Category: Ecological Integrity

Loons are like campers — they love their park!

`In today’s post, Kettle Lakes Provincial Park‘s senior park naturalist Sarah Wiebe shows us that loons and campers aren’t so different!

Just like many families, Common Loons choose Kettle Lakes as the place to stay with their family in the summer.

You could say that loon families love parks as much as we do!

Like many visitors, I grew up visiting parks, spending every summer of my childhood exploring shorelines and lakes.

I would spend hours making sandcastles at Arrowhead Provincial Park, splashing in the water at Balsam Lake Provincial Park, going fishing in The Massasauga Provincial Park, and paddling through Algonquin Provincial Park.

I can easily say that I love parks.

As I was watching a family of loons return to the lake near our staff house at Kettle Lakes this spring, it got me thinking about how loons like to spend their summers in Ontario Parks, too!

By observing the loons, I’ve noticed that loons love parks as much we do.

Continue reading Loons are like campers — they love their park!

Just for the gull of it!

In today’s post, Awenda’s Chief Park Naturalist Tim Tully defends what some may think is the undefendable: the gull. 

If there was ever an animal that gets a raw deal, it’s the gull.

It’s time to set the record straight and come to the defense of this unfairly maligned avian “underbird.”

For starters, we can’t even get the name right. I hate to tell you, folks, but there is no such thing as a seagull!

Continue reading Just for the gull of it!

The scoop on dog poop: why all scat is not the same

Part of being a good pet owner and park visitor is cleaning up after your dog.

“Stoop and scoop” is a phrase all pet owners have heard for decades, yet park staff are often asked, “Why do I need to pick up after my dog when wildlife poop does not need to be picked up?”

It’s a good question. How is dog poop different from raccoon, coyote, moose or even bear scat?

As it turns out, not all scat is the same.

Continue reading The scoop on dog poop: why all scat is not the same

Our 2022 Turtle Protection Project results: a reason to “shell”ebrate!

We’ve got some “egg-citing” news!

In 2022, we went on a mission to protect Ontario’s at-risk turtles.

It was a huge success! In fact, at one park, we had our first Painted Turtle hatchling emerge from a nest in ten years!

And it wouldn’t have been possible without our “turtley” awesome donors and the Turtle Protection Project.

Continue reading Our 2022 Turtle Protection Project results: a reason to “shell”ebrate!

Turtles: the ultimate survivors

In today’s post, Discovery Leader Olivia Bennett discusses turtles’ impact on Grundy Lake Provincial Park — and vice versa!

When I first started working at Grundy Lake, I was talking turtles with our park superintendent when someone asked, “Why do you care so much about turtles here?”

The answer is simple: while the park boasts a healthy turtle population and quality habitat, other areas are not so lucky.

This is only the beginning of why we should all care about turtles.

Continue reading Turtles: the ultimate survivors

Guess how many types of bee call Ontario home?

When we think of bees, we often picture honey bees. We imagine a swarm buzzing around a honeycomb hive.

But honey bees are just one of 400 different types of bees in Ontario (and we’re discovering new bee species all the time!).

And honey bees aren’t even a native species.

In fact, honey bees are relatively new to Ontario. They were an agricultural import, brought to North America for honey production and crop pollination. Before honey bees crossed the ocean, Ontario’s major pollinators were native bees, whose behaviour is often very different from the stereotypical honey bees.

Here are five other types of bees buzzing around our parks:

Continue reading Guess how many types of bee call Ontario home?

Reforestation at Balsam Lake: round “brew”

Last year, we collaborated with our friends at Collective Arts Brewing to brew up a tasty ecological reforestation project for Balsam Lake Provincial Park.

Thanks to your unwavering support, we’re thrilled to announce that we’re back with Collective Arts to debut their newest brew: Trail Loop Honey Lager!

Keep reading to learn how Ontario Parks and Collective Arts are getting craft(brew)y this summer.

Continue reading Reforestation at Balsam Lake: round “brew”

The dos and don’ts of using live bait in provincial parks

Ontario is home to more than 250,000 lakes, thousands of kilometres of streams and rivers, and more than 150 species of fish.

There are endless fishing opportunities at Ontario Parks, and dropping a line is a great way to connect with and learn about nature.

From Lake Trout to Brook Trout, Walleye to Northern Pike, we’ve got some of the best recreational fishing opportunities in the world!

But before you head out to hook a big one, let’s talk about some of the dos and don’ts of using live bait in Ontario Parks:

Continue reading The dos and don’ts of using live bait in provincial parks