monitoring breeding pairs. This is the longest study of its kind in the world!
With each passing year, more is learned about the breeding behaviour and life history of these remarkable birds.
Imagine you’re standing in Pinery Provincial Park.
You close your eyes and take in the peace of nature all around you. All of the sudden, a loud yodel interrupts the quiet! That unbelievable sound is actually thousands of birds yodeling en masse as they fly over the park in search of their next feeding ground.
This unforgettable experience is courtesy of the Tundra Swan.
We’d like to highlight one of the greatest threats to Ontario’s natural soil systems – earthworms!
Yes, you read that correctly. Many of us have a hard time picturing earthworms as a destructive force. After all, who hasn’t been told that they’re natural composters, food for cheerfully bopping robins in the spring, and great recyclers in our gardens?
But there’s one important fact about earthworms that most people aren’t aware of: they’re not supposed to be here.
Happy International Polar Bear Day!
Ontario’s frozen ocean coastline and ice flows of Hudson Bay and James Bay are home to the world’s largest predator on four legs. The story of the Polar Bear is one of survival and adaptation in one of the world’s coldest regions. Continue reading The Polar Bear: Ontario’s arctic giant
Our naturalists don’t hibernate for the winter, and they’ve spotted some pretty neat creature tracks in the snow.
When you’re doing your own snow sleuthing, try these winter tracking tips.
We’re inviting you to test your wildlife identification skills!
So tell us, snow sleuths: who made these tracks?
