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© Lora Denis
Red osier dogwood in winter wetland © Duncan Rawlinson
Without the chorus of birdsong and frog calls heard in warmer months, it’s easy to picture wetlands as vacant in the winter. But appearances can be deceiving. Snow-blanketed ice transforms into a living guestbook wildlife sign with their feet. Barren trees become stopovers for visiting birds. A wetland in winter may be a quiet scene, ...
Global Climate Strike - Toronto, 9-27-2019 © Noah Cole
Snip, snip, snip. That’s how my supervisor, Anne Bell, described the recent tangle of legislation and policy proposals dumped on Ontarians in October and November of 2022. It was my second day at my new job as Ontario Nature’s Conservation Policy and Planning Manager. What’s being snipped is the thoughtfully interwoven web of protections for ...
Trumpeter swans, Nabish Lake © Darlene Salter
By now you’ve probably noticed our provincial government has been taking a thorough, bit-by-bit approach to dismantling our environmental laws and policies. This makes the environmental challenges we are facing seem like pieces of an unsolvable puzzle. Of course, this is not the case. Indigenous Knowledge teaches us that every piece of the puzzle is ...
Massasauga rattlesnake © Joe Crowley
I’ve been thinking about Samuel Beckett and Ontario rattlesnakes. There used to be two species in the province, the Massasauga and the timber. But for decades there’s only been one. In 1967, conservationist Barbara Froom said the timber rattler, “that was common in the Niagara Gorge region many years ago, is now extinct in Ontario.” ...
Our planet’s natural environment is under unprecedented stress. The good news is that you can help restore a healthy planet by reducing your environmental footprint, and we’re here to help you. This blog is part of a series that will help you go #GreenStepByStep. Subscribe to our blog to follow along! From newspapers to conferences to ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority