Fascinating fall fungi at Frontenac

From yeast fungi (responsible for leavening bread) to mold (we’ve all forgotten about food for just a little too long), the world of fungi is a large and fascinating one.

But the role fungi play in our natural environment is perhaps one of the most important roles of all.

Have you ever wondered how old tree stumps break down and are slowly reclaimed by the forest floor? Or how plants are able to obtain water and nutrients essential for their survival?

The answer is fungi.

Fungi are the powerhouses of forest ecosystems. They are the best wood decomposers found in the natural environment and form relationships with nearly 90% of the world’s land plants

At Frontenac Provincial Park, over 700 species of fungi have been identified in our forests.

Let’s find out some interesting facts about a handful of them:

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5 common moths and how to identify them

Today’s blog comes from Murphys Point Provincial Park Assistant Superintendent Mark Read. 

With an ever-increasing interest in some of the smaller wildlife found in our provincial parks, moths are quickly becoming the new park stars!

In fact, when looking at Ontario Parks’ iNaturalist project, you can find five native species sitting right up there amongst some of the most frequently observed wildlife across our entire network of parks.

Here are 5 of the most common moth species found in Ontario Parks:

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3 ways to level up your birding

Today’s post comes from marketing specialist and birding enthusiast, Tanya Berkers. 

When Ontario Parks signed on as a supporter of the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, I eagerly volunteered on one of the organizing committees.

I love birding, and the Atlas is an important volunteer-dependent project that supports conservation and environmental policy across the entire province.

I wanted to contribute to the Atlas both behind the scenes and as an active data collector.

There is just one problem: I am not a strong birder, and have lots of gaps in my knowledge!

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“What the heck is that?!”: when to #AskanOPNaturalist

Today’s post comes from David LeGros, a park naturalist with the Ontario Parks Discovery Program.

“I’ve never seen one of those” is among my favorite sentences.

There’s a scary thing that happens the longer you look into nature. The more you find, the more you find out that you don’t know that much. It can be an intimidating feeling, but also, an exciting feeling.

Your mind is about to be blown.

Repeatedly.

Continue reading “What the heck is that?!”: when to #AskanOPNaturalist