Tag: moths

Surviving with sounds: the Luna Moth’s story

Today’s post comes from Senior Park Naturalist Kelsey Fenwick from Blue Lake Provincial Park.

For many, the Luna Moth’s beautiful appearance is a special sight that elicits a sense of curiosity and wonder. For the Luna Moth, its appearance is a clever trick to avoid becoming a bat’s snack!

The first time I spotted a Luna Moth as a child, I was fascinated. I wondered if I had discovered some kind of fairy or other magical creature!

It was the first time an insect had ever caught my attention and curiosity.

Continue reading Surviving with sounds: the Luna Moth’s story

5 marvelous moth facts

Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

Moths are marvelous!

While we may mock their desire to go towards the light, they lead interesting and diverse lives.

With over 2,800 species of moths recorded in Ontario on iNaturalist, we wanted to shed some light on five moth facts that we think you need to know this National Moth Week: Continue reading 5 marvelous moth facts

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:

Continue reading 5 common moths and how to identify them

How 6 species at Ontario Parks survive the winter

Today’s post was written by Connor Oke, past marketing intern at Ontario Parks, using information provided by Assistant Superintendent Mark Read at Murphys Point Provincial Park.

If Canada is known for one thing, it’s for our long, cold winters.

Wild animals rely on evolution and natural adaptations to survive until spring. The strategies they’ve developed are varied and, simply, incredible.

Here are six species, sporting six different ways Ontario Parks’ wildlife makes it through the winter:

Continue reading How 6 species at Ontario Parks survive the winter

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, School Outreach Coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

What is ferocious like a lion, fast like a tiger, or hibernates like a bear?

These three amazing insects!

Antlions, tiger beetles, and Woolly Bear Caterpillars might not be the first things that pop into your mind when you think of a furry or ferocious predator, but believe me, these small critters are mighty impressive!

Continue reading Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Hitting the MOTHerlode at Rondeau

Today’s post comes Kevin Gevaert, senior Discovery staff at Rondeau Provincial Park. 

Not too many people are fond of the idea of staying in the forest when it gets dark.

It might sound sound discouraging or even scary to most, but experiencing Rondeau Provincial Park’s forest at night is something you won’t soon forget!

The billions of stars in the night sky, the sound of owls hooting, coyotes howling in the distance, and the odd mosquitos buzzing are all part of the magic that makes nighttime here at Rondeau so special.

Things really start to appear when we shine a bit of light on the subject!

Continue reading Hitting the MOTHerlode at Rondeau

When the sun goes down at Killarney

In today’s post, Biologist Intern Michelle Lawrence gives us an insider look at Killarney’s “nightlife,” and shares how staff are working to protect the park’s bat populations.

Killarney Provincial Park has been called “a crown jewel of the provincial parks system” by some, and it’s not hard to see why.

With white quartzite mountains and sparkling blue lakes, Killarney is truly a sight to behold. In Killarney’s wilderness, White Pine grow, live, and die; Moose munch on water lilies; and the forests and wetlands teem with warblers and other songbirds.

But when the sun goes down, not everyone in the park goes to sleep…

Continue reading When the sun goes down at Killarney

The Murphys Point moth craze

This post comes to us from Mark Read, an interpretive naturalist at Murphys Point Provincial Park.

Most people have a love/hate relationship with moths. But believe it or not, moths are the latest craze to hit Murphys Point Provincial Park!

With moths that range in size from as big as your hand to smaller than a grain of rice, staff at the park have been documenting this understudied group for the last few years.

As a result, the park list has grown from 56 known species in 2015 to a whopping 673! That’s 617 more species identified in the park in just three years!

Continue reading The Murphys Point moth craze