Today’s post comes from Ontario Parks’ Northwest Zone.
Did you know that bats play important roles in our ecosystems and are unique in being the only type of mammals that can truly fly?
All bats in Ontario are nocturnal predators that feed primarily on insects like moths and mosquitoes. There are eight different bat species across Ontario, including three species at risk: Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis, Eastern Small-footed Myotis, and Tri-colored Bat.
What do turtles and reusable water bottles have in common? More than you might imagine.
Turtles need our help, and we’ve partnered with our friends at Chilly Moose (and their reusable bottles) to help meet the challenge! Continue reading Turtles love water (bottles!)
Today’s blog post comes from Sara Moore, a Discovery student at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
Have you ever wondered what makes a sunset so special?
What gives them their beautiful colours?
Today’s blog post comes from bird researchers Alex Sutton and Koley Freeman, PhD candidates at the University of Guelph.
In the world of Canada Jays, winter means one thing: it’s breeding season!
Canada Jays are common in Algonquin Provincial Park. Continuing a 55 year-old tradition, a dedicated team of researchers is monitoring breeding pairs. This is the longest study of its kind in the world!
With each passing year, more is learned about the breeding behaviour and life history of these remarkable birds.
Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
Our scientists are absolutely integral to Ontario Parks, working as researchers, biologists, ecologists, and more!
Take a look at a few of our awesome women scientists:
Continue reading International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022
Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
Our scientists are absolutely integral to Ontario Parks, working as researchers, biologists, ecologists, and more!
Continue reading International Women and Girls in Science Day 2021
Today’s post comes from Samantha Stephens, a science and conservation photojournalist who spent this past summer in residence at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station.
The excitement of discovery is a feeling everyone has experienced. Finding a new favourite hiking spot or adding a “lifer” to your birding list are some familiar examples for nature lovers.
For a naturalist, the most thrilling of discoveries comes from observing well-known species interact in a way that hasn’t been documented before.
That’s what happened to Patrick Moldowan, a PhD student from the University of Toronto who leads a long-term study of spotted salamanders in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Patrick spends his summers living at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, documenting various aspects of salamander populations.
And that’s what led him to be a part of discovering that carnivorous plants are eating baby salamanders.
Continue reading Carnivorous Pitcher Plants found at Algonquin
Ever wondered about or wanted to pursue scientific research in a provincial park? Today’s post from Northwest Zone Ecologist Intern Lindsey Boyd and Northwest Senior Assistant Zone Ecologist Evan McCaul should answer your questions.
Spread throughout Ontario, our 340 provincial parks protect 8.27 million hectares of land and 1.3 million hectares of lakes and rivers. There are also 295 conservation reserves that form a protected areas network along with parks. From mosses to moose, protected areas provide endless research topics and opportunities.
Scientifically speaking, protected areas are an excellent place to conduct research. They can be used as a reference site to measure natural conditions within a broader landscape study, or provide an excellent place to study climate effects on species and systems in a place with fewer human pressures like roads or high levels of noise, light, and air pollution.
Continue reading The importance of research in Ontario Parks
Today’s post comes from Park Naturalist Roger LaFontaine, a classically trained biologist and amateur Sasquatch researcher. He has spent nearly two decades researching and documenting the occurrence of Sasquatch in Ontario.
I have always had an interest in the creatures that others were not fond of: invertebrates under a log, salamanders in the soil, nocturnal creepy crawlies, and even a shy mammal that stays just beyond the light of my campfire.
My interest in obscure creatures began many years ago when I found a strange track along the bank of a river…
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…
