Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
Parks are magical places.
I don’t need to convince you of this.
But sometimes, we all need a little help unlocking the magic around us. That’s where Discovery Guides and Exploration stations come in!
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.
Today’s post comes from Peter Gallagher, coordinator of the annual Sleeping Giant Loppet.
Looking to ski your winter blues away?
The annual Sleeping Giant Loppet is a mass participation cross-country skiing festival on the spectacular trail system of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
The Loppet is a longstanding winter tradition for many northwestern Ontario families. Mark your calendars: the 44th edition of the event is on Saturday, March 2, 2024!
Stars over Killarney is an annual festival celebrating the connection between the beauty of Killarney Provincial Park with an element of astronomical knowledge.
This year’s theme, “From the Earth to the moon, Mars, and beyond!” celebrated the connection between the wondrous geology of Killarney and the study of the moon, Mars, and asteroids.
Take a look at all the fun that took place this year:
What is it that you love most about camping?
The smell of campfire, the sound of the birds chirping in the forest, or that food just tastes better cooked outside?
There’s something about nature that calls to us, beckoning us to return to our favourite parks year after year.
But what if you don’t have a favourite park yet?
What if you’ve never visited a park at all, felt the fall leaves crush beneath your boots, or heard the enchanting call of the loon?
Before this summer, that was the case for just over 150 Ukrainian refugee children and their families.
Thanks to our partners and generous donors, these families experienced their first ever trip to Ontario Parks this season.
Continue reading Fun in the sun: bringing Ukrainian families to parks
Imagine walking through the forest during a nice sunny day. You hear birds chirping, see the fall colours rustle in the breeze, and watch squirrels gathering food. We stop; we take pictures; we enjoy.
Now take that same trail at dusk.
You just had a flash of danger.
Today’s blog comes from Jessica Stillman, School Outreach Coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words: counting, measuring, weighing, and calculating?
For us, it’s connection!
Today’s article comes from our bird recording specialists, Zone Ecologist Ed Morris and Zone Operations Technician Rebecca Rogge.
Birds are interesting. Most are visually striking, with noteworthy songs to match their brilliant feathers.
They are also very important.
Birds contribute to the health of our environment. They disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and help to control insect populations.
They have direct and indirect effects on human health and well-being as well.
The medical community recognizes the health benefits of spending time with nature and for many people, their connection with the natural world is through birds.
Continue reading Monitoring birds in northern protected areas
With the end of summer approaching, our Learn to Camp – Book an Ambassador program is winding down for the season.
Whether you learned how to build campfires, became familiar with Ontario’s wildlife, or participated in another one of our educational programs, our ambassadors hope to see you in our park next summer mastering your newly-learned skills!
Continue reading Saying farewell to summer with Learn to Camp
Stars over Killarney is an annual festival celebrating the connection between the beauty of Killarney Provincial Park with an element of astronomical knowledge.
This year’s theme is “From the Earth to the moon, Mars, and beyond!”.
Come join us on our exploration of how the Earth’s geology helps us to understand the moon and planets and, conversely, how a knowledge of our solar system can help us to unravel the Earth’s history and its possible future.
Continue reading Stars over Killarney 2022: from the Earth to the moon, Mars and beyond!
