Life after loss: the importance of moose antlers

Today’s post comes from Jazmin Gall, Acting Assistant Discovery Leader at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.

Moose are, without a doubt, a magnificent sight to see.

Having the opportunity to see one while camping is a memory that can last a lifetime. It’s something that never gets old.

Despite their size, moose can sometimes be tricky to spot. So when we find evidence of them like their tracks or fallen antlers, it’s an exciting day!

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For the pollinators! Two pollinator gardens you can visit and learn about this year

Gardens are not something you typically think of when it comes to Ontario Parks, considering we preserve many of Ontario’s natural landscapes. But there’s one type of garden we’re happy to build in our parks: pollinator gardens!

Last summer, two southeastern parks worked hard to build and establish new pollinator gardens. Why? Because planting native plants supports biodiversity and helps our pollinators, some of which have populations in dramatic decline.

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Loons are like campers — they love their park!

`In today’s post, Kettle Lakes Provincial Park‘s senior park naturalist Sarah Wiebe shows us that loons and campers aren’t so different!

Just like many families, Common Loons choose Kettle Lakes as the place to stay with their family in the summer.

You could say that loon families love parks as much as we do!

Like many visitors, I grew up visiting parks, spending every summer of my childhood exploring shorelines and lakes.

I would spend hours making sandcastles at Arrowhead Provincial Park, splashing in the water at Balsam Lake Provincial Park, going fishing in The Massasauga Provincial Park, and paddling through Algonquin Provincial Park.

I can easily say that I love parks.

As I was watching a family of loons return to the lake near our staff house at Kettle Lakes this spring, it got me thinking about how loons like to spend their summers in Ontario Parks, too!

By observing the loons, I’ve noticed that loons love parks as much we do.

Continue reading Loons are like campers — they love their park!

Explore nature with our Discovery program!

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.

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We see you!

In honour of Pride Month, Park Naturalist Jared Sanders takes us through some of the species that aren’t afraid to stand out in Pinery Provincial Park.

Every time I go for a hike at Pinery, whether alone or with visitors, I fall back in love with the scenic nature.

In the winter, the chilly blues and whites freeze the trees in a hauntingly beautiful sight. The deep viridian of cedars and pines serve as a reminder of just how much life is hiding away.

Spring heralds the sight of fresh growth. Starting with the mosses amongst the brown leaf litter, quickly followed by the vibrant greens of the ephemerals and new leaves.

Summer continues with visions of beachy days. The desert-like beige of the sand is only tamed by cool, refreshing cerulean from the lake or the emerald leaves above giving solace from the warm haze of the sun.

Fall lights the trees ablaze with hues of red, orange, and yellow. A warm goodbye to most of our wildlife as they prepare to hunker down or head south as things continue to cool.

Continue reading We see you!

Turtles: the ultimate survivors

In today’s post, Discovery Leader Olivia Bennett discusses turtles’ impact on Grundy Lake Provincial Park — and vice versa!

When I first started working at Grundy Lake, I was talking turtles with our park superintendent when someone asked, “Why do you care so much about turtles here?”

The answer is simple: while the park boasts a healthy turtle population and quality habitat, other areas are not so lucky.

This is only the beginning of why we should all care about turtles.

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Ontario Parks featured in CSA-nominated videos!

Did you know our parks, moths, and Discovery staff were featured in an episode of TVOKids Leo’s Pollinators Explorer Club?

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The series was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Children’s or Youth Non-Fiction Program or Series!

These awards are the Canadian equivalent to the Emmy Awards.

We caught up with our three Ontario Parks stars featured in this episode for an exclusive interview to learn more about their experience:

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What makes the Great Lakes so great?

In today’s blog, Discovery Project Program Coordinator Jessica Stillman reflects on our mutual relationship with the Great Lakes.

Our human history is reflected in their waters.

The Great Lakes capture our past, influence our present, and inspire our future. 

Imagine the stories they could tell.

These bodies of water are called the Great Lakes for a reason: from their size (the largest surface freshwater system on Earth) to their role in our collective history, where do we even begin to share what makes them great?

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The joy of answering interesting questions

In our “Behind the Scenes” series, Discovery Program staff across the province share a backstage glimpse of their favourite programs and projects. Today’s post comes from Anna Scuhr, Discovery Program staff member at Lake Superior Provincial Park.

Many joys come along with being an Ontario Parks’ Discovery Guide. We work in some of Ontario’s most beautiful places, with coworkers who share our passions, and a job that is never dull.

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Stars over Killarney 2022 recap: an Ontario Parks event 4.5 billion years in the making

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:

Continue reading Stars over Killarney 2022 recap: an Ontario Parks event 4.5 billion years in the making