This is a journey 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
Many campers like to jump into the Halloween spirit by decorating their campsites.
But certain decorations can be harmful to the environment.
Here’s how you can create a super spooky campsite AND protect Ontario’s ecological integrity at the same time.
Today’s post comes from Mitch Kostecki, Assistant Superintendent at White Lake Provincial Park.
If you have ever visited Neys Provincial Park, you know that it’s a gem found along the northern shore of Lake Superior.
Neys is known for its beautiful scenery along Superior’s rugged coastline, home to Lawren Harris’ famous painting “Pic Island,” and even has a history of being one of several POW camps located throughout northwestern Ontario during World War II.
What Neys isn’t quite as well known for? The excellent fishing opportunities found along that same rugged coastline.
Continue reading Studying Coaster Brook Trout at Neys Provincial Park
You’ve recently unwrapped the latest iphone or a shiny new digital camera, perhaps an SLR with some fancy lenses.
Now you have itchy shutter fingers. You’re ready to point our camera at something spectacular and capture a beautiful memory forever. But where to go?
Not to brag, but Ontario Parks are beautiful, iconic places. Covering nearly 10% of the province and protecting some of Ontario’s most rare and scenic habitats, our parks are home to a variety of wildlife, from fascinating insects to enormous moose.
Basically, they’re a photographer’s dreamscape.
We’re animal lovers too. We know how exhilarating wildlife encounters can be. We understand how badly you want that perfect photo.
But before you hit the road, ask yourself: is taking the perfect photograph worth risking an animal’s life or an ecosystem’s health?
If your answer is “no,” check out our list of seven common photography infractions to ensure you’re keeping our parks safe and healthy.
Today, Market Development Specialist Andrea Coulter will take us through the many benefits of the menstrual cup while camping.
If you’ve ever camped with a period, you’ll know it can make the happiest of campers see, well…red. It can be a major inconvenience along the trail or portage. Instead of enjoying the view, you’re thinking about the closest place to change your tampon.
A little over a year ago, I made the switch to a menstrual cup and it forever changed my period, on and off the trail.
Here’s a few reasons to consider making the switch to a menstrual cup:
Continue reading Going with the “flow”: how a menstrual cup will make you a happy backcountry camper
Today’s post comes from Emily Wright, a Discovery Leader at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. The park is surrounded by three crystal-clear lakes, and that rich biodiversity inspired Emily to take us on an aquatic tour of Ontario’s lakes and some of the complex life cycles contained within, from hard-working microbe clean-up crews to feisty Largemouth Bass.
Cannonballing into a refreshing lake, casting a line hoping for the “big one,” dipping your paddle into serene waters, or simply enjoying the shifting lights dancing across the water’s surface on a sunny day…
Lakes offer us a plethora of enjoyment, both invigorating as you take a brisk swim, or peaceful and relaxing as you watch a sunset turn the waters from blue-green to wine red.
Today Yvette Bree, a Discovery Leader at Sandbanks Provincial Park for over 30 years, shares some thoughts about this season.
2020 will go down as — to put it mildly — a difficult year for many people.
Although affected by the world around me, I choose to acknowledge that I am pretty lucky: I live in a great country, a great province, and have enjoyed a career in a stunningly beautiful park.
Continue reading Worst of the worst: a naturalist’s list of the most harmful types of litter
Art and nature go together like columbine flowers and hummingbird tongues.
Indigenous artists express their relationship to land through art; Canada’s Group of Seven found inspiration in several Ontario Parks; parks offer residency programs, and our park visitors find many artistic ways to capture their memories. We love it when visitors share their artistic creations with us.
However, a new trend is starting to cause problems province-wide: the painted rock.
Are you new to camping, or maybe a park veteran looking to brush up on your knowledge?
We’ve assembled a handy guide to all the terms you’ll need to know and understand before you visit the park…
For a while, park staff have been wondering: why do some of our guests who come to visit natural environments feel compelled to leave their mark on that beach, waterfall, or lookout after they’ve left?
At MacGregor Point Provincial Park, we’ve noticed some changes being made to our shorelines by well-meaning sun-seekers who visit our beach for a short time, but leave behind structures made of driftwood.
Staff in our park and others have disassembled several driftwood forts upon discovering them on our beaches, which can be a dangerous task.
Let’s talk about why we’d prefer our visitors to leave driftwood where it lies, and some fun things you can do at the beach instead of building forts.
Continue reading Driftwood: shaping shorelines and completing communities
