Berries are finally ripening, and it is time for Black Bears in Ontario to start packing on the pounds.
In July, breeding season ends and Black Bears get down to the serious business of consuming as much food as they can.
Category: Nature Knowledge
The cat and the Mudbug: a guide to using iNaturalist
Cellphones have changed our lives in many ways. It seems like there’s an app available to cater to our every need, from baking to banking and all things in between.
At Ontario Parks, we generally encourage green time over screen time, however there’s one app we believe every visitor should have on their phone.
Continue reading The cat and the Mudbug: a guide to using iNaturalist
Let out your inner explorer, artist, and space traveler with a Discovery Kit
Have you ever wanted to explore the great outdoors, create a masterpiece, or go to space?
You’re in luck!
Our FREE Discovery Kit rental program is designed to help you do all those things while visiting a park.
Continue reading Let out your inner explorer, artist, and space traveler with a Discovery Kit
Life after loss: the importance of moose antlers
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
“Leaves of three, let it be. Berries white, take flight.”
So goes the easy-to-remember rhyme that’s supposed to help you identify the infamous Poison Ivy plant.
Touching Poison Ivy can result in extraordinarily unpleasant itchy blisters. So identifying this species is an important outdoor skill.
While memorable, the popular rhyme is short on details.
Should you avoid every plant with three leaves? What if it doesn’t have white berries? What should you do if you think you’ve touched it?
If you’re heading into nature and wish to return home itch-free, you’ve come across the right blog!
Continue reading “Leaves of three, let it be. Berries white, take flight.”
Open eyes, open mind: nature journaling with kids
In today’s post, Discovery Leader Carlin Thompson from Sandbanks Provincial Park shares her top tips for nature journaling with kids.
We did it, parents! We made it through another winter.
The struggle of tackling young children into layered outerwear and the scavenger hunts for matching mittens now seem like a distant memory. What sweet relief.
But before the unbridled joy of shucking the outerwear gives way to sunscreen-application-induced carpal tunnel and the din of summer boredom, let’s capitalize on our children’s excitement to be outside.
Continue reading Open eyes, open mind: nature journaling with kids
Calling all citizen scientists: come to the Killarney Butterfly Count
For its 25th year, Killarney Provincial Park is hosting its Annual Butterfly Count.
And if you’re heading to Killarney on July 8, 2023, we’d like your help!
Continue reading Calling all citizen scientists: come to the Killarney Butterfly Count
The magical world of Exploration Stations
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
Parks are magical places.
I don’t need to convince you of this.
But sometimes, we all need a little help unlocking the magic around us. That’s where Discovery Guides and Exploration stations come in!
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!
Adventure Lab: are you ready for an adventure?
Ontario Parks is pleased to unveil a new outdoor activity that we hope will help connect you and your family to our amazing system of parks!
We’ve teamed up with Adventure Lab to create seven unique “Adventures” that teach you about our protected spaces!
Continue reading Adventure Lab: are you ready for an adventure?