© Lora Denis
April 21, 2016–Smera Sukumar (On maternity leave)
Community Science•Nature Reserves•Reptiles and Amphibians•Wetlands
Red-backed salamander © Joe Crowley
After a warm winter and chilly start to spring, I joined my Ontario Nature co-workers at Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve for a good old-fashioned salamander sleuthing event, our first of the season. The Altberg reserve is a tranquil property that has great trails and several vernal pools that are home to a variety of ...
© Simon Brothers Powerline Films
I woke up this morning to a story on the local news that a family of nine had died in another northern First Nation reserve house fire. Among the dead were three children. The underlying cause – poverty and what the reporter called “third world living conditions”. It’s enough to take your breath away.
In celebration of our 85th anniversary, we are starting a Conservation Conversation! To get the conversation going, we’re asking you to share the actions you will take for nature today, and your hopes and dreams for nature tomorrow. We have been humbled, awed and inspired by your responses. Here are a few of our favourites so ...
Vernal pool, Altberg Nature Reserve © Noah Cole
What better day to celebrate vernal pools than March 21st – the International Day of Forests. Vernal pools are those temporary spring flooded areas in your forests. They are known by many names – ephemeral pools, intermittent wetlands, spring wetlands – but whatever you do, don’t call them a puddle!
Brown-belted bumblebee © Anita Gould CC BY-NC 2.0
The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions. Unfortunately, we conservationists have headed down that road a few times too many in recent years. Take for example Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, hailed by almost everyone as the gold standard for Canada when it was passed in 2007. I have no doubt that our MPPs ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority