In today’s post, Anna Winge-Breen shares her journey from childhood visitor to Algonquin Provincial Park Discovery Ranger.
We all have at least one childhood experience, so crisp and profound that it has become nearly inseparable from our identity.
A memory that is so deep in your heart, thinking of it brings you right back to a feeling of excitement so exuberant it could be felt only by a child.
For me, this memory is my summers spent in Algonquin.
You’ve just paddled your heart out to get to your campsite. You put on your flannel and grab your axe to prepare your campfire.
Something about being in the wilderness that brings out our inner woodsperson.
We know the feeling.
However, for the preservation of your toes, please read this before you swing that axe!
This is a story about garbage.
It wasn’t a quick journey. It took a plane ride, some paddling in a canoe, portaging, more paddling, another plane ride, and a drive on the highway.
This garbage was left in Algonquin Provincial Park’s remote backcountry, something that, unfortunately, happens far too often.
Continue reading Planes, paddles and portages: a journey of garbage
In today’s post comes from Alistair MacKenzie, Discovery Supervisor at Pinery Provincial Park, shares one of his parks exciting new conservation technologies: ecopassages.
I have a lot to thank my parents for, not the least of which is for introducing me to nature as a young child.
When my family immigrated to Canada, we began exploring Ontario and seeking out opportunities to witness natural phenomena and wild species. Soon, this behaviour led us to Algonquin Provincial Park, and we started making frequent pilgrimages there in all seasons.
Continue reading A mouse, a beast, and a ghost: who’s using Pinery’s ecopassage?
Cellphones have changed our lives in many ways. It seems like there’s an app available to cater to our every need, from baking to banking and all things in between.
In Ontario Parks, we generally encourage green time over screen time, however there’s one app we believe every visitor should have on their phone.
Continue reading The cat and the Mudbug: a guide to using iNaturalist
Today’s post comes from David LeGros, a Natural Heritage Education Specialist at Algonquin Provincial Park.
I spent most of my youth in rubber boots and obsessed with nature. I was always looking for interesting animals and plants.
There are a few creatures then, just like now, that always inspire me.
Top of my list: the Snapping Turtle.
Salamanders are iconic and influential members of northern forest communities. As one of the most abundant vertebrates in eastern North American forests, salamanders are considered “keystone species” because of their disproportionate roles as predators and prey in regulating food webs, nutrient cycling, and contributing to ecosystem resilience-resistance.
In addition to fulfilling key ecological functions, amphibians are our modern-day “canaries in the coal mine,” serving as a measure of environmental health.
Continue reading The Spotted Salamander, harbinger of spring
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.
When most of us picture winter ice, we conjure up mental images of skating rinks and icicles. But did you know there’s a lot of variety in wintry water formations?
From frozen falls to ice volcanoes, winter water is quite a sight to behold:
“The early bird gets the worm” usually makes us think of robins.
But the real early bird isn’t Robin Red-Breast. It’s the Canada Jay, also known as the whiskeyjack or Gray Jay.
