© Lora Denis
World Turtle Day on May 23rd is dedicated to appreciating these extraordinary reptiles. It is also a good opportunity to highlight the need to protect these ancient species, as they are one of the most interesting and important groups of reptiles in Ontario. On this year’s World Turtle Day, we shed light on the significance ...
Thickson's Woods Nature Reserve
Spring migration in Thickson’s Woods starts with the lisps and whispers of golden-crowned kinglets flitting about in the leafless understory, and then — listen! — an endless, breathless song pumped out by the smallest set of lungs in the world, winter wren. Unless you have patience, persistence and a strong neck, don’t even try to ...
May 7, 2026–Teagan Netten
Community Science•Environmental Education•How To•Reptiles and Amphibians•Stewardship and restoration
Following the successful ten-year run of the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas, Ontario Nature developed a Long-Term Monitoring Protocol (LTMP) to fill important knowledge gaps about Ontario’s common and at-risk snakes. Since 2019, we’ve expanded the LTMP from nine monitoring locations to over 60 sites across the province! We recently published a Story Map where ...
May 1, 2026–Grace McGrenere
Conservation News•Reptiles and Amphibians•Species at Risk•Water
Opinicon Lake © Carolyn Appotive CC BY 2.0
In 2022, Carleton University biologist, Grégory Bulté arrived at Opinicon Lake for his first day of field work for the season. Bulté has been studying and tracking northern map turtles since 2003, returning every spring to the lake. As he went to retrieve his camera from the hibernation site, he spotted a dead turtle. He ...
A child observing monarch butterflies, Tommy Thompson Park © Leslie Bol
With National Volunteer Week now underway, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the role people play in protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Community science is one meaningful way to get involved. And as spring returns to Ontario, pollinators begin to reappear in fields, forests, wetlands, and gardens making them a natural group of species to observe ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority