Ecological integrity can be a tricky concept to nail down.
But in the simplest terms, it means keeping nature — and all of its component parts — whole.
Planning to visits our parks this fall? Here are the top five ways to keep ecological integrity in mind during your visit:
Continue reading 5 ways to keep ecological integrity in mind this fall
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
When you visit a provincial park, you will likely interact with staff from several departments.
From the gate staff who greet you to the maintenance crew that keep facilities clean, the park operates smoothly because everyone has a role to play in keeping the machine operational.
But there is one team who works so quietly that many of us don’t realize we are witnessing their efforts every day.
That team is the Ontario Parks F.B.I. unit, otherwise known as fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates.
Continue reading F.B.I.: the not-so-Secret Service of Ontario Parks
Today’s post comes from Laura McClintock, a senior park naturalist at Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
Tucked away in a neighborhood an hour north of Toronto lies a sliver of one of the rarest ecosystems in Ontario.
Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park is part of the last 3% of tallgrass prairies left in our province.
The prairie at Holland Landing has changed a lot over time and we’re excited to share with you the changes the provincial park will be going through in the future.
But first, what’s so special about a prairie anyways?
Continue reading Restoring a rare ecosystem at Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park
In today’s post, we’ve compiled emails from some of the wildlife that call provincial parks home.
Keep wildlife wild, respect wildlife, please do not disturb wildlife.
These are common phrases… but what do they really mean?
To help break it down, we have compiled a few recent emails from some of our furry and feathered friends.
Let’s hear what they have to say on how to be a considerate and respectful visitor:
Today’s post comes from Natural Heritage Education Supervisor Alistair MacKenzie at Pinery Provincial Park.
The landscape of Ontario Parks is renowned for being strongholds for myriad species, both common and rare.
A primary objective of Ontario Parks is the maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity, and the strengths of our protected areas are evident in the diversity of life found within.
Together, all of the native species found in Ontario make up the province’s biodiversity. Ontario’s biodiversity consists of species that are abundant and widespread across the province as well as others that are very rare and found only in isolated populations.
It is key to keep all of the species that we have to ensure healthy natural communities continue to thrive and provide ecological services to humans.
Continue reading From the abundant to the rare, parks protect them all
We don’t want to discourage kids from finding magic in nature.
But we’re also kind of like the Lorax; we need to speak for the trees (and all the other critters that live in provincial parks).
Today’s post comes from Rose Brandt, a Discovery student at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
If you’ve been to Bagwa Day-Use Beach at Samuel de Champlain, you might’ve wondered what that seemingly random pile of sand beside the beach is all about.
That would be our artificial turtle nesting site!
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.
We often hear our visitors say how much they fear or hate snakes.
Ophidiophobia, the name for an intense fear of snakes, is certainly a legitimate condition, and we do not judge anyone who struggles with it.
Many of our own staff are working through this fear. No one chooses to have a phobia. The outdoors should be a place for relaxation and rejuvenation, not the constant fear of a chance encounter with a native species.
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!
Continue reading Life after loss: the importance of moose antlers
