Category: Spring

Orphaned by the Ice Age

Today’s post comes from Cara Freitag, a park naturalist at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

One of the most interesting stories that a small, shrubby, low-growing plant can tell is that of Sleeping Giant’s arctic disjunct species.

They survived a journey of over 850 km: that’s almost infinity for small plants like the Encrusted Saxifrage.

Travelling from the geological area known today as Polar Bear Provincial Park, these plants have found microclimates they can also call home here at Sleeping Giant.

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10 reasons you should try spring camping

Close your eyes and imagine:

  • your face flush with your first dose of spring sunshine
  • your ears are filled with the beautiful songs of migrating birds
  • your nervous system soothed by the rhythm of waves on the shoreline

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

Here are our top ten reasons to try spring camping this season:
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Ontario’s trilliums

Today’s post comes from Assistant Zone Ecologist Pilar Manorome.

Spring is probably my favourite season as it brings new life to our parks in the form of migrating birds and emerging spring ephemerals, giving our forests their long-awaited pops of vibrant colours and contrast.

Most people know of the White Trillium — also referred to as Wake Robin or Large-leaved Trillium — as Ontario’s provincial flower. This is the flower featured on many of our provincial documents, from health cards to driver’s licenses.

Here are the top five fun facts about this iconic Ontario species:

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Holes in the shield: the Algonquin Rock Worm

Roger LaFontaine originally came to Algonquin Provincial Park looking for creepy creatures like leeches, snails, crayfish and rotifers in the early 2000s.

During that first season in the park, he became fascinated by the huge and strange marks seen all over Algonquin’s Highway 60 corridor left by a prehistoric worm. Since then, he’s devoted at least a day per year to documenting and studying some of Algonquin’s forgotten creatures.

Many visitors to Algonquin are in awe of the rocky shorelines and exposed rock outcrops throughout the park.

What only keen-eyed visitors may pick up on are the telltale marks left behind by a fantastic creature that sadly isn’t around anymore.

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Listen to nature: what do you hear?

Today’s blog post comes from Corina Brdar, an ecologist who is also actively involved in the nature journaling and mindfulness community.

Our last nature mindfulness moment led you through a simple 10-minute  exercise in paying attention by looking, listening, and feeling. This month, we invite you to dive a little deeper by listening to the sounds of spring.

You can try this basic mindfulness exercise next time you’re alone outdoors in a place where you feel comfortable.

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Butterflies: a not-so-well-known sign of spring

Today’s post comes to us from the Discovery staff at Charleston Lake Provincial Park.

Spring is coming!

Some telltale signs of spring include the return of birds that left for the winter, spring wildflowers opening their colourful blooms, and new tree leaves unfurling from buds.

But before that, there’s often an earlier sign of spring: butterflies.

That’s right, butterflies! A sign of spring in Charleston Lake is the sight of some early winged beauties flitting about.

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10 signs of spring at Ontario Parks

Spring has sprung at Ontario Parks!

The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the days of snow and sleet are (hopefully!) behind us. As the snow melts, enjoy the sensory delights of spring in our provincial parks as we see and hear signs of warm weather to come.

You know it’s spring in Ontario Parks when…

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5 fantastic forests to visit this spring

It’s International Day of Forests!

Ontario Parks protects a collection of breathtakingly beautiful forests from across the province. Each will be brimming with signs of life as the snow melts and temperatures warm.

Let’s take a look at five unique forests you can visit this spring.

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