Today’s post comes from Nick Lacombe, fisheries biologist at Algonquin Provincial Park. For me, springtime in Algonquin means trout fishing. Many others share this feeling, as about 70% of backcountry campers fish for trout during their spring trips. Lakes containing Brook and Lake Trout are found throughout the Algonquin backcountry, with the best lakes often … Continue reading Help us maintain the Algonquin trout fishing tradition
Biodiversity is a big word for the variety of life on Earth. Biodiversity is you — and every other living thing on the planet. We see biodiversity every day, but it’s more than bugs and animals and trees. It’s about how everything is connected. If we lose one piece of biodiversity, the rest is affected.
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 … Continue reading Orphaned by the Ice Age
We know a lot of our visitors are interested in exploring our parks, and maybe taking a piece of it home with them. We’ve noticed an increase in popularity of foraging, but remember: foraging for any plant or fungal species is prohibited in provincial parks.
Today’s post comes from Ashley Hanas, a bat technician with the Friends of Pinery Park. Bats are the only true flying mammal. There are currently over 1,400 species and bats encompass 20% of the mammalian species on earth (meaning 1 in 5 mammals are bats!). Bats are essential to the health of our environment, providing … Continue reading Bats: The mammal, the myth, the legend
Today’s blog was written by Pilar Manorome, a park planner in Protected Areas Section at Ontario Parks. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the natural world around me and was very fortunate to grow up in Norfolk County. It was a place where I could step out my door and have a wide array … Continue reading Opening doors with Ontario Parks
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:
You’ve recently unwrapped the latest iphone or a shiny new digital camera, perhaps an SLR with some fancy lenses. Now you have itchy shutter fingers. You’re ready to point your camera at something spectacular and capture a beautiful memory forever. But where to go? Not to brag, but Ontario Parks are beautiful, iconic places. Covering nearly … Continue reading Are you an ethical wildlife photographer?
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 … Continue reading Ontario’s trilliums
Today’s blog was written by Ontario Parks Social Media Assistant Sonia Dharni. April is here and it’s National Stress Awareness Month. With constant notifications and never-ending tasks, it’s easy to forget the simple joys and timeless wisdom that nature offers. Digital alerts fill our ears, while the cheerful song of the birds and the soothing … Continue reading 5 lessons from Ontario’s wildlife to reduce stress
